Sun
Nov 21 2010
08:59 am
Crowded field for Knoxville Mayor
By: R. Neal

Scott Barker has a rundown of the candidates so far. If the election were held today, who would you vote for?
B Harmon's picture

Ivan? Really?

Submitted by B Harmon on Sun, 2010/11/21 - 10:56am.

I wish someone could tell me why they think I. Harmon could be mayor of Knoxville. He even stated on an interview that he is not all that smart but he will get good people around him.

What has he done on commission or council that is of any importance?

He is one of the GOB that let Scoobie run the commission for Sherf Tim.

I know 'he is a nice guy' but that does not qualify him to be mayor, IMO.

carl brewer's picture

Why?

Submitted by carl brewer on Sat, 2010/12/04 - 5:44pm.

Would you rather have a man who claims to be the smartest or a man with honor enough to say he isn't? Getting good people around you sounds pretty smart to me. Everyone who really knows Ivan knows he's a smart man and has the best heart for the job. I'll put my trust in him.

NotLumpyy's picture

Plan for Democrats

Submitted by NotLumpyy (not verified) on Sun, 2010/11/21 - 11:35am.

1. Some Democrats organize to vote for weakest Republican candidate.
2. Remaining Democrats rally around Rogero
3. Rogero beats opponent in general
4. ????
5. Profit!

Factchecker's picture

1. Some Democrats organize to

Submitted by Factchecker on Sun, 2010/11/21 - 11:45am.

1. Some Democrats organize to vote for weakest Republican candidate...

Hey, that sounds like a pretty good strategy. Kind of like what's been perfected in larger races across the country. I don't get number 5, though. Is it kind of like Al Gore and climate scientists pushing global warming so they can get rich? Or the reason why people become teachers?

Melody Music's picture

Foster Arnett would be more like Ashe than Haslam

Submitted by Melody Music (not verified) on Sun, 2010/11/21 - 1:20pm.

Arnett is a component of the Victor Ashe political crowd as opposed to the Bill Haslam political crowd and he would tend to serve as mayor more like Ashe than Halsma, with fights with county commission, picking at the school board, annexation, sales tax fights, all of what we have tried to move past and all of what Haslam pushed aside. What's the matter with the job as county clerk, he's only been in office 18 months.

Brownie Sweet's picture

Foster not dropping his Cherokee Country Club membership

Submitted by Brownie Sweet (not verified) on Mon, 2010/11/22 - 2:06pm.

says the club is no longer exclusive, they have three (3) black members. Really? Existence of minorities in club membership simply means the club is not exlusionary, has no bearing on exclusive determination. Do we really want somebody in local government that can't tell the difference.

How about the $700 a month dues and the $30,000 initiation fee. But, his great, great grandfather was a founding member of the club, that makes him qualified to be a member, but it also eliminates him from being Mayor of Knoxville.

Obviously, Foster is a pawn of the WASP crowd out at Cherokee and he's not a Bill Haslam, he's another Victor Ashe, who's father and grandfathe was a well to do Knoxvillians and we saw how well that worked out for the city of Knoxville.

In my opinion, Foster is trying to capitalize on Haslam's basic persona and is being encouraged by the anti Roddy moneyed folks out a Cherokee, who've plowed this community time and time again for their own personal gain.

The only thing worse that an inner city mayor would be a rich and liberal mayor, thus the move to bring Arnett into the race.

If he doesn't want the county clerk's job, he should resign and go back to being a spokesperson for the city police department.

CMorris's picture

Heard on WNOX this morning

Submitted by CMorris (not verified) on Mon, 2010/11/22 - 3:00pm.

Heard on WNOX this morning that Ron Peabody will run.

zHank's picture

Michael Strickland, CEO of

Submitted by zHank (not verified) on Mon, 2010/11/22 - 4:11pm.

Michael Strickland, CEO of Bandit Lights and new member of the Chamber of Commerce.

Pam Strickland's picture

I saw where Ron Peabody has a

Submitted by Pam Strickland on Mon, 2010/11/22 - 5:32pm.

I saw where Ron Peabody has a presence on Facebook as of this weekend. Figures it would be connected to politics, couldn't figure why else he would suddenly be there.

This is going to be such an ugly race. Just as ugly as the governor's race was boring.

Uncle Bob's picture

Strickland would be interesting, Peabody might do well

Submitted by Uncle Bob (not verified) on Mon, 2010/11/22 - 6:15pm.

Larry Martin would be an interesting pick, Bill Lyons will probably roll on to Nashville as he doesn't have a place in city government without Bill Haslam.

Rod Ledbetter may live in the city, he'd do well, but to think the next mayor needs to come from the existing city council is not linear thinking. There may be others ready to run, they've just got to get through the holiday season first.

Obviously, Victor Ashe is pumping Foster Arnett up with his bid to run for mayor, but Victor just wants a mayor that will find the relevance in Victor Ashe that no one else can find at this time.

Pam Strickland's picture

Bill Lyons has indicated that

Submitted by Pam Strickland on Mon, 2010/11/22 - 6:41pm.

Bill Lyons has indicated that he is going back to the university where he has a tenured faculty position.

R. Neal's picture

Are either Ron Peabody or

Submitted by R. Neal on Mon, 2010/11/22 - 7:59pm.

Is Ron Peabody a city resident? Is Mike Strickland? What about Larry Martin?

Rachel's picture

Ron Peabody - yes. Mike

Submitted by Rachel on Mon, 2010/11/22 - 8:54pm.

Ron Peabody - yes. Mike Strickland - ? I would put the chances of Larry Martin running at zero.

Bbeanster's picture

I agree with Rachel,

Submitted by Bbeanster on Tue, 2010/11/23 - 12:24am.

I agree with Rachel, especially since Strickland and Martin don't even live in the city.

Also, whoever it was that said Victor is backing Roddy is WAY off the mark.

Rachel's picture

Also, whoever it was that

Submitted by Rachel on Tue, 2010/11/23 - 1:24am.

Also, whoever it was that said Victor is backing Roddy is WAY off the mark.

Just to complete the circle, I agree with Bean.

Uncle Bob's picture

Nobody said Victor was supporting Roddy

Submitted by Uncle Bob (not verified) on Tue, 2010/11/23 - 1:56am.

he's supporting Foster Arnett and encouraging his old city minions to fall in line for his old protege who will pay him the respect he thinks he deserves as a former mayor.

If Foster is going to enter the race with nothing more than Victor's support, he'll find himself challenged in two years for that plumb clerk's job that he's enjoying while dreaming of being in charge of something of substance.

Bbeanster's picture

Victor is NOT supporting

Submitted by Bbeanster on Tue, 2010/11/23 - 8:46am.

Victor is NOT supporting Foster Arnett, either.
Foster left KPD under less-than-cordial circumstances.

Rachel's picture

Really? Ivan Harmon got more

Submitted by Rachel on Tue, 2010/11/23 - 2:06am.

Really? Ivan Harmon got more votes on this poll than Rob Frost? For real?

R. Neal's picture

It appears the Harmon

Submitted by R. Neal on Tue, 2010/11/23 - 7:46am.

It appears the Harmon campaign has an online mobilization component.

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.

TN Progressive

TN Politics

Knox TN Today

Local TV News

News Sentinel

    State News

    Wire Reports

    Lost Medicaid Funding

    To date, the failure to expand Medicaid/TennCare has cost the State of Tennessee ? in lost federal funding. (Source)

    Search and Archives