I admit that I've been obsessed with the NCAA Men's AND Women's Basketball tournaments these past few days, and I just haven't been able to bring myself to write. I find that I'm more concerned with the Tigers and CDR's injury more than I am with the SCDP goings-on.
Thaddeus had a post yesterday (sorry, he doesn't link to us, I don't link to him) suggesting that David Upton was working behind the scenes on behalf of Keith Norman, which I believe about as much as I believe that I will be doing beefcake shots for women's magazines next week.
However, something in there interested me, especially when one of my sources confirmed it for me seperately: Sidney Chism may actually STAY OUT of the chair race, because A) Bailey has Upton with him and B) he can't support Norman because Norman is anti-Herenton (another point in his favor, IMO!)
Well, even though Bailey claims to have the numbers to win, if one splits Bailey's numbers, Norman/MSDIA's numbers, and Chism's numbers, NONE of them has the necessary seats on the ExecCom to win, and deals must be cut somewhere. Where, though? That's the rub, and the intrigue now begins.
Well, that seems to have loosened me up, so to speak; I should have more later!
4 comments:
That's interesting. If the Chism Faction is on its own and MSDIA is strong in those East Memphis and County Districts, than an idea I had about the Norman candidacy might very likely be true. Norman is the MSDIA candidate who is/was being forced on Chism. Now Chism is in a fix. He'd be a junior partner to either Bailey/Upton or MSDIA.
Maybe Chism got played by Desi not Upton. She may have played the good soldier these past two years and lulled his faction into a state of complacency. Remember, somebody has filled in about 20 precincts that weren't represented before and Chism had a lot of pressure put on him in Whitehaven and South Memphis.
This is where the ambiguous membership of MSDIA comes into play. For example, Norma Lester is/was a member of MSDIA during the 2005 reorganization, but most people would identify her with the Chism Faction. This was a similar situation during this last term with Desi. She is the leader of MSDIA but many considered her more a Chism Faction member.
If Chism doesn't have the votes, then I guess he'll have to choose which group to side with, which seems to be a high probability. He knows he can work with Bailey. Norman's position on local elections and the mayor may be too much. Perhaps, Chism will turns his delegates loose and let them vote their own preference.
That's the deal. if he turns them loose, more of them will go to Bailey than Norman.
if Bailey wins, the less likely it will be that the ExecCom will endorse in local elections and less likely that a candidate opposing Herenton grabs the endorsement and runs with it.
As you said, he can WORK with Bailey, and have him as chair without endorsing him, the best of both worlds.
Try not to go so long without posting. I missed you!
It has been remarkably quiet on the blogs concerning the chair race the party reorganization.
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