He who wins by any means must nonetheless face challengers

Jay Voorhees examines the formidable machine being pieced together to rebrand Dean (the Deliverer) in the next Mayor's election, and he appeals to the dictates of a principle higher than power:

Dean’s financial resources are pretty much limitless, and it’s clear that his willingness to do the bidding of the Nashville Chamber and the development community in town makes him a formidable candidate. Anyone who wants to have a political career that lasts beyond Karl’s tenure knows that they would be facing a group that has been quick on the draw with personal attacks, willing to do pretty much anything to win the battle, and the chance of being spit out and left in a puddle on the ground is pretty great ....

So [Gail] Kerr may indeed be right . . . no one may have a chance to unseat Karl Dean . . . especially when they are they are told by a local pundit that the race is over and we should go ahead and have the coronation today ....

And yet Kerr is absolutely wrong and dangerous to our city in setting forth the narrative that no one should challenge Karl.

The genius of our political system is based in part in the ability of an electorate to make a choice between competing visions of governance.

Jump to JustNashville for more of Jay's view of why Mayor Dean needs an election-year challenge even when self-anointed pundits judge it folly.