Sunday, May 5, 2013

Thoughts about Tuesday in Jackson

The battle to survive the first round towards becoming the next Mayor of Jackson enters its final days. Some Jacksonians get worked up over who wins while others ask “why would anyone want the job?” Why indeed. Election Man returns to the newspaper as Marshall Ramsey draws to his heart’s content. While its Christmas time for the sketcher of Tiny Wheels, Her Laddness over at the Jackson Free Press froths at the mouth over the mere thought of anyone opposing her man Harvey. The business community swings punches wildly in yet another attempt to dethrone the king as they empty their bank accounts. Then there are two councilmen who think they deserve promotions while they leave everyone baffled or beside themselves every time they talk. Let us not forget the lawyer who is trying to follow the Lynn Fitch route… I am woman, vote for me. Meanwhile the voters can’t wait for Wednesday to get here as they sound like Republican voters in 2008: is this the best we can do?


The mood among the voters in Jackson reminds one of the 2008 Presidential election: anyone but Harvey. Harvey is the local Hillary- a known quantity. You either love him or hate him. However, Jackson faces its share of problems and you all know what they are. Businesses leaving. Vacant buildings appear more and more as downtown implodes. A shrinking tax base. A failed convention center hotel vote that saw the Mayor’s cronies trying to become instant millionaires. Literally. Middle and upper income blacks provide their own referendum on the state of Jackson as they move in large numbers to Byram and Ridgeland. The Mayor and his media ally refuse to acknowledge these problems as they present a picture that all is well and the other candidates are complaining while offering no leadership.

However, many of the voters want a change. They don’t think everything is fine and are no longer fooled by the spin. Their desire for change is not driven by the media as some claim it was in 2005. They see the same problems those who left Jackson do. They still live here. They walk out their homes in the morning, they come back to those same homes at night. They hear messages telling them Jackson is on the right path…. and shake their heads in disbelief. Every good salesman knows when a customer has a complaint, the best course is to listen and validate the customer’s concern. Clinton and Obama are very good at paying attention to the voters as they think: "Wow, he listens to us, he knows why we are upset and he is going to do something about it." The current administration hasn’t learned this lesson as anyone who has watched the debates can verify. Such stubbornness opens the door for someone else to become Mayor but the question is who?

Harvey faces the toughest field he ever has as a candidate for Mayor. Its easy to laugh at some of the candidates but look at the field: A businessman and former head of the Jackson chamber of Commerce, two attorneys, and a sitting member of the city council. They are all black. Compare this field to those in Harvey’s past elections. Harvey faced a discredited Frank Melton and an empty suit in Marshand Crisler in 2009. Harvey lost to a rock star in 2005. Harvey faced a white opponent in the other elections…. in a majority-black city. Its time to review the candidates. The key factor in this race is the undecided vote.  The polls I have seen from various sources all agree on one item: the undecided vote is around 25% right now.  Such a large number is bad for Harvey and drives the other candidates nuts as these voters are up for grabs this late in the game.

Chokwe Lamumba. The resident bomb-thrower of the Jackson City Council who refuses to honor the American flag as he claims it flew over slavery.  Chokwe eschewed his traditional revolutionary rhetoric   for this campaign. Mr. Lamumba contacted business leaders. He sounds more professional, more moderate in the debates. He speaks more softly as the angry black activist armor was exchanged for the skin of a serious mayoral candidate. Mr. Lamumba has been working the streets for this election for over eighteen months. The advantage he should have over the rest of the field is the ground game. Mr. Lamumba is first and foremost a community activist. He will focus on three wards. It is easy to laugh at Chokwe at times but the man is no dummy. Not at all. Chokwe Lamumba is one of those people who dares.... after he thinks. However, too many people know his past rhetoric, they know what he truly stands for, and they will probably decide they want no part of his campaign. 

