The Question I’d Like Answered

 

Hi, my name is Phil...

 

The time is fast approaching when Tennesseans will have to decide who will replace Phil Bredesen in the governor’s office. While I think most people accept the job he’s done, this state, like most, have been hit hard by the economic downturn. One of the things Phil made a big deal out of when he first ran for governor was how his experience as a businessman was going to help him administer the state in straightforward and businesslike manner. Of course, that ignored the fact that he’d have to deal with entrenched civil servants who fight change like barbarians storming ancient Rome. Or with lawmakers more interested in the special interests funneling them re-election dollars than enacting laws to bring about positive change.

Which goes to the point that all of Phil’s “business” experience couldn’t do much to stop the global economic downtown that hit the state like a baseball bat a couple of years ago.

So, it seems that the two guys trying to replace the governor are playing up one particular skill that each believes makes them the best man for the job.

 

Bill Haslam for Governor

 

The Republican nominee, Bill Haslam, a member of the family that owns and runs the Pilot Oil empire, notes that he has the business acumen to help pull Tennessee out of its economic doldrums and put people back to work. The guy is the mayor of one of the larger cities in the state, but doesn’t really talk much about his executive experience on the public side (not in his TV commercials anyway). He makes this point on his site: “Bill Haslam’s top priority as governor will be making Tennessee the #1 state in the Southeast for high quality jobs. At a time when our state is facing double-digit unemployment and many more are underemployed, Tennessee needs a governor who understands how to create jobs.”

 

Mike McWherter for Governor

 

Mike McWherter, son of former Governor Ned McWherter, is the Democratic nominee. As the operator of his own beer distributorship (and being pretty much in control of his father’s distributorship as well), he also says his business experience will help turn the state around, mostly by continuing Gov. Bredesen’s positive policies. Here’s a pertinent quote from McWherter’s site, on his approach to repairing the economy: “Creating new jobs. Mike is the proud owner of a Tennessee-based company that provides good jobs to working families. He knows how to communicate with businesses and industries that are expanding, and as governor, he’ll work overtime to bring new jobs to Tennessee.”

 

Jim is the one on the right

 

Promising job creation is a time-honored method of campaigning for high office. I grew up in Ohio when Jim Rhodes was governor. He was one of the few people to serve 4 four-year terms as a state governor. You could pretty much sum up his campaign approach in three words. “Jobs, jobs, jobs.” When he was mayor of Columbus, he helped convince voters to approve a city income tax. Income tax? That kind of leadership would never fly in the Tennessee Statehouse. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not a fan. Even though we worked in the same office building after he left office and saw each other often, I soured on him after Kent State in 1970. Still, his “jobs” mantra worked on voters until he ran for a fifth term in 1986.

However, here’s my question: unless Haslam or McWhether offers every jobless Tennessean a position at a Pilot gas station or at Central Distributors, just how is their “business experience” going to make a lick of difference in getting people back to work? Seriously, the guy in office now is an experienced businessman, and we’ve seen that’s there is damn little he can do about keeping state workers in their jobs, much less other people, until the economic recovery gains steam around the country. Cutting taxes for the rich isn’t an answer. Rich people are interested in being rich – not necessarily using their money to create jobs. If they can get richer by creating jobs inside the U.S., they’ll do it. If they can get richer by moving jobs to other countries, wave goodbye – those jobs are gone for good. If making stock prices rise by laying off staff is necessary, it’s time to look for another job. Trust me, I felt that pain personally.

So Mike, Bill – lemme ask you – instead of joining all the other candidates on TV, slinging all that mud, why not tell us that you’re hoping that a rising tide will lift all boats economically and a governor really can’t do much to bring new jobs anywhere – unless businesses (which are sitting on tons of cash right now) are feeling confident enough to spend that money to create those jobs?

Doing Bidness

Waiting for the other boot to drop

I have no opinion as to who should be the next governor of Tennessee. Given the state’s current economic situation, as well as the peculiarities of the legislature, I don’t feel that any of the leading candidates can really turn things around, although Ron Ramsey‘s got a sweet pair of cowboy boots. That is, judging from the one he’s showing off on his website.

