Seven Days in July
The Mayor doesn't want to run again. He's weary and burnt-out. His initiatives these days are half-baked and tend to fail. In his previous terms, he sold his soul to the developers, but now knows that was a mistake. The City is on the verge of bankruptcy, and the books are so screwed up no one really knows how bad it might be. He knows his support has waned. Only the cult of personality remains solidly in his camp, yet that is still enough to get him re-elected.
It's clear he was ambivalent about running again because he did literally nothing about his campaign until he was forced to. Yet, it's also clear he is still buying time. He can still not run. Nothing that he has said or done can't be reversed -- and covered with one one of his creative stories.
He doesn't want to run again, but he feels he must -- just to protect his legacy. Everyone in the race today would expose the state of the City and trash his legacy. He can't bring himself to let that happen.
He's between between his rocks and the hard place.
He's running down the field with the ball but doesn't have the drive or desire to make it all the way to the goal. He needs a hand-off. He's looking around. Who can he hand the ball to? Who will take the ball and run -- but protect the Mayor's legacy? Who can take the ball to the goal line, but still has the decency and sensitivity to preserve the City's memory and respect for a man who against all odds became Memphis's first black mayor -- whose leadership in his earlier terms (soul notwithstanding) deserves that respect?
And, since he does care about the city, it needs to be someone with the talent and leadership to pull Memphis out of its crisis, while artfully dodging the power brokers.
We'll know the answer to that question, if there's going to be an answer, in less than seven days.
It's clear he was ambivalent about running again because he did literally nothing about his campaign until he was forced to. Yet, it's also clear he is still buying time. He can still not run. Nothing that he has said or done can't be reversed -- and covered with one one of his creative stories.
He doesn't want to run again, but he feels he must -- just to protect his legacy. Everyone in the race today would expose the state of the City and trash his legacy. He can't bring himself to let that happen.
He's between between his rocks and the hard place.
He's running down the field with the ball but doesn't have the drive or desire to make it all the way to the goal. He needs a hand-off. He's looking around. Who can he hand the ball to? Who will take the ball and run -- but protect the Mayor's legacy? Who can take the ball to the goal line, but still has the decency and sensitivity to preserve the City's memory and respect for a man who against all odds became Memphis's first black mayor -- whose leadership in his earlier terms (soul notwithstanding) deserves that respect?
And, since he does care about the city, it needs to be someone with the talent and leadership to pull Memphis out of its crisis, while artfully dodging the power brokers.
We'll know the answer to that question, if there's going to be an answer, in less than seven days.
Labels: W.W. Herenton
bob at 1:22 PM [Permalink]
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2 Comments:
Bob, no one in his inner circle has that capability except Wharton; but if he got out publicly and endorsed Wharton, maybe those folks who worship AC might wake up and realized that THEY were the ones who got played and back away.
whaddaya think?
Try that again. Are you saying that if Herenton stepped aside to let AC run and went so far as to endorse his candidacy, that might be the kiss of death to AC's own support?
I'm not getting what you are saying. AC said he wouldn't run against Herenton. But if Herenton steps aside and lets him run, how would they have been played?
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