This week, early voting for the May 2 election in Jackson kicked off. There are a few City Council spots up for grabs, but the mayoral race is the one most people in Jackson are watching closely.
As we inch closer to that first Tuesday in May, tensions among the candidates seem to be rising. What’s most concerning, however, is the amount of recklessness that some candidates are showing in regards to using hal-truth narratives that originated on social media without ever being proven as facts.
In late March, Newstalk 96.5 hosted the first mayoral debate of the election season. Planning a debate for five candidates was challenging. Making sure each candidate was able to answer multiple questions as well as have a rebuttal to multiple questions without having the entire debate careen off the rails in a huge, flaming mess was priority number one. In order to do that, we had to be intentional with our questions, precise in our planning, and dictate the format in the most organized and cohesive way.
At the end of the night, each candidate did an excellent job of answering the questions without veering too much off course. There were only a few mentions of unfounded and salacious narratives, but even the candidates who broached those subjects quickly reigned them in because the questions being asked that night were direct and specific. After the final question was asked and the lights came up and the candidates dispersed, I was proud of the candidates as well the station for providing a professional and organized space for each candidate to share their vision for Jakson along with how they plan to execute that vision.
Three weeks after the initial debate, in typical political fashion, things seem to have taken a turn.
Last night (April 13), I attended another mayoral debate; this particular one sponsored by We The People of West Tennessee. The debate was held at the First Assembly of God church on West Forest. If someone would’ve told me I’d ever be inside a church at an event sponsored by We The People, I would’ve told them to contact the authorities on my behalf. But, alas, I was there by my own free will and everything happened about like I expected.
Overlooking the obvious biases that were attached to the prefaces of the questions (and also the questions themselves), the lack of organization and tenor of the debate led to disappointing answers from several candidates; answers that were based on rumor and innuendo and did nothing to communicate the qualities and ideas each candidate surely has..
In 2008, John McCain was debating Barack Obama when an audience member asked a question about Mr. Obama’s genealogical heritage. The question was based on conspiracy theories that had been floating around the internet without any basis in truth or fact. Rather than leaning into that false narrative, McCain shot the question down immediately. He had no time to play the worst kind of political game – a game that is void of substance but full of half-truths and sensationalistic fodder. Some of the candidates could’ve taken a page from McCain’s book last night. Instead, we got numerous references to Tunica, the word “cronies” used a plethora of times, and even accusations of bankruptcy were levied from one candidate to another.
Mayor Scott Conger did not attend this particular debate, but his presence was felt all night. Rather than discuss tangible plans they had, three of the four candidates used the majority of their time to disparage the incumbent or vaguely refer to events that may or may not be true about business dealings within the city. Only Dr. Jerry Woods refrained from the mud-slinging and offered actual ideas he has for Jackson should he win this election; it spoke volumes about his character.
As the debate moved forward unsteadily over the course of the evening, Mr. Hubbard and Ms. Lyons particularly seemed to be more interested in getting a crowd response rather than offering any glimpse into actual plans for the community. It was frustrating on a political level and a personal level because I know each of these candidates have so much more to offer.
Last week, as part of a series, I sat down with three of the candidates for mayor – Daryl Hubbard, Lisa Lyons, and Scott Conger – and recorded a podcast with each of them. Over the course of nearly an hour with each, I learned about who they were as people and not as politicians. I learned what drove them; I listened as they explained why they were passionate about Jackson.
Mr. Hubbard and I had a wonderful discussion on the deficiencies of the criminal justice system in America. Ms. Lyons and I discussed our love of travel and how vital it is to bring culture to Jackson from other locations. Mayor Conger and I talked about our old elementary schools and growing up in Jackson. These were conversations with human beings who had a lot to offer without veering into the mud. I look forward to releasing these next week, so everyone can have a chance to hear the people and not the politicians.
Last night, however, we saw the Hyde come out in the political personalities of some of our candidates – mud was slung, lies were told, and truth was discarded…all for some cheap pops from the crowd. We all have our bad moments; times when we get caught up in the emotion of an event. Let’s hope that’s all last night was – an emotional wave that caught some candidates off guard.
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