Bill's Year?

Ned Ray's Boy

If we take the state’s shift to the right, along with recent poll results, it would seem that Bill Haslam, currently mayor of Knoxville, has the inside track on winding up in recently renovated governor’s mansion. The latest poll from the Tennessee Newspaper Network (a cooperative effort of the state’s four largest newspapers) show Mayor Haslam leading his Republican opponents, Ramsey and Congressman Zach Wamp. The putative Democratic nominee, Mike McWherter, hasn’t don’t a lot of advertising, mostly because he has no competition. While he is the son of a former governor, he holds no office of his own and will also have to battle the GOP-tilt of the statewide electorate.

So, if things hold, the fall match-up pits two “businessmen,” who will both posit their respective experience in “business” qualifies them to be chief executive in these tough economic times; after all, a majority of those polled rank the economy as the most important issue facing the state.

Phil Likes Mike

Our current governor, Phil Bredesen, who also came to the office promising to put his experience to work, has endorsed fellow Democrat McWherter, noting that because he’s a “businessman,” he understands what it takes to create jobs.

Okay, Phil, your background was in healthcare – is that fixed here in Tennessee? Or are the problems of the global economy too much for one “businessman” to wrangle during a downturn like we’ve been having?

And besides, McWherter didn’t create the business he operates. I’m usually not impressed by a child who takes over an operation started by parents or grandparents unless it goes through some incredible growth because of the child’s efforts (see Ted Turner). Same issue with Haslam. His father created Pilot Oil, and it’s still a family-run business (as opposed to a Bill-run business).

While I have voted for people who operate businesses before, I really don’t think that running any part of a government lends itself to accepted management practices. Hiring, firing, meeting payrolls, putting new practices in place – all things that go through endless committees – councils, commissions, legislatures, Congress. And that doesn’t even look at constituents, lobbyists and all the stuff that office holders deal with.

I’m pretty sure that selling gas or beer doesn’t necessarily make someone the best leader in troubled times.

On the fence?

And as long as we’re talking about the candidates – what’s the fascination with illegal immigration? I don’t think the concern is losing jobs to illegals – it’s having enough jobs in the first place! I also don’t know why it’s so important for gubernatorial candidates to make the point so strongly that they’ll “say ‘no’ to Obama.” If he’s the guy with his hand on the federal aid spigot, they might want to think (at least think) about saying ‘yes’ sometime.

Old Enough to Know Better

After a brief flurry of activity, my blogging once again slowed to a crawl. The muse was keeping her distance, for whatever reason. But, if you wait long enough, inspiration will present itself. Often in the form of an angry, 70-year-old man.

From the Commercial Appeal

After voters pretty much slept through the non-event that the recent county primary turned out to be, former Memphis mayor Willie Herenton storms back into the collective consciousness, spouting opinions that make a lot of people scratch their heads and wonder what’s wrong.

Hizzoner has declined to appear at a debate sponsored by WREG-TV (full disclosure: I worked at Channel 3 for 8 years). Dr. Herenton believes that the regular panelists who pose the questions at 3’s debates, Norm Brewer and Otis Sanford, are in some way biased towards him. He made the point to a reporter that this bias stretches back years. It’s possible that he’s confusing detached, non-partisan coverage and commentary with bias, but I certainly don’t want to speak for him. I don’t know Sanford, except for his commentaries at the CA, which always seem well-informed. I do know Brewer, since our time at 3 overlapped. In my view, he’s a fair man.

Which One?

Perhaps the voters in the Greater Memphis area are familiar enough with the Herenton record (a dozen years as superintendent of schools, elected to 5 terms as mayor, etc.) that they wouldn’t necessarily gain anything from hearing additional discourse during his attempt to win the 9th District Congressional seat from incumbent Steve Cohen. By the way, in case you don’t remember, this piece in the Memphis Flyer should serve to remind you that he doesn’t think much of Rep. Cohen either.

When it comes to the people asking questions during debates, I think all the local stations that have aired debates have done a good job of choosing fair panelists (my ex-wife was a panelist during a gubernatorial debate on Channel 3 several years ago, and did a fine job).

