In the event you have not seen this yet

Please go read Jackson Baker's latest post on Dr. Herenton's campaign, with two videos taken during his speech to supporters at Councilor Joe Brown's office at Jackson & Watkins.  I am not even showing you the videos, go over there and watch.

And shake your head at the self-destruction of a legacy.

Shorter Tri-State Defender: We DO Need Just One, But Herenton is NOT That One

The Defender endorses Cohen after a long and thoughtful article.

Here are the money quotes, first on the Doc:

So here is the question: Does Dr. Herenton represent the galvanizing leadership that will spur the organization and aggregation of talent and resources needed in the African-American community in Memphis to demand its place at the aforementioned tables through the role of 9th Congressional District Congressman and in doing so improve the quality of life for all Memphians?  Given the damage that has been done to his image and the relationship with other leaders and voters in the community it would prove difficult for him to be that guiding and galvanizing force. Additionally, consider the fact that he would be a freshman Congressman at 70 years of age with no seniority and little political capital in Washington. The answer to the question is NO.  Dr. Herenton remains a significant and relevant leader in our community and we believe he has a tremendous role to play in fostering positive change for Memphis and Shelby County. However, his most effective place to affect change is not necessarily as an elected official but as a steward and agent of change within the community.

Dr. Herenton’s candidacy is important and should serve as a wake-up call to current and up-and-coming African-American leaders that we must get it together and move together in the “house” towards strengthening the “family”. 

 Then, about Cohen:

Congressman Cohen clearly has been an effective legislator over the course of his two terms and certainly during his tenure in the Tennessee General Assembly. He has been a champion for causes and policy intended to positively impact the African-American community. He has built relationships and worked across racial and political aisles as a masterful diplomatic statesman. Ultimately he has done everything he could do to best represent the broad interests of the constituents he represents.

Congressman Cohen’s positions, relationships and proposed legislation are all on point towards bringing to bear a climate that will allow for positive changes in the 30 percent poverty rate, double-digit unemployment, negligible business revenues, high rate of illness and health challenges and 40 percent dropout rate. Ultimately to truly improve the plight of Memphis, we must have leadership derived from within the African-American community that identifies with and intrinsically understands the “family”.  No matter how empathetic, Congressman Cohen will never be the direct catalyst to initiate and foster the change necessary for the African-American community in the 9th District and beyond to make significant strides in meeting the challenges that we face. In fact it can and will only come from within. 

You gotta read this...

For the best analysis I've yet read on the impending 9th District race between Steve Cohen and ex-mayor Willie Herenton, go read POLAR DONKEY now!

Interesting post, eh?

Brother Carroll's fire and brimstone post about Steve Cohen's challenger was interesting, but I am not sure I can go there with him.

First, I am not at all convinced that Dr. Herenton can win this race. His campaign is essentially the same campaign with which Nikki Tinker ran twice and got pounded. A-ha, you say, but this is a historic figure we're talking about, the first African-American superintendent of Memphis City Schools and the first elected African-American Mayor of Memphis.

Well, he's not running for either of those, and he wouldn't be the first African-American Congressman from the 9th District, he would be the THIRD. Lots of people do love him in this city and he will always hold a special place in their hearts. Lots of those folks will go up and give him love and wish him the best and tell the Doc that they are behind him all the way.

And then, they will go vote for Steve Cohen because Cohen gets things done for the entire community, but the African-American community in particular.

The hardcore group of people who have never strayed from Dr. Herenton in all those races tend to vote in general elections in October and November. An August Democratic primary? Not so much. If they HAD voted in large numbers in a Democratic primary, the Democrats would have gained control of Shelby County government a decade ago; instead, they are still trying to win a majority of these elections.

A heavy Democratic turnout would certainly be welcome, but pardon me if I remain skeptical. Dr. Herenton apparently plans to run a campaign from the streets that says "we have no African-American Congressman from Tennessee, therefore vote for me". His only real hope is that he can trick congressman Cohen into putting his foot in his mouth and turn off African-American voters.

Congressman Cohen's predecessor, Harold Ford Jr., was African-American and he absolutely threw his constituency under the bus when he was technically our Congressman, voting for the Bankruptcy Bill and campaigning like he was a farmer from Lawrence County rather than as a Memphian. He was like his father only in that they shared the same name and look somewhat alike; otherwise, nada.

If Dr. Herenton wanted to run an issues-based campaign, he could probably pull it off, as he is an arduous campaigner; no one ever said he would be a slacker on the campaign trail. However, why is he running a campaign that has failed miserably twice? Here, he is NOT the historical figure, he is running to be one of 435 instead of running to be one of one.

Everyone is nervous, and I have no doubt the Doc will pull votes out of nostalgia, but I do NOT think he will beat Steve Cohen.

If he does, that says more about our city that I want to know.