Saturday, July 4, 2009
Some Advice for AC Wharton
Posted by Bruce VanWyngarden on Sat, Jul 4, 2009 at 10:35 AM
Dear AC,
If you lie down with dogs, you may wake up with fleas. Similarly, if you go on a radio show hosted by a political opportunist, don't be surprised if he asks you questions designed to embarrass you. I'm speaking, of course, of Thaddeus Matthews, who asked you the following question: "Is it important to you as a black man that blacks stay in control of the mayor's office?"
You fluffed it, Mr. Mayor, stumbling around trying to assuage Matthews and any potential voters you thought you might displease by giving a straightforward answer, which would go something like this:
"What's important, Thaddeus, is that the city of Memphis elect the best possible people to run this city. I happen to be black, and I happen to think I am the best man for this job. I will represent all the citizens of Memphis to the best of my ability, be they black, white, or any other shade of the rainbow. With the election of Barack Obama, this country has shown that we can move beyond racism. It's time for Memphis to do the same. Your question is an insult, Thaddeus. And you are an embarrassment. Good day."
That answer, Mr. Wharton, would have gotten you a real headline — and a lot more votes — than the hemming and hawing you offered to Matthews.
It looks to me as if the next 90 days are going to be a free-for-all. The winner of the mayoral election will likely be the candidate who can create a coalition of voters — black, white, and, yes, brown — rather than relying on a segment of one racial base. Wharton is best positioned — right now — to be a unifier, but performances like the one he offered on Matthews' show can only hurt him.
I think Memphis politicians would be best advised to take their cue from Dr. Martin Luther King, and base their campaigns on the content of their character, not the color of their skin. That's not idealism, by the way. That's practical advice. Also, it's never a good idea to let yourself be interviewed by a loose cannon with an agenda and a microphone.
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Mayor Wharton lost my vote because of his appearance. He sat silent while Matthews spewed his hatred.
I like AC, he is a very grounded person. I have seen him many times at the Starbucks on Union; driving his own car; no bodyguards; talking to citizens, myself included. My problem with AC is that as nice a person as he comes across as, he is still a professional politician at this point. His appearance and answer (or lack there of) on the radio show only reinforces that. We really need some fresh faces all the way around. I'm sorry AC, I like you and hold a great deal of respect for you, but it is time for clean start in Memphis.
Giving Thad Matthews the time of day is stupid. Stupid, Stupid, Stupid. And AC knows better than that.
Mike Fleming is no longer on the radio, but let's imagine, if his show was still on air and a white person was invited--let's say, Carol Chumney---and was asked if it was important to her, as a white woman, that whites get control of the mayor's office. Thaddeus Matthews is a racist bigot. AC's answer was spineless and did nothing to demonstrate that he is willing to try to bring this city together racially. He has probably lost my vote.
I've always like AC, but he is a politician. Politicians troll for votes, anywhere they can find them. AC knows the special election will field a lot of candidates, and as popular and appealing as he is, he could get lost in the shuffle. He took a calculated risk by appearing on Matthews show which caters to the poorer, uneducated blacks in our city. He felt compelled to reach out to them. He may have succeeded in doing so, but how many votes did it cost him from voters like myself who are still deciding who will next lead this city? We don't need another one like the last one, I think AC may have lost my vote. He should never have gone on that show.
Problem is, the voters AC was reaching out to may or may not show up at the polls. They don't have a great track record thus far.
The voters he ticked off with that weak-kneed, wishywashy performance will.
I am very disappointed.
We need a mayor with a spine that will stand his ground with the Thaddeus Matthews of the Memphis world -- as well as the Mike Flemings, and any other wretched, rancid wannabe power brokers. For that matter, he should be willing to stand up to the real power brokers, too.
Somewhere out there has to be someone with the cojones (literal or figurative) to stand up for Memphis.
I can't get worked-up over this. A Jerry Springer like talk radio show, trashy - yes, but it's Memphis. In the end, Tha Matt got what he wanted. Politicos have to decide whether it's worth the risk or not. Remember, there's no standards in the world of shock jock radio.
Ok. I have to agree with everyone in saying that AC's decision to go on this guys show was not a smart one. But hey, he is a politician and he'll take publicity wherever he can get it.
Midtowngrl, I have to disagree with you saying that he just stood there while Matthews spewed his hatred. You DID read the part where he told Mr. Matthews that he was insulted by the guys question, didn't you?
Um, kittyluvr, that was ME, telling AC what he SHOULD have said. You might want to reread the post.
AC didn't mind going on Thad's show because he is used to hanging with gangsters, drug dealers, pimps, hos, and every other type criminal. After all, he WAS the Public Defender, and the county mayor (which implies consorting with criminals).
kittylvr, I not only read the whole post, I watched the interview as it happened.
Wharton not only did not stand up to the racist comments, he was smiling and sometimes even laughing at the things being said.
The folks working for 4 years now to reinstate a park (in some form or fashion) at the vacant/vandalized Fairground site DID send a questionnaire to the crowded field of Mayoral Candidates... we want to know what has changed for the Fairgrounds now the Herenton has bugged. We did not try to ask AC, tho! www.savethepippin.com
It was probably a bad idea for Mayor Wharton to go on the Thaddeus show point blank, however, there are a number of far left-wing black folk in Memphis who accept Thaddeus as a legitimate journalist-no matter how how absurd and ridiculous he is. That said, Wharton's appearance on the show represents that he was speaking to a potential constituency in the upcoming Mayor's race. I do agree with Bruce here, Wharton should have not danced around the question but should have down played any notion of race baiting in his response to Matthews, but then again, if all of Memphis could learn to do that we'd be the greatest city in America. So much potential yet we still fall short.
Great post. That's exactly the answer we were all looking for. Unfortunately, I think A.C was caught of guard and didn't have a good answer prepared in advance. He could have scored some serious points with your answer and further marginalized the race card.
hmmm...hard to believe that race has anything to do with an election in Memphis. Why would anyone thinking person belief otherwise and to imply that AC is above it all is simply naive......and perhaps a bit hopeful...hope and change.....darn...where have I heard that shit before?
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