Deidre Malone gets hit with a lawsuit and Wendi Thomas gets her column taken away

First, it appears that my friend, and Democratic nominee for County Mayor, Deidre Malone, was hit with an interestingly-timed lawsuit regarding the nearly-defunct Sisterhood Showcase.  Deidre has a response:

CORPORATE STATEMENT
On Monday, June 2, 2014, The Carter Malone Group, LLC and Deidre Malone were notified they were named in a lawsuit filed by Christina Stevison and Stevison Group, the alleged owners of the Sisterhood Showcase. Apparently, The Carter Malone Group, LLC was named as a defendant in this lawsuit because its client, Minerva Little, the publisher of Spirit Magazine and owner of Sistahs Succeed 2, Inc., is producing a showcase event at the Memphis Cook Convention Center on June 6-7, 2014.

The Carter Malone Group, LLC and Deidre Malone contend that they were wrongfully included as parties in this lawsuit and that the allegations against them are patently false. It is our belief that this lawsuit is politically motivated and designed to negatively impact Deidre Malone’s race for Shelby County Mayor. This is particularly evident because Deidre Malone was named individually in the lawsuit, although The Carter Malone Group, LLC has the contractual relationship with Minerva Little and the Sistahs Succeed 2 Showcase.

Deidre Malone and The Carter Malone Group, LLC are strongly considering filing a counter-lawsuit against Ms. Stevison, Sisterhood Showcase and Grace Magazine for their abuse of the judicial system and defamation of character.

All further questions from media, should be directed to attorney Robert L. J. Spence, Jr. at The Spence Law Firm, PLLC, and (901) 312-9160.

In short, it's crap and an attempt to hurt Deidre's campaign.  If she were trailing, this wouldn't be happening, you know what I mean?  So, enough said about that.

In other news, the Commercial Appeal's first African-American Metro columnist, Wendi Thomas, was moved to another position yesterday, with her final column to appear this Sunday.  While she will be tasked with editing a new division regarding crime and justice in the area, it is still stunning that the newspaper of record for this metro area is silencing their major African-American voice.  Mediaverse Memphis has good coverage of this here.

While editor Louis Graham tried to put a good face on this, it is my opinion that this decision was made above his head, perhaps at Scripps' headquarters in Cincinnati.  It is no surprise that the CA kowtows to the suburban subscribers, who hate Wendi's columns regarding the problems faced by African-Americans of ALL economic levels in this area.  That the CA covers the only MSA in the US that is majority African-American and now has no major African-American columnist (no, Otis Sanford doesn't count, he's once-a-week), simply is mind-boggling.  

I have no doubt that Wendi, being the solid professional that she is and has been, will do a terrific job. 

However, the message from the CA is clear:  The suburbs matter, the city of Memphis does NOT.  Make of that what you will; outside of Kyle Veazey and the sports section, there seems to be less reason every day to subscribe to our major daily newspaper, and that's just damned sad.

Come to the Cohen For Congress Campaign Headquarters Opening Tomorrow!

Come to the Cohen For Congress

 Campaign Headquarters Opening Tomorrow!

You are invited to the Grand Opening of the Cohen for Congress Campaign Headquarters at 2622 Poplar Avenue tomorrow at 11:00 AM! The latest weather report says the rain will likely not start until after the opening, but we will be here rain or shine.

Join Congressman Steve Cohen as he officially kicks off his re-election campaign in the Democratic Primary for Tennessee's 9th Congressional District.

We will have food, entertainment, free bumper stickers and yard signs, and the Limited Edition Cohen for Congress "Buttons" t-shirts for sale.

So bring your family, bring your friends, and join us as we celebrate another successful election season!

WHEN: Tomorrow, May 31st, 11:00 AM 

WHERE: Cohen for Congress Campaign Headquarters, 2622 Poplar Avenue (Click here for a map)

Click here to RSVP to this event on Facebook. 

The Germantown Democrats are BUSY these next two weeks!

As befitting their status as the LARGEST Democratic club in the state of Tennessee (and how sweet is it that they are primarily in east Shelby County??)  The GDC has TWO events coming up over the next 10 days.

