Live from Music Row, Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed former Tennessee 5th Congressional District candidate Baxter Lee in studio to handicap the mayoral candidates for Nashville’s Davidson County.
Leahy: In studio our good friend Baxter Lee, who’s graciously agreed to serve as our Nashville Davidson County mayoral analyst for this upcoming mayoral election. Now, the election will take place on August 3rd. Is that correct?
Lee: That’s correct.
Leahy: Of this year. February to August, we have six months, and then if no one gets over 50 percent, there’ll be a run-off on September 14. Now, before I ask you the big question, will there be a runoff? Let’s kind of handicap, if you will, the four leading candidates. I’ll lay them out, then you give us the analysis. John Cooper, the incumbent; Sharon Hurt, an At-Large member of the Metro Council; Freddie O’Connell, a Nashville Metro Council member from one of the districts there.
And then Matt Wilshire, who’s a former he’s a Dartmouth grad. He rowed crew at Dartmouth and heavyweight. And he was impressive. But for the folks in Tennessee, I didn’t know what crew was until you show Tennessee. And I went to D.C. for college, and people were recruiting me for crew. I was like, what exactly is crew?
Leahy: I never heard of crew. I had the same experience when I went to Harvard. I show up there first week, right? And all these guys are coming and trying to recruit me for crew. I said, well, what is crew? And basically, it’s rowing in this very thin shell with seven other guys in a boat. I did it for about three weeks. It is exhausting.
Lee: I did it once. It was early in the morning. It was really cold on the Potomac. I said, this isn’t for me, guys. I appreciate it.
Leahy: Brutal. And I think if Matt Wilshard did it in Dartmouth, he would have done it early in the morning, very cold on the Connecticut river that divides New Hampshire from Vermont. That’s cold.
Lee: That is a level of cold that I don’t think any Tennessee and really can appreciate.
Leahy: So he did it for a couple of years, so at least he’s got stick to it-iveness.
Lee: I would agree with that assessment. That’s pretty good. And it sounds like he’s raised some money…
Leahy: Let’s go back to money. John Cooper, as you said, just got the I think he’s an egomaniacal tyrant, but other than that, he’s probably favored. He also has tons of money for his re-election campaign.
Lee: I think he’s raised some money.
Leahy: Of the four that we’ve identified, Freddie O’Connell, Sharon Hurt, and Matt Wilshire. Matt claims they raised a million bucks.
Lee: I know. And that’s where the filings and seeing. When that actually hits the airwaves, that’s when it starts to become, people like you and I who follow politics, we’re watching this right now.
But your average nest civilian probably won’t start paying attention until July, maybe June. And that’s where the money becomes vital to be able to get your message out there and communicate.
Leahy: So how much money do you think a challenger to John Cooper needs to have a chance of winning?
Lee: The thing for me that just kind of boggles my mind is Cooper has raised taxes. Not a small number.
Leahy: A huge amount.
Lee: I thought it was 33 percent was the number I heard, which is a massive tax hike. Some people around the country are talking about a recession, so we’ve got a little bit of the economy. But Nashville continues to do well. And you’ve got a mayor who I don’t know a lot of people that love Cooper.
Leahy: Nobody likes him.
Lee: That’s the part that I…
Leahy: He really is a jerk. Mayor Cooper, you’re a jerk. We’ve invited him to come in from the beginning. He promised he would come in. He’s never came in and talked to us.
Lee: You can be intimidating, Mike.
Leahy: Gimme a break. (Laughs)
Lee: Well, you’re smart. You know your facts. That’s the challenge for a lot of folks in politics. There are not a lot of people who pay as close attention as you do and have all the facts. I mean, some people have bad information, but you generally make sure you get the right information.
Leahy: How much do you think it’s going to take for somebody who actually can tell a narrative that would appeal to Davidson County voters, the candidate themselves is a good candidate?
Lee: I would argue over a million.
Leahy: Well over. I would say probably $3 to $5 million.
Lee: That’s the thing. The Democrats play for keeps, and they’ve got machinery, and sometimes these races can get really expensive really fast, but they can also be really cheap because they just clean each other out.
Leahy: Sharon Hurt, Metro At-Large council member, very nice person. However, she sounds like your typical left-wing progressive. There’s nothing new in any of her messaging. Freddie O’Connell, a Metro council member, not at-large from one of the districts, seems like a nice enough fellow but seems to be also a left-wing true believer, from what I can tell.
Lee: I would agree with that. I’m going to try to reach out to each of the candidates. It’ll give me a reason to talk to them and see what they think. I’ve watched their videos. Ready for Freddie is his YouTube video.
Leahy: Ready for Freddie. Freddie may be ready for Freddie, (Lee chuckles) but whether or not Davidson County is… Look, the city can’t pay for the health care benefits of retirees. The balance sheet is upside down. They’re going to spend city resources to fund indirectly and directly this $2.2 billion giveaway in the football stadium which is a gift to Amy Adams-Strunk in the NFL. Let’s be honest.
Lee: We might disagree on that one. This is where some of the fun conversations can happen. It’s worth noting, Nashville is almost a $90 to $100 billion dollar economy, and it’s the powerhouse for Middle Tennessee.
Leahy: So you’re a little bit more favorably inclined towards that stadium.
Lee: I don’t know enough about the details. What I’ve figured out about government is oftentimes the most important stuff happens behind closed doors, or quietly.
Leahy: The stadium is a lot behind closed doors. From what I can tell. I think all four candidates are big supporters.
Lee: Does the math work out? If you pay attention to it, do we get a net positive?
Leahy: Yeah. I don’t think so at all. I think it’s just a complete gift to Amy Adams-Strunk and the real estate developers who are pals with John Cooper. Do any of them have a platform that is significantly different from John Cooper? The only thing I saw on Matt Wilshire, I will say this. He says we should fill the potholes.
Lee: Yes. Of all the people I talk to, when they come to Nashville, that is the universal complaint. And in fairness, we had a big ice storm. We have more potholes than usual. We have more traffic than usual. Okay, guys, we gave you some grace, but it’s time to get the potholes filled. That is a basic.
Leahy: And that’s really typically what, the first job of a mayor is.
Lee: Yes, that’s it.
Leahy: Get the trash taken out.
Lee: 100 percent. Get the potholes filled.
Lee: Yes.
Leahy: At least Matt Wilshire has acknowledged that. Baxter, can you be our ambassador to these candidates? Since I am apparently so intimidating for these lefties, if you could come in here and bring them, can you escort them in and be their bodyguard in the show?
Lee: I’m happy to try. (Leahy laughs) No guarantees. I do pride myself on positive persuasion, and trying to lean in and to be nice to people. Work hard and be nice is generally my motto. But I’m fascinated by this. I’m a reluctant Davidson County transplant. My wife and I just moved from Williamson County, and I’m excited to get involved in Davidson County.
Leahy: And you’ll provide keen insights.
Listen to today’s show highlights, including this interview:
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Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510. Listen online at iHeart Radio.
Photo “Baxter Lee” by Baxter Lee. Background Photo “Tennessee State Capitol” by FaceMePLS. CC BY 2.0.