Jonathan Lee. The candidate of the business community. Activist rhetoric is colorful but it doesn't pay the taxes or the bills. The business community handle that chore, something too many voters often forget. Mr. Lee operated a family business (No, it was not a family business engaged in the import of olive oil) while leading organizations such as the Jackson Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Lee enjoys a huge advantage in fund-raising as he received raised over $300,000. However, Marshand outraised Harvey 5:1 and still got his butt kicked all over the precincts. However, Jonathan Lee is no Marshand Crisler. Mr. Lee is bright, well-spoken, and brings a vigor to the race we have not seen in local elections for several years. He doesn't mind throwing punches at the Mayor as he remembers the old saying that if you want to knock off the King, you have to hit the King.

Mr. Lee's biggest challenge is fighting the smears from other candidates and establishing himself as a serious candidate in the black community. He has to show black voters he is indeed his own man and that he has something serious to offer them. While he tries to win their votes, his opponents are shooting the usual arrows at him. Snowflake. Tea Party. Oreo. Uncle Tom. You know the drill. The voters will reject Mr. Lee if they see him as a manufactured candidate. One black talk show host asked him if it being a former head of the Jackson chamber of commerce would hurt him.  Yup, being black and successful is apparently a liability with some black voters.  That is the problem Mr. Lee faces in some parts of the black community. 

Regina Quinn. Former attorney for Jackson State University. Known to many of the black professionals in Jackson.  She should have run for office before this race. Ms. Quinn's candidacy can be best described at this point as too little, too late. I first heard of her candidacy last summer. She even created a Facebook page for the campaign at that time. Nothing took place until a few months ago when she finally announced her candidacy. Its a shame as she is a good candidate. She gets better the more she campaigns. One can see her improve during the debates. She relaxes, she becomes more aggressive, she gains more presence. Her speeches are sharper. The smile flows more naturally. The problem for Ms. Quinn is she is both learning how to be a candidate and how to sell her message at the same time. No small task. One does not hear the words of a Chokwe Lamumba or Adrienne Wooten in her rhetoric. She presents herself very well as a serious person, dignified, someone who can work with people of all races. I would like to see her run for office again if she loses.  She is following in Lynn Fitch's footsteps and heavily pursuing the female vote. However, this late charge will probably not be enough for Ms. Quinn.

Frank Bluntson. Member of the City Council. There is no sugar-coating the fact that it is painful to watch Mr. Bluntson during the campaign. At times he appears befuddled and confused. He ran a weak campaign. It didn't help when the most visible face associated with his campaign is Too Sweet. Yup. A pardoned drug dealer. It has been so painful to watch Frank stumble through forums and debates that at times one wants to scream "stop the fight, stop the fight". It will be surprising if Frank Bluntson gets over 5% of the vote on Tuesday.

Then there is Harvey. The incumbent. The King. The man with the target on his back. Harvey has been here and done this before. He's won. He's lost. He raised over $100,000. He raised what he needed. More than a few contractors need him to win to keep their city business. He has a record he can point to despite what the opponents say. Harvey looks his best when he lists the accomplishments of his administration. He looks like a Mayor. However, Harvey doesn't handle the barbs from his opponents that well and then starts lashing out at them in debates. He doesn't look like a Mayor when he does so as he forgets the first rule of campaigning: stick to your message and don't let the other guy get under your skin. Harvey will have a machine that gets his voters to the polls.

Harvey will probably survive Tuesday. Jonathan Lee will probably make the runoff as well. He raised over $300,000. That is too much money to ignore and Mr. Lee has been working his tail off during the campaign. Ms. Quinn is a good candidate but she probably did too little, too late to earn a spot in the runoff. Chokwe is a known quantity too and that is his problem. If he makes the runoff, he will not win the nomination. It is hard to see a Johnson, Lee, or Quinn voter touching that screen for Chokwe. They will either vote for his opponent or stay home. He will get his voter in the primary and thats it.Then the real fun will begin.  Thunderdome.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

KF, I often disagree with your views on issues, but you are spot on in your analysis of the candidates. The one tremendous fault of Mayor Johnson you didn't mention is his choice of Police Chief and the resulting abysmal moral among the rank and file police officers at JPD. I know many of these officers, and they complain of everything from the ineptitude of JPD's leadership to the deliberate efforts by the Chief to make them miserable.

