Down Home: Listen to Dalton Roberts’ podcast about what he learned from former mayor A. L. “Chunk” Bender.
It still amazes me that people ask me to write about politics or that high officials in my party ask me to run for seats like the U.S. Congress.
If I had been interested in Congress, I would have run in 1994 when the board of the Southeast Tennessee Development District (Democrats and Republicans) indicated they would support me.
I have never had any interest in being in Congress. When I was at the courthouse as Hamilton County executive I had a sign on my desk that read, “For God so loved the world that he did not send a Committee.”
Congress equals committees and committees and more committees. It also means flying to Washington on Sunday or Monday and flying home on Fridays. I am as interested in that as I would be in being dragged from Birchwood to downtown Watering Trough behind a pick-up truck.
It will offend some people in the party structure, but it is a sad commentary on the political health of the party when several bright young and middle-aged persons are not waiting in the wings to run for all upcoming available offices — especially Congress. I would add to that list the U.S. Senate, the Tennessee state legislature and both mayoral offices.
It is even sadder when you realize that our congressional seat was held for many years by Marilyn Lloyd. She left a record that would be an asset to any Democrat making that race.
It often shocks people when I tell them I do not like politics. I doubt that I would have ever run if I had not been fired as county manager. After doing a good job at every job I ever attempted and having testimonials from people like Dr. Bennie Carmichael and Dr. J. Earl Williams and then being fired by a second-class county judge, I felt I had to vindicate myself. So I ran.
Without feigning humility, I know I was good at politics. Any man who worked under three mayors, two county judges, a dozen good councilmen and commissioners, and several people with doctorates would be good at politics if he just paid attention. I tell people, “I learned politics by osmosis.”
The two things I dislike about it are the partisanship and all the silly protocols you have to act like you respect. It is paralyzing our ability to put projects together with the very best liberal and conservative ideas and make no mistake, both kinds are needed. Like President Eisenhower and Sen. Al Gore, Sr., building the interstate highway system, and like Republican Sen. Norris of Nebraska and the Democrats from the Tennessee Valley forming TVA.
It is not harmless little games we are watching in Washington, but the political equivalent of Lou Gehrig’s Disease where we lose one function at a time.
I was glad to see State Rep. Kent Williams turn up his nose at the Republican protocol and form a partnership with Democrats to be Speaker of the House, much like wily old Sen. John Wilder did a couple of times with the Republicans. He’s being sliced and diced for it but he’s already given us the best political quote in years.
When asked if he was going to join the Tea Party fad, he said, “The least you belong to, the least you can be kicked out of.”
E-mail Dalton Roberts at DownhomeP@aol.com