The Choices

Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that either of the current questioners are in fact, biased against the candidate. If that bias were to show up in the form of the questions posed, wouldn’t it be pretty obvious? And wouldn’t that also reflect positively on the candidate who recognized that? ‘See, I told you they were biased…’ And isn’t there a chance that something like that could actually engender some sympathy (and votes) for the maligned candidate? I mean, if you keep your cool under fire and calmly present the salient details of your 30 years of public service and plans for your work in Congress, would it really matter how biased the questioners were?

The former mayor didn’t deign to debate any of the other candidates in his last campaign either. Of course, if you’ve got four terms behind you and solid electoral support, it’s really quite feasible to skip a joint TV appearance with several lesser knowns. On the other hand, if you’ve been out of office (and the public eye) for months and are running against someone who has as much success at the ballot box – and is the incumbent – you’d do yourself well to showcase the differences between yourself and your opponent as publicly as possible. Depending on the good will of your traditional support without doing anything to shore up that support (anything except personal attacks), might be short-sighted.

I did think it was interesting that Dr. Herenton made the point to a television interviewer that he did not dodge tough questions, asking the reporter himself for confirmation. Of course, some of the best Memphis TV over the last decade-and-a-half has been the former mayor walking away from news cameras (which he did again during this interview after a particularly inflammatory comment).

The Trilla’ from Wasilla!

While I’m happy that we have such interesting political figures, it worries me that many of them are capable of getting voted into office.

The Governor & the Comedian

The former governor of Alaska (and vice presidential candidate) was in Illinois for a fund-raising event this week. Personally, I don’t have a problem with Sarah Palin expressing her views. Those views obviously strike a chord with many Americans, but it seems the more distance a politician puts between him or herself and the middle, the more they’re open to mocking. Tina Fey had a pretty good career going, but she should be sending regular payments to Gov. Palin.

There was another event in the Chicagoland area, timed to coincide with the governor’s appearance. Chicago’s Admiral Theatre didn’t just hold a Sarah Palin look-alike contest – the entrants were all strippers. After all, the Admiral is a “gentleman’s club.”

From the Chicago Tribune

A Brazillian woman named Eloah Rocha won the $2,500 first prize (you know a prize is a big deal when it comes on a big cardboard check). Well, maybe she’s going to use the money for college tuition (Irony or sarcasm? I’m not sure).

I just feel lucky that I’m not good-looking enough to be the target of parody.

A New Normal

Running Out of Room

By coincidence, all the spare time I had for exercise during the recent company fitness contest has seemed to have dried up with all the new assignments I’m getting at work. That is much better than the alternative, so don’t think I’m complaining. After spending one day back in town, I’m on my way out again, heading to my old stomping grounds in the ATL. It’s a quick day-and-a-half, but I’ve got a bunch of stuff backed up from the last trip that I’m going to have to get to as soon as I’m back. I had to go through the DVR and clear off some things I knew I wasn’t going to get around to watching. The machine told me I was “dangerously low” on space. That’s what I get for recording in HD.

Or Does It?

I haven’t mentioned politics in a while. But not talking about it doesn’t mean it’s gone away. More yard signs have popped up while I was away, and the candidates are popping up on local radio to take advantage of any free air time they can get to plead their cases. I won’t be surprised with low turnout for the special election this week. Single-issue ballot items, even when they deal with a big issue don’t always draw as many voters as they should. Still, no matter what you thought of the retired mayor, change should be good for the city, even if it’s just the frenzied activities of the interim mayor, doing as much as he can during his interim-ness.

Winless? Why?

I hesitate to talk about sports here. The last time I did, I got an invitation to be a regular blogger for a sports site. Sorry, I don’t know enough about any sport to do that intelligently (I know, who does?). Anyway, I’m really feeling bad for the Tennessee Titans this season. After last year, they were supposed to be a real contender. Did Kerry Collins just run out of gas, or is something else going on in Nashville? No wins, and they face New England next week. Yikes.

Kind of a potpourri tonight, and a little short. I plan to run into some former CNN coworkers after I finish my assignment tomorrow, so hopefully I’ll have some inside the news business dirt to talk about.