To their credit, many of these persecuted officers still give 100 percent to their jobs, but some obviously don't. I pray that either Mr. Lee or Ms. Quinn beat the Mayor in the inevitable runoff. If not, my beloved Jackson may deteriorate to the point that I and my family are forced to leave, as much as I would hate to; we're close to that point now.

Anonymous said...

So KF's prediction is Johnson vs Lee in the run-off.

Anonymous said...

Jackson chamber is a joke and is only a committee of the Metro chamber. Lee has not run or led anything.

Anonymous said...

Who actually wrote this column? Very well written.

Anonymous said...

this white Republican says that Lee is in the same mold as the last NE Jackson preferred candidate (Melton) and you will be equally disappointed. Harvey is the safe choice, and Bluntson is the most qualified choice but you don't want to hear of either, so lie in the bed you made.

Anonymous said...

based on majority, it will be chokwe...

Anonymous said...

Harvey will beat out Lee in the run-off. I wish there was a stronger candidate but there isn't . Harvey is just going to be the same no leadership mayor he has been. Incumbents don't usually fall to weak fields. I feel sorry for the city workers especially the PD.

Anonymous said...

Saying "Harvey is the safe choice" is like saying Michelle Bachman is the safe choice for President. Or like going in a redneck bar and screaming "George Jones sucks!,"

Micah said...

The next mayor will be Chokwe Lumumba.

thussaysthegrasshopper said...

Harvey in runoff. Probably with Lee, but possibly Chokwe. If with Lee, Harvey packs it up and goes home. If with Chokwe, we get four more inept years with Harvey.

Anonymous said...

Don't count Chokwe out. Jackson deserves him.

Anonymous said...

+1 for @9:45.

Anonymous said...

Ain't nobody gonna vote for somebody with a funny name. Oh wait! Never mind.

Anonymous said...

Dear Jackson,

Your IQ test is tomorrow. Get a good night's sleep and try not to screw this up for yourselves and the rest of us.

Sincerely,
Central Mississippi

Anonymous said...

Wonders why the City Clerk of Jackson lives in Madison County? Is this even legal?

Anonymous said...

Sam Hall is also predicting Johnson vs Lee in the run-off.

Anonymous said...

I have to say I disagree with your opinion about Mr. Bluntson. Though he isn't nearly as eloquent as the other candidates, he is the most qualified and I would say he's the most sincere candidate when it comes to making an actual difference in this city. The fact that you bring him down because of his speech and his PARDONED campaign helper Too Sweet is just a shame KF.



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Trollfest '07 was such a success that Jackson Jambalaya will once again host Trollfest '09. Catch this great event which will leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Othor Cain and his band, The Black Power Structure headline the night while Sonjay Poontang returns for an encore performance. Former Frank Melton bodyguard Marcus Wright makes his premier appearance at Trollfest singing "I'm a Sweet Transvestite" from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Kamikaze will sing his new hit, “How I sold out to da Man.” Robbie Bell again performs: “Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be Bells” and “Any friend of Ed Peters is a friend of mine”. After the show, Ms. Bell will autograph copies of her mug shot photos. In a salute to “Dancing with the Stars”, Ms. Bell and Hinds County District Attorney Robert Smith will dance the Wango Tango.

Wrestling returns, except this time it will be a Battle Royal with Othor Cain, Ben Allen, Kim Wade, Haley Fisackerly, Alan Lange, and “Big Cat” Donna Ladd all in the ring at the same time. The Battle Royal will be in a steel cage, no time limit, no referee, and the losers must leave town. Marshand Crisler will be the honorary referee (as it gives him a title without actually having to do anything).


