His name was Bob Clement, and my late mother, who had fond memories of his father, former governor Frank G. Clement, was excited about his candidacy for the Public Service Commission, which he would win. Thus started the idea that he would lead this state as his father had.
While I did put up signs for the late Senator Jim White (D-30) in 1976, my political work essentially began at a Clement for Governor rally in 1978, where I would meet my friends Joyce Akehurst (Quintrell) and her brother Tom. Also, at that rally, after complaining that we needed to oust the Republican state representative in Whitehaven, a fellow by the name of Dwayne Thompson tapped me on the shoulder and advised that he was running, and, two days later, I was knocking on doors in my precinct. Although Dwayne lost the primary, he would introduce me to other like-minded souls, like my Godfather. As such, Bob Clement provided a watershed moment for me politically.
I would support Clement through his primary loss to Jake Butcher (I STILL think Bob would have beaten Lamar Alexander that year, and maybe stopped him for good), and get on board in 1982 when he announced for the 7th District seat being vacated by Robin Beard. However, when his campaign manager decided to file suit to force a special election to fill the vacated Memphis Mayor's chair, it inadvertently jacked up the turnout in East Memphis (most of the area east of Mendenhall was in the 7th then) and it wound up costing him the election against Don Sundquist. I also believe had Bob won, he would have ended Sundquist's career then and there, and we wouldn't have had to put up with HIM, either.
After that loss, Bob would go on to become President of Cumberland College, and helped revitalize it. However, when Bill Boner gave up his 5th District seat in 1988 to run for and become Mayor of Nashville, Clement ran to succeed him, and won. He was unchallenged until he ran against Lamar Alexander for the US Senate in 2002, and was beaten by LAMAR! rather handily, at which time it was revealed that Mayor Herenton and some of his supporters backed his old friend Alexander. I have still not forgiven Herenton for that, and I doubt I ever will, but I digress.
Tonight, what was left of the now-62-year-old Clement's career came to an end, as he was defeated by former Metro legal director Karl Dean in the race for Mayor of Nashville. For me, what's even sadder is that, had I lived and voted in Nashville, I probably would not have voted for Bob Clement; he seemed like nothing more than a relic of the past.
Given that his career showed so much unfulfilled promise, it just seems like a damn shame that it ends tonight with little more to show for it than a safe, quiet Congressional career and only one statewide victory, 35 years ago.
What could have been..................
4 comments:
LWC I hope this is also a signal that people on both sides are tired of these political dynasties.
Ditto Turnbow. But I wouldn't worry too much about lil' Bob LWC, we're better off with Karl Dean as our mayor.
Little Bob would've defeated Lamar Alexander in 1978? Puh-leez. After losing in 1974, Lamar put together an impressive campaign staff and embarked on the most unique gubernatorial campaign the state had ever seen in 1978. Neither Little Bob, nor Big Jake, nor Plain Jane Eskind, nor any other B-team candidates the Democrats were championing in 1978 were going to beat Lamar in the Blantongate election.
As for Little Bob's besting by Don Sudquist, he was just plain out-hustled in that election. As much as Sundquist is loathed now - by as many Republicans as Democrats - he was widely known as a dogged and disciplined campaigner whether running for office himself, or when he went on the hustings for other state and local GOP candidates.
Finally, you should be happy that Karl Dean won the Nashville mayoral election. He's a left-wing elistist from central casting: He figures to be a stooge for teachers' and public sector unions; he sends his kids to private school while saying how great Nashville's public schools would be with a few million more dollars thrown at 'em; and he wrote an article for the New England Law Review in which he referred to himself as a "dyed-in-the-wool liberal" and said he supported gun control.
Hooray for Nashville! We have a left-wing nutbucket mayor!
I'm glad that I helped get you started in this game Steve.
Also, I still remember the individual (and you know him too) who thought he was doing a real public service by filing suit to get a special City election in 1982. As a result, Bob Clement lost to Don Sundquist and Republican Dick Hackett won the mayor's election.
That goes to show you that these actions may seem good on the surface but they can cause irreparable harm.
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