First, tomorrow:

GERMANTOWN DEMOCRATIC CLUB MEETING

May 28, 2014

The Germantown Democratic Club will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 28 at Coletta’s Restaurant, 2850 Appling Road.

John McKamey,* a candidate for the Democratic nomination for Governor, will be the guest speaker.  Mr. McKamey’s background includes a career as an educator and athletics coach, service as a  county commissioner and mayor, as well as leadership rolls in many community organizations. Take this opportunity to come meet this Democrat from Sullivan County in Northeast Tennessee.

Club meetings are open to all who are interested and visitors are always welcome.  For additional information, contact Club president, Dick Klenz, at 756-4165.  You can visit the Germantown Democratic Club online at www.gdctn.org

*To learn more about Mr. McKamey,  go to his website, mckameyforgovernor.com

Then, next Monday and Tuesday:

Terry Adams Meet & Greet This Friday Night

From our friends at The Rincon Strategy Firm:

SCYD organizational meeting TUESDAY NIGHT at Main Library

Dear Young Democrat, We, the Young Democrats of Shelby County, Tennessee, strive to engage young people of Shelby County in the political process. The purpose of this organization is to encourage active citizen interest in the Democratic Party, governmental affairs, community activism, and to acquire practical political experience. Shelby County is excited to announce the reestablishment of Young Democrats Shelby County! We are holding our first meeting this Tuesday, May 20, 2014 at the Benjamin L. Hooks Library (3030 Poplar Ave.) at 6 pm. We look forward to meeting you and expressing our thoughts and ideas of where the Young Democrats Shelby County can go. We will discuss Executive Board nominations and elections, upcoming events, and how we as Young Democrats can make an impact in this year's Elections. In addition to this Tuesday's meeting, we are scheduling a tentative general body meeting for Thursday June 5 at 6 pm. Again, we hope to see you Tuesday and thank you so much for your hard work and dedication to our communities! If you have any questions or concerns, please contact London Lamar: 901-628-6015 or Regina Beale: 901-747-8892 Warm Regards, London Lamar Chair, Young Democrats Shelby County youngdemsshelbycounty@gmail.com  Copyright © 2014 Young Democrats of Shelby County, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you have made contact with a representative from Young Democrats Shelby County. Our mailing address is: Young Democrats of Shelby County 917 S. Cooper St. Memphis, TN 38104 Add us to your address book

What Steve Ross Said, Vol. MCMXI

Our beloved VIBINC nails the situation that Democrats face in the upcoming County General Election as only he can:

1. Primary Voters – Which primary ballots voters choose will be important, but not necessarily 100% instructive. County voters don’t see a large partisan divide in most county-wide races. Candidates that have tried to “reach across the aisle” have been generally successful county-wide.

SNIP

4. Contact Matters – In 2010, only two Democratic candidates sent a mailer to my home. Two. No one in this house has ever voted in a GOP primary…ever. Yet I received three to four mailers from Mark Luttrell. So did most of my neighbors. My precinct is a 60-40 Democratic split in November, but in August, when the candidates are not as well known, it can shift. The lesson: don’t depend on partisanship winning out over courtship. If you don’t contact your voters, don’t expect them to vote for you. (It should be noted, the two that did send mailers to my precinct, won the precinct 60/40 as expected.)
5. Turnout, turnout, turnout – Lower turnout doesn’t help County Democratic candidates – Over a whole bunch of August elections, a pretty specific number range of GOP voters that is consistent. I’ve talked to local Democratic groups about this number…but won’t reveal it here (its a state secret). That doesn’t account for crossover voting, which will happen. With over 300k in his coffers, GOP nominee Luttrell has the means to push turnout in traditionally GOP areas and appeal to ticket splitters. Democrats be warned. You will need to work hard and together to whip up turnout against the deep pockets of GOP incumbents.
6. Proficiency vs. partisanship – Go back to #1 and read that again. For County-wide candidates, your job is to reach out beyond your comfort zones, and show voters that you are as, or more proficient at the office you seek than your opponent. Those ticket splitters are looking for confidence of competence more than the letter next to your name. The lack of a clearly defined partisan difference in many races (what’s the difference between a Democratic Court Clerk and a Republican one?) is part of the cause here, especially in races where key social/fiscal issues of the day may not be relevant. 