Meet KIM Waaaaaade at the Entergy Tent. For five pesos, Kim will sell you a chance to win a deed to a crack house on Ridgeway Street stuffed in the Howard Industries pinata. Don't worry if the pinata is beaten to shreds, as Mr. Wade has Jose, Emmanuel, and Carlos, all illegal immigrants, available as replacements for the it. Upon leaving the Entergy tent, fig leaves will be available in case Entergy literally takes everything you have as part of its Trollfest ticket price adjustment charge.

Donna Ladd of The Jackson Free Press will give several classes on learning how to write. Smearing, writing without factchecking, and reporting only one side of a story will be covered. A donation to pay their taxes will be accepted and she will be signing copies of their former federal tax liens. Ms. Ladd will give a dramatic reading of her two award-winning essays (They received The Jackson Free Press "Best Of" awards.) "Why everything is always about me" and "Why I cover murders better than anyone else in Jackson".

In the spirit of helping those who are less fortunate, Trollfest '09 adopts a cause for which a portion of the proceeds and donations will be donated: Keeping Frank Melton in his home. The “Keep Frank Melton From Being Homeless” booth will sell chances for five dollars to pin the tail on the jackass. John Reeves has graciously volunteered to be the jackass for this honorable excursion into saving Frank's ass. What's an ass between two friends after all? If Mr. Reeves is unable to um, perform, Speaker Billy McCoy has also volunteered as when the word “jackass” was mentioned he immediately ran as fast as he could to sign up.


In order to help clean up the legal profession, Adam Kilgore of the Mississippi Bar will be giving away free, round-trip plane tickets to the North Pole where they keep their bar complaint forms (which are NOT available online). If you don't want to go to the North Pole, you can enjoy Brant Brantley's (of the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance) free guided tours of the quicksand field over by High Street where all complaints against judges disappear. If for some reason you are unable to control yourself, never fear; Judge Houston Patton will operate his jail where no lawyers are needed or allowed as you just sit there for minutes... hours.... months...years until he decides he is tired of you sitting in his jail. Do not think Judge Patton is a bad judge however as he plans to serve free Mad Dog 20/20 to all inmates.

Trollfest '09 is a pet-friendly event as well. Feel free to bring your dog with you and do not worry if your pet gets hungry, as employees of the Jackson Zoo will be on hand to provide some of their animals as food when it gets to be feeding time for your little loved one.

Relax at the Fox News Tent. Since there are only three blonde reporters in Jackson (being blonde is a requirement for working at Fox News), Megan and Kathryn from WAPT and Wendy from WLBT will be on loan to Fox. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both and a torn-up Obama yard sign will entitle you to free drinks served by Megan, Wendy, and Kathryn. Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required. Just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '09 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.


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Jackson Jambalaya is the home of Trollfest '07. Catch this great event which promises to leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Sonjay Poontang and his band headline the night with a special steel cage, no time limit "loser must leave town" bout between Alan Lange and "Big Cat"Donna Ladd following afterwards. Kamikaze will perform his new song F*** Bush, he's still a _____. Did I mention there was no referee? Dr. Heddy Matthias and Lori Gregory will face off in the undercard dueling with dangling participles and other um, devices. Robbie Bell will perform Her two latest songs: My Best Friends are in the Media and Mama's, Don't Let Your Babies Grow up to be George Bell. Sid Salter of The Clarion-Ledger will host "Pin the Tail on the Trial Lawyer", sponsored by State Farm.

There will be a hugging booth where in exchange for your young son, Frank Melton will give you a loooong hug. Trollfest will have a dunking booth where Muhammed the terrorist will curse you to Allah as you try to hit a target that will drop him into a vat of pig grease. However, in the true spirit of Separate But Equal, Don Imus and someone from NE Jackson will also sit in the dunking booth for an equal amount of time. Tom Head will give a reading for two hours on why he can't figure out who the hell he is. Cliff Cargill will give lessons with his .80 caliber desert eagle, using Frank Melton photos as targets. Tackleberry will be on hand for an autograph session. KIM Waaaaaade will be passing out free titles and deeds to crackhouses formerly owned by The Wood Street Players.

If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.

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