The Main Street Journal: Opinion Editorial: The Politics of Herenton

Jonathan Lindberg is the editor in chief and publisher of the Main Street Journal.

The Politics of Herenton
Jonathan Lindberg, Main Street Journal

By now we should all be familiar with the politics of Willie Herenton. Memphis has had seventeen years to watch it develop and grow to the point that it is now almost an art form. For Herenton, political theatre has become the fuel that drives his career.

That Herenton announced, out of the blue, the prospect of running for the 9th Congressional Seat in a press release at the end of a news conference should come as little surprise. Herenton loves to float possibilities to the public through the press, gauge reaction, and then proceed. (Remember when Herenton resigned-and-then-didn’t resign last July in hopes of securing the top job at the Memphis City Schools?)

Herenton, more than any politician, knows how to utilize free press.

Still, despite the theatre, the 9th Congressional District seems to make sense. That Cohen offered such a bizarre response (bewildered surprise mingled with obvious hurt) lets us know that Cohen himself sees Herenton as more than just an opponent but a genuine show stopper.

This, despite the fact that most of Memphis is beyond the point of being tired of Herenton. They are done with his antics and have moved on.

Last month, we hosted a gathering of community leaders discussing a host of political and community issues. We invited the public to attend. The hardest table to fill, by far, was the table discussing the impact and legacy of Willie Herenton. The sad truth was, no one wanted to spend an hour talking about this Mayor and his legacy.

Herenton still remains one of the smartest politicians Memphis has seen – seventeen years and still he has his base. Still, Herenton must realize that by this point, the only broad position of public service he could effectively fill would have to be outside of Memphis, either in Nashville or Washington. He needs a fresh theatre in which to perform.

Just a thought, but in Washington, the bombastic rhetoric of Herenton would probably get lost among the chatter and might probably seem mundane.

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