You just need to go read ALL of it.

This has been another edition of WHAT STEVE ROSS SAID.

SCDP Unity Brunch TOMORROW

Observations on the Election

It's a great day to be a Democrat in Shelby County, folks.

While I realize the GOP had few contested primary races (that happens when you have a lot of incumbents) and that is the major reason that Democrats outvoted Republicans 2-1, it still gives hope for Democrats this August.

My beautiful bride, Susan, and I spent the evening at Deidre Malone's victory party, wearing out my phone checking results on the MyFoxMemphis site, which had the faster numbers all night.

Before I go too far, a HUGE round of applause needs to go to Steve Ross at Vibinc for covering the election all day with the use of Storify and to the CA's Kyle Veazey with his ELECTION LIVE  coverage with the use of an even newer system, ScribbleLive.  Both worked beautifully with social media to give a sense of Election Day coverage for the 21st Century.  Kudos to you both, gentlemen.

Looking at the Election Day splits in the County Mayor's race, Deidre built a lead with her Early Voting strategy, and it was a lead from which the other candidates, particularly Steve Mulroy, could not recover.  Mulroy had a good Election Day strategy, as he took more votes yesterday than the others, but it was not enough.  Whalum went out of the country for 10 days in the last two weeks of the campaign, and it hurt him not at all, apparently.

In his always-insightful analysis, Jackson Baker today notes that endorsements may not have made that much difference:

Endorsements? Hard to see a pattern there. Judge Joe Brown, the de facto Democratic nominee for District Attorney General, was thought early on the have more than usual clout, but none of his endorsees came out ahead. A C Wharton? Certainly , the mayor’s endorsement of Malone, as indicated, helped, but his full-out support of John Freeman in the Democratic primary for County Clerk still left Freeman finishing third. In the Democratic primary for Mayor, Steve Mulroy made a clean sweep of the union endorsements, but he, too, finished third.

Once we see precinct breakdowns, then we will get more knowledge about the actual flow of the race.

While at Deidre's event, 9th District challenger Ricky Wilkins came by our table to re-introduce himself, and revealed himself to be a reader of this blog, which is always appreciated, and to note that while he didn't always agree with my conclusions, he enjoyed reading it.  I replied that I thought he was running a far smarter campaign that his predecessors, which he is.  I suspect he will do better than Nikki Tinker, Mayor Herenton or Tomeka Hart, but given that my friend and Congressman Steve Cohen takes EVERY challenge seriously, even that of Charlotte Bergmann, I have doubts that Wilkins can unseat the Congressman.

Now, to the other races.

Holy crap, what a race in County Commission District 10 between Reginald Milton and former MCS Commissioner Martavius Jones, which flipped back and forth literally as EVERY PRECINCT reported, with Milton edging Jones by a scant 26 votes. One wonders if Jones will ask for a recount; no one should be upset if he does. Way, way back in third was Jake Brown, to the surprise of absolutely no one. He and his signs were everywhere, but it didn't seem to make that much difference.

In District 9, incumbent Justin Ford was re-nominated, in all probability, due to that Ford name and the fact that his two opponents, Patrice Robinson and Keith Williams, split the opposition votes in two.  Had one of them gotten out of the race, I suspect the young and ambitious Ford would be on the outside looking in this morning.

District 11 was a win for veteran Eddie Jones, and he is the favorite to win in August.

Willie Brooks easily won as expected in District 6, and we are pleased with this outcome.

Also good news for all Shelby Countians is that former SCDP Chair Van Turner won a resounding victory over Bryant Boone in the District 12 race.  He will be outstanding in that job.

Now, for the clerkships and other offices:

Who is William Chism, Jr.?????  Well, the short answer is that he is now the Democratic nominee for Probate Court Clerk against incumbent Paul Boyd, the winner despite a fine race from first-timer Regina Beale and surprisingly low numbers from expected frontrunner Heidi Kuhn and probate attorney Aaron Hall.
Susan asked the question that I think a lot of people were asking about this race: "Do you think people thought they were voting for Sidney Chism??"  Helluva question, babe, I suspect you are closer to the mark than anyone else.

