Mayoral Candidate Debate, Er, Ah Debacle

For outsiders reading in, we have an election looming next month.

It is for mayor of Memphis.

W. W. "Willie" Herenton is the incumbent and has been the mayor since he was sworn in, in 1991, as the first Black to be elected mayor of Memphis. Sixteen years and more than four consecutive terms in office is too much because if you know anything about the city, you know the problems we have here.

So, last Monday night, the really really smart people at News Channel 3 (the CBS affiliate) held the first televised debate opposite the Monday night NFL Football season kickoff double-header.

Thus, I had to record the debate.


After football, I watched.

I have to say these 3 guys did a much better job at talking than the 3 candidates opposing Herenton did in this mayoral debate!

This is Ron Jaworski, Mike Tirico and Tony Kornheiser.

They ask questions of each other and they try and give answers to the questions asked.

Not so with our mayoral candidates.


A few Bon Mots...

This is the illustrious (sic) group opposing incumbent Mayor Herenton, Carol Chumney, Herman Morris and John Willingham.

It seemed they all were coached by some PR idiots who told them, I imagine, not to answer the questions.

I could tell this from having worked on political campaigns, Thad Cochran's senate race in the 1980s, Don Sundquist's governor's race in the 1990s and many, many other state and local campaigns in Mississippi and Tennessee.

I've sat in rooms where higher level PR people coached candidates to ignore questions and get their points across. Only, they coached them explaining and showing how to use "bridging" words.

For example, the question might be posed, "What would you do your first 90 days in office?"

The candidate would have been taught, if he or she had no idea what they'd do in the first 90 days to "bridge" to a point they wanted to get across in this manner:

"I think the bigger question is what will Memphis face in the years to come regarding qualified leadership. I have 10 years of county commission experience and 12 years on the job as budget manager for the city parks and am the most qualified to lead the city in the years to come. Check my record of service and you'll agree."

See how easy it is NOT to answer a question?

Only, the three mayoral candidates didn't even use bridging words and phrases. They simply ignored for the most part the moderators and citizens asking the questions!!

On top of that, Willingham couldn't get out a simple thought in a complete sentence if it saved his life. And Chumney spent most of her time harping on her resume which related to almost none of the questions and Morris kept connecting himself to MLGW and thus connected himself to the fiascoes that happened under his tenure, including the infamous "VIP List".

Alas, incumbent candidate Herenton probably fared the best by not being there at all. No one but Chumney criticized him and only late in the game and ineffectively at that.

I fear for the city, no matter who gets elected.