The three candidates vying to be the Republican nominee for Hamilton County mayor will face off in a debate Monday.
It will air on something called Me TV, which is channel 166 on the EPB cable plan and 225 on Comcast locally. Too bad it’s not being broadcast on We TV – as in all of us – as this election is critical for the future of the county. It’s as important to all of us as it is to the individuals hoping to succeed Mayor Jim Coppinger.
This could be informative TV, or it could be nothing more than an hour of vague platitudes from businessman Matt Hullander, County Commission chair Sabrena Smedley or consultant Weston Wamp.
Education is likely be a major topic, but here’s an element I will be watching for Monday.
Decency.
The ability to disagree without disdain.
We have more than our fill of political polarization. We need thoughtful solutions that include multiple folks from an array of ideological viewpoints.
One of Coppinger’s biggest strengths is his ability to work across groups and party lines – his decision-making during the pandemic comes to mind – with the overall view of the county always in the crosshair.
That takes leadership and an ability to work through differing opinions without agendas or bitterness. Some of those skills will be on display from the three frontrunners Monday night.
That demeanor served Coppinger well in the political arena and served all of us well in the ramifications and results from his political moves that have left the county in as good a spot financially as any in the state or the region.
It’s one of the reasons that Coppinger felt like a throwback, a political leader who cared about the final outcome more than the outside perceptions in terms of credit or grudges.
He worked in the old-school styles, and while each was determined and could be dogged for a cause, each issue was its own pursuit, and the public’s business very seldom got personal.
Sure, the only time it did not work was the failed attempt to raise taxes a couple of years ago to increase school spending.
So let the political games begin with this first debate.
But let’s hope decorum rules this forum more than the search for soundbites.
Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6273. Follow him on Twitter @jgreesontfp.