Cheyenne Johnson easily won renomination as County Assessor as expected and will face Republican Keith Alexander in August.

Derrick Bennett, CPA (which is what his yard signs said) narrowly defeated Latroy Williams and will take on incumbent David Lenoir in August.

Bennie Cobb was unopposed in the Democratic race for Sheriff, and he goes up against incumbent Bill Oldham, who got unexpected support from members of the Tennessee Equality Project for Oldham's work on LGBT issues.

Unknown Rhonda Banks thoroughly smacked well-known activist Del Gill in the Democratic race for Circuit Court Clerk by a more than 2-1 margin.  She faces an uphill battle against longtime incumbent (with plenty of bipartisan support) Jimmy Moore.

I openly apologize to Wanda Halbert for doing what so many people have done, to their own peril, underestimating her.  She kicked butt, took names and spelled them wrong in winning a huge victory in the Criminal Court Clerk's race over veteran City Court Clerk Thomas Long and several others, including Mike McClusker, who came in at the bottom despite a very active campaign.  You would be making a HUGE mistake in counting her out against GOP rookie Richard DeSaussure, the current CAO of the office.  I am picking her to win this race now, because she can campaign anywhere, anytime.

In the Juvenile Court Clerk race to face Joy Touliatos in August, outgoing County Commissioner Henri Brooks easily defeated Ken Moody.  Brooks, whose efforts were primarily responsible for the Department of Justice reforms at JC, will look to win so that these changes can be strengthened.

Charlotte Draper narrowly defeated first-timer Yolanda Kight in the County Clerk race, with veteran activist John Freeman coming in third.  She will oppose incumbent Wayne Mashburn in August.

How I Am Voting In The Primary, or I Get In Trouble Yet Again

MOVED TO THE TOP FOR ELECTION DAY


Well, this is the first time that I have A) been a blogger and B) served on the SCDP ExecCom.  Because of the latter fact, allow me to say that I will faithfully support all Democratic nominees, whether I voted for them or not, and let me swear on the souls of my grandchildren, that I will not break the peace we've made here today.

Oops, wrong film.  I digress.

County Mayor - Deidre Malone, for all the reasons, go here.

County Commission, District 10 - Reginald Milton, for all the reasons, go here.

Assessor - Cheyenne Johnson is an 8-year incumbent with an impeccable record of service to this county, and I see no reason to vote for anyone else.

Trustee - Derrick Bennett ran four years ago as an Independent for this office, he is running this year as a Democrat.  He gets the edge here over Latroy Williams.

Sheriff - Bennie Cobb is unopposed in the primary and will face the incumbent Bill Oldham in August.

Circuit Court Clerk - I have no idea who Rhonda Banks is.  I have known Del Gill for more years than I can count.  Del was the head of the civil division of the General Sessions Court Clerk under Otis Jackson.  Your call, people.

Criminal Court Clerk - Without question, the best set of candidates in any of these races, and it was VERY difficult for me to choose.  I have a very high regard for all of the candidates, who have well-thought out ideas for how the office, and the whole criminal court system, should be run.  At least two of the candidates, Wanda Halbert (at-large MCS Board before becoming District 4 Councilor) and Thomas Long (19-year incumbent City Court Clerk) understand how to win citywide, because they have done it.  Long's record of service has been exemplary.

However, the one person in the race who has been inside the system has the best chance, to me, of fixing it, and that's Michael R. McCusker.  I believe Long or Halbert could win countywide, but I think McCusker gives us the best chance to win, so I am voting for him.

Juvenile Court Clerk - There is no question that without the relentless efforts of County Commissioner Henri Brooks, the problems of Juvenile Court would never have been brought to light and JC would never have been forced to address its' internal problems.  We all owe her a deep gratitude for her efforts.

