Jackson Baker reports in the Flyer column above(click on the title for the story) something that I had figured would happen after I spoke with my Senator at the Shelby County Democratic Women's Christmas party - that Steve Cohen is a likely candidate for the 9th Congressional District seat being vacated by Harold Ford Junior.
Unlike 1996, when he lost to Harold the Younger, he would be facing a group of largely unknown candidates, with the possible exception of Rev. Ralph White, the former candidate for Criminal Court Clerk who was unsuccessful in 1998 and 2002 against GOP incumbent Bill Key.
Newer candidates like Lee Harris, Ed Stanton III, Nikki Tinker, and Tyson Pratcher could find it tough sledding against Cohen, who has served since 1982 in the Senate representing what was then mostly Midtown, but now extends further east and southeast into the city.
Ron Redwing, who is close to many of those folks in the Sidney Chism sphere of the SCDP, is also among those raising money right now and seems to be making solid progress as well.
However, should Cohen, with his years of service to the area and a very devoted base of support (both of volunteers and money) make the race, it would be difficult to see how he could lose, UNLESS..........
Some of the younger candidates get together, draw straws, and pick one candidate. Even then, it would be hard to stop Cohen, especially if the Man Who Would Be Senator holds fast to his stated neutrality in that race, which I suspect that he would.
What would a Cohen in Congress look like? I suspect he would go after the Bu$h policies like a rabid badger, and represent the 9th District like it hasn't been since, oh, 1996?
Look, I've known Steve Cohen since, well, longer than either of us would admit. I haven't always agreed with him, and I've let him know it. However, if he makes this race, I can't imagine supporting anyone else.
That's my bias, and you might as well know it up front.
5 comments:
I believe Junior has already filed the necessary Federal paperwork to run for Senatorl however, I don't know when the withdrawal deadline is and i have not heard that he has pulled petitions for his old seat.
Withdrawal deadline for Ford is in April.
It seems many progressive democratic activists have started working with various current congressional candidates, but how many of those activists will jump ship and go work for Cohen if he declares his candidacy in March? I'll bet quite a few.
As for the candidates, Pratcher knows a lot about how Capital Hill works, but can he create a base of support in a few months? Tinker has an image problem. It's called "corporate shill." A corporate lawyer on the wrong side of discrimination cases who has little track record of public service. Can she buy a base of support in a few months? Perhaps Morgan Freeman, Justin Timberlake, and Pat Kerr Tigeret helped with that recently. I really don't know much about the others. But the more the merrier. Lets have a slobberknocker of a primary, just watch where the candidates get their money. With so many races here locally, there isn't much money floating around, so candidates will go looking for money outside the state, i.e. DC, NYC, etc. That's when you start asking who do they really represent. Because no one gives money for nothing. Just ask the financial services companies about Harold Ford's vote on the bankruptcy bill and SEC oversight powers.
John - How could Cohen possibly play the race card? Do we now have a prohibition against palefaces in the 9th District? Steve Cohen is Jewish, which makes him a minority in this town no matter how you slice it up.
You seem to think that simply because Uncle Junior has black skin that it automatically means that he represents the interests of black people. He does not. If he can be said to represent anyone well at all, it is wealthy white evangelical conservatives. It is Uncle Junior's political ambitions that get the best representation from him.
BD Friend - I wouldn't expect much out of a freshman congressman except for the occasional loud statement, and they are badly needed here in any case. More babies die in Memphis than anywhere else in America. That's worth making some noise over.
Polar Donkey - You said "slobberknocker." My computer screen is much cleaner now that it's been sprayed with a mouthful of Corona.
BD, also on the lottery, he was trying like hell to get it passed, but he couldn't convince Andy Womack (D-Murfreesboro) or tom Leatherwood to vote for it; he had all the other pro-lottery votes in his pocket.
When A) womack left to run for Governor and B) Leatherwood left to run for Register, they were replaced by Larry Trail and Mark Norris, both of whom agreed to vote for the lottery.
I'm chiming in somewhat late but just caught up on blogs. If long-term friend Steve were to run, I believe he would win and would be capable of serving all the residents of the district better than they have been served in the past decade or so. He would be a great congressman for the 9th. However, he would not have the seniority to get much done in the first term, and more depressingly, I am convinced that he would only be allowed by the electorate to serve one term before being replaced by an African-American and then we would have no seniority in DC all over again. Also, importantly, we really do need him to temper the rural conservative mindset in Nashville. Perhaps Steve is getting tired of beating his head against stone walls in Nashville trying to be a progressive, and he could certainly be forgiven for that and for wanting to do something else. What cannot be forgiven is some of the opinions that a majority black district must have a black representative to receive representation. Obviously, Jr. missed the memo on who he represents...and maybe folks need to be reminded, especially this weekend, that MLK dreamed that people be judged by not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.
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