That said, it's one thing to bring attention to problems; it's quite another to implement solutions.  That requires, in my mind, a different skill-set, one of consensus-building and coordination with all the parties involved.  Commissioner Brooks has always been a lightning rod whether on the Commission or in the State House, not always justifiably, but enough that it gives pause as to whether she is the person who can effect the necessary changes.

For that reason, I am voting for Ken Moody, a veteran of city government who can work with all the necessary parties to help move Juvenile Court in the direction it needs to serve ALL segments of the community.

Probate Court Clerk - Of all the candidates in this race, only ONE is an attorney, which I find to be odd.  Regina Beale is making her first race at the age of 25, let's hope it's not the last, as we need more young people involved.  However, at the end of the day, there are only two candidates who have a real chance of unseating incumbent Paul Boyd.

Heidi Kuhn is a 15-year veteran of County Government and knows her way around it, and presents a good campaign.  Aaron Hall, however, is a probate attorney and understands the office backwards and forwards.  He can run this office because, after hearing him speak, you know that he knows what to do and presents an air of confidence that he can hit the ground running and make the changes necessary to run it better.  I am voting for Aaron Hall.

County Clerk - John H. Freeman has been my friend for over 30 years.  He is a veteran of County government and has worked closely with both Mayor Wharton and Mayor Luttrell and knows how to get things done.  John has ideas for expanding the Clerk's office to bringing it closer to the public it serves, making government work for YOU.  He has the experience, the knowhow, and the ability to make the County Clerk's office run more effectively than ever before and he will be outstanding, and I urge you to vote for John H. Freeman.

Register of Deeds  - Stephen Christian is a nice young man who is earnest and sincere, and I hope that he continues to be involved in Democratic politics,  That said, I see no reason to deny Coleman Thompson a third nomination to attempt to unseat the veteran Tom Leatherwood.  I have worked with Coleman on Democratic races for years and know that he has the experience to make this run.

Now, here are a few recommendations for other County Commission races:

District 6 - Willie Brooks

District 7 - incumbent Melvin Burgess

District 8 - Walter Bailey's last race may well be his toughest, against former City Councilor Berlin Boyd and David Vinciarelli.  Boyd is going hammer-and-tong after the veteran Bailey, who has said that if he is re-elected, he will not run in 2018.  In what promises to be a Commission with a lot of new faces, Bailey's institutional memory will be necessary for the Democrats on the Commission, so my choice is Walter Bailey.

District 9 -  Commissioner Justin Ford, the most inconsistent of the incumbent Democrats, faces the fight of his life after having South Memphis taken from him in redistricting.  While you can never count out anyone named Ford in a Democratic primary, he is fighting former MCS Board member Patrice Robinson and Memphis Education Association President Keith Williams on their home turf in Whitehaven.  Ford has attacked Robinson for her vote to surrender the MCS Charter, one that I personally believe was necessary to prevent its defunding.

Ford's voting record on Democratic issues has been unreliable, and he is too ambitious by half, floating a possible run for Congress in two years.  I think his days on the Commission should end, and I support Patrice Robinson for this seat.

District 11 - No recommendation.

District 12 -  I eagerly endorse attorney and former SCDP Chair Van Turner for this office.  I know him and support him and believe he will be a tireless worker for the people of this district.

As always, your mileage may vary, so do your research as I did and see what you think.  Early voting is going on downtown now, with the satellites opening on Friday and running through 7 PM on May 1.

Shelby County Democratic Party Chairman Warns Voters About Rogue Ballots

                                                                                                                 

                                   

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 25, 2014

Contact:

Chairman Bryan Carson                                                        

Shelby County Democratic Party                                           

Phone: 901.314.4617                                      

Email: BryanCarson.scdp@gmail.com 

           

Shelby County Democratic Party Chairman Warns Voters About Rogue Ballots.

Chairman Bryan Carson has issued a warning to all voters that multiple ballots are being mailed or distributed during the Democratic Primary elections and they are not officially sanctioned by the Shelby County Democratic Party.  The Party neither endorses candidates nor does it produce a ballot during a primary.

Some individuals produce ballots as a profit making venture during election season at the expense of the candidates.  These individuals are not necessarily concerned with who the best candidates are but which candidates can afford to pay to be on their ballots.

Many candidates are not listed on these ballots primarily because they chose not to pay the exorbitant costs to be included.  In those cases, the opposing candidates are solicited and listed, if the fee is paid.

Chairman Carson stated “These unofficial ballots are not a reliable, valid or sanctioned voting guide.  Voters should avoid using these rogue ballots as a basis for making voting decisions.”

A complete listing of Democratic Primary candidates can be found on the Shelby County Democratic Party’s website, www.shelbydem.org, or the Election Commission’s website at www.shelbyvote.com

What? Haven't voted yet? Here's the list of Satellite locations, GO!

Satellite Early Voting is from today through next Thursday, May 1.  Here are the list of polling places:

Early Voting Locations - April 25 thru May 1st

Pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated (TCA), Sec. 2-6-103, notice is hereby given by the Shelby County Election Commission of unrestricted early voting for voters in all wards and precincts in Shelby County,

Tennessee. This early voting will take place as follows:

DOWNTOWN EARLY VOTING LOCATION: Shelby County Office Building, 157 Poplar Ave., 38103

Beginning: Wednesday, April 16 – Thursday, May 1, 2014 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Saturdays, April 19 & April 26, 2014 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

CLOSED FRIDAY, April 18, 2014, in observance of Good Friday

EARLY VOTING SATELLITE LOCATIONS:

Beginning: Friday, April 25 – Thursday May 1, 2014 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Saturday, April 26, 2014 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

 

LOCATION ADDRESS LOCATION ADDRESS

Abundant Grace Fellowship Church 1574 E. Shelby Dr., 38116

Greater Lewis Street Baptist Church 152 E. Parkway N., 38104

Agri-Center 7777 Walnut Grove Rd.

Greater Middle Baptist Church 4982 Knight Arnold, 38118

Anointed Temple of Praise 3939 Riverdale Rd., 38141

Mississippi Blvd. Church – Family Life Center 70 N. Bellevue Blvd., 38106

Baker Community Center 7942 Church Rd., 38053

Mt. Zion Baptist Church 60 S. Parkway E., 38106

Bellevue Baptist Church 2000 Appling Rd., 38016

New Bethel Baptist Church 7786 Poplar Pike St., 38138

Bethel Church 5586 Stage Rd., 38134

Raleigh United Methodist Church 3295 Powers Rd., 38128

Berclair Church of Christ 4536 Summer Ave., 38122

Riverside Baptist Church 3560 S. Third St., 38109

Collierville Church of Christ 575 Shelton Dr., 38017

Shiloh Baptist Church 3121 Range Line Rd., 38127

Dave Wells Community Center 915 Chelsea Ave., 38107

The Refuge Church 9817 Huff N Puff Rd., 38002

Glenview Community Center 1141 S. Barksdale St., 38114

White Station Church of Christ 1106 Colonial Rd., 38117

Enjoy your Good Friday and Easter weekend

And how else would I celebrate these holidays?

Some thoughts on where we are and WHO we are and WHAT we are as Democrats.

A couple of weeks ago, I was having a discussion with a friend who is also an elected official.  My friend suggested, with good reason, that next year, when there are NO partisan elections, that we have a retreat or gathering with as many of us who consider ourselves to be Democrats gather to discuss just what we mean when we say we are Democrats.

Part of our problem, at least on a statewide basis, is that so many Democrats wanted to run from what it meant to be a NATIONAL Democrat, since that involved discussions of race and what we were as Democrats prior to 1964.  We had Democrats in the rural areas that wanted no part of the Democrats of the urban areas that brought them statewide victories.  Many of them retired or got beat in response to the election of Barack Obama as President.

Also as much as no one wanted to admit it, there were (and ARE) urban Democrats who wanted no part of the rural Democrats that enabled us to control the General Assembly for 140 years, along with the machinery of state government.

The true fact, as far as I am concerned, Democrats are not all ANYTHING.  We are a polyglot, with white, black, brown, straight, gay, transgender, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, with the occasional Buddhist thrown in for good measure.  The Republicans have spent the last 40 years attacking any position left of far right, much less left of center.  In the process, they have done their best to destroy harmony in this country, marginalizing centrist Republicans and forcing moderates like Lamar Alexander to kowtow to the further of the right.

However, due to this situation, as many of us struggle with how to move the country's true center back TO the center, we face a struggle within our own ranks.  These pop up especially in the primaries.

Those of us that sit on the Executive Committee must understand (and I include myself) that we are not the Party, but merely represent it.  Those who vote in primaries are the ones who truly can call themselves Democrats, and we have to figure out A) why so many Democrats refuse to take part in the primary process and B) just what it is that they want for their candidates.

And, C) why it appears that white candidates feel that they can't win primaries, and D) why African-Americans feel that white Democrats won't vote for African-Americans in county general elections.

Both of these are, in my opinion, overreactions.  Both of the men named Harold Ford could not have been elected without white support, and Steve Cohen could not have been elected without African-American support.  Indeed, I find that when it comes to elections involving actual issues and policy, such as executive races (Mayor, Sheriff) or legislative, all Democrats vote together.

That, above all else, is why ALL Democrats need to gather next year.  I intend to work behind the scenes for this as we move through the year.

Here's something to consider:  Regarding clerkship races, white Democrats often see no difference in policy, and many of them believe that court clerkships should be appointed by the judges of those jurisdictions rather than be elected.  I have said this before, and will keep saying it.  Clerkship races tend to be more about the number of jobs that can be hired than any policies that need to be reviewed. This is why we lose white Democrats at that point in the ballot.  That, and the face that we lose all types of Democrats that far down the ballot.

One of the problems that African-American candidates face is that, while activists like myself know these candidates, the average voters do not.  I can help to a certain extent, but if you plan to run countywide, you had better be able to raise at least $50,000 or you aren't going to have a chance to beat an incumbent.   Why?  Because you need to be able to do direct mail to Democrats, especially white Democrats.  If you have sent mail pieces to white Democrats, that makes it far more likely that they will greet you warmly when you do targeted door-to-door.   (I had a candidate once ask me this very thing several years ago).  We are, in fact seeing this more often, as I am starting to get mail pieces from all Democratic candidates.

As familiarity increases, so will the number of victorious Democratic candidates.  This leads me to my next topic.

As Democrats, we need to stop beating each other up in public.  (Waits for the tomatoes to be thrown).  I understand my own role in this, and work to do better.  To those who are candidates in the primary, I want to know not only why you are the best Democrat, but to know how you will beat the Republican you will face in the general.

And once we have completed this process, we have to work together and elect Democrats.  You may not like whom the Democratic electorate has selected as the candidate, but we have to respect that choice, regardless, because, to paraphrase Hyman Roth, this is the Party we have chosen.

This, too, is why I hope that we, as a Party Executive Committee, do NOT choose to endorse in the non-partisan judicial races.  If we wish to identify those who have voted more in the Democratic primaries, that's one thing.  Choosing between Democrats is not OUR job, it's the electorate's job, and we had better respect that.  It also takes focus away from our primary function: to assist the NOMINEES of the Party with their elections.  Also, as I know (and have DONE in the past), the ExecCom members will help whomever they please, as it's a NON-PARTISAN election.  ENDORSEES are NOT NOMINEES, now or ever.

With regard to Party Discipline, we have to be judicious and select the proper time for such matters, which is NOT the same thing as suggesting that we have NO discipline.   We can move forward from here.

I also have to say that Bryan Carson is doing an amazing job of juggling all the various groups within the party, and those of us who have been around for a while need to be there for him more than we have been.  He's doing a fine job right now, and he continues to bust his butt to elect Democrats.

It's time to work for the primary candidate of your choice, and then support whichever nominee is chosen by the Democratic electorate.

And let's think always about how to INCREASE that Democratic electorate.

Give me some RED MEAT, y'all!

As Kyle Veazey noted in his coverage of last night's Democratic County Mayoral debate, (sorry, behind a paywall) there was not much disagreement among the candidates, other than Rev. Kenneth Whalum calling, as he has throughout, that NO SCHOOLS should be closed in the city.  It got to a point where my co-blogger Jon and I figured that if we had taken a shot of whiskey every time he suggested this, our livers would have fallen out of our bodies before the first hour had ended.

I believe he is sincere, and I agree that we have to focus on the inner city in order to turn the city around, I just don't know how you fund that, since it will take a hell of a lot more than the $57 million that the courts say the city owes Shelby County Schools.  To be blunt, if a school is closing in a neighborhood, that is a real sign that the neighborhood is dead anyway, with anyone who could leave having done so.

Enough on that.  Even with all of that, all three of the candidates, including outgoing Commissioner Steve Mulroy and my favorite candidate, former Commission Chair Deidre Malone, would be a dramatic improvement over the incumbent, Mark Luttrell, who runs the County like it was a jail, something that I wish all three candidates would point out.

Y'all, PLEASE give us some red meat, will you??  All three of you need to beat up Mark Luttrell and point out his failures, because you are asking the electorate to reverse a decision they made four years ago, and that's not easy.  This means you A) have to point out why continuing his employment would be a costly mistake for Shelby Countians, and B) you then have to prove why YOU are the proper replacement.

AND YOU NEED TO STOP BEING SO DAMNED NICE ABOUT IT.  HIT HIM, WILL YOU?

Not physically, of course, that would be assault!   But ALL three of you need to attack him and attack him HARD and stop worrying about whether you are offending anyone.  If you are doing your jobs properly, SOMEONE will be offended, you just have to make sure it's the people who deserve to be offended!  I can't imagine that there are that many people who are voting in our primary that worry about Mark Luttrell's feelings.

Once this primary is over, you have to go HARD every day whacking the incumbent about the head and shoulders, and it's not like there's not a litany of reasons to do so: Title X, the anti-blight plan, Head Start, screwing over the city of Memphis, and on and on and on.

And when the Mayor shows up at Sidney Chism's picnic in June, whomever the winner is needs to be all up in Luttrell's grill about this stuff.  If you can't go after the REPUBLICAN County Mayor in Southwest Memphis, where the hell ARE you going to do it?  We need to be sure that any GOP candidate who shows up down there (and they ALL do) is confronted about their performance in office (or lack thereof).

Oh, and Early Voting starts downtown on April 16, and in the satellites on Friday, April 25.  Be ready, and go vote.

In the interim, Mayoral candidates, GO KICK LUTTRELL'S BUTT. REPEATEDLY.  LEAVE BOOTPRINTS!

You can thank me later.

One last note:  Since my last post, this blog has not one, BUT TWO, writers that are now members of the Shelby County Democratic Party Executive Committee.  I replaced the legendary Steve Ross in House 90, and Jon Carroll is now representing House 93, along with our friend John Marek.  Thanks to all who voted for us to be there; we promise to raise hell, take names, and elect Democrats.

I see what you did there, Commissioner Ford

Commissioner Justin Ford is in a tough re-nomination fight for his re-drawn County Commission seat.  During the redistricting, the parts of South Memphis surrounding the family funeral home at Florida and South Parkway were taken from him and given to Commissioner Walter Bailey.  Now, Ford's seat is primarily composed of Whitehaven and Westwood; while he is certainly known there, his strength is not as solid there as it was in South Memphis.

Add to that two fierce primary opponents in former MCS Board Commissioner Patrice Robinson and Memphis Education Association President Keith Williams, and the Commissioner faces the toughest campaign that he has had to face as a candidate.

All of that puts today's interesting development into context.

My phone blew up this morning with news that the Commissioner was planning to challenge Congressman Steve Cohen - as an INDEPENDENT.  This would have enabled him to avoid a primary; however, it would not have looked good if he were a sitting Democratic elected official who was undermining another Democratic nominee, regardless if it were the incumbent, Steve Cohen, or one of his challengers..

Then, it turns out that the petition was pulled but never filed, and by what Ford described as a "community group" that was not happy with the list of Democratic candidates for TN-09 and wanted him to run.  Ford was later quoted as saying that he may consider a Congressional run in two years.

UPDATE:  This is being edited to reflect new information, stop here and go read Jackson Baker, who, as always, has the full details.