So Andy Berke became CNN's Southern Democrat go-to Tuesday night.
Yes, our Chattanooga mayor, who has very little on his seven-plus-year resumé about which to brag, was interviewed Tuesday night by CNN's Don Lemon about his decision to not reopen Chattanooga, or as he put it in a tweet, "keeping Chattanoogans safe."
OK. But rather than answer questions from reporters from this newspaper and local TV stations about his decision, Berke chose to speak nationally on a platform apparently better aligned with his personal or political goals.
I didn't see the interview; I don't watch CNN (and before you get your left-leaning heels dug in, I don't watch Fox News, either).
WRCB TV-Channel 3 News Director Callie Starnes tweeted at the mayor that the station's invitation for him to answer viewers' questions stands and is indefinitely open.
TFP government reporter Sarah Grace Taylor also tweeted that Berke and his minions offered up a river of no-comments about his decision not to reopen the city, and reminded us that Berke made his announcement via a Facebook video instead of a format that allowed reporters to ask questions.
So, answers to questions Taylor and other local media have about Berke's decisions - and the data that led to those decisions - remain unanswered today. Then there's the issue of the now-defeated $50 fine the city looked at imposing on shelter-in-place violators. Whose idea was that? Where did it come from? We don't know, because city officials aren't answering our questions.
The fight against coronavirus has been waged on a macro level nationally and internationally. But it will be won on a micro level locally, because every state, city and ZIP code has different needs. And they have different leadership.
For Chattanooga and Hamilton County, which is adding one or two or three new coronavirus cases a day as we continue to ramp up our testing numbers, concerns about public health and economic health are colliding. The public is always more inclined to go along with the decisions of its elected leaders as long as people feel confident these officials are as transparent and open as possible.
As to why Berke made the decision to go to a national audience despite his constituents' need and demand for local communication on issues of local importance, well, who knows? Remember, this is the local newspaper, not The New York Times or USA Today.
The simple answer may be that he could make a national splash as a defiant Democratic mayor in a deep Red state.
Another answer - a longer view - could be Berke is positioning for his next career move after his term-limited time as mayor expires next year. After all, could Berke be a pick in the administration of a Democratic White House?
Whatever the political future holds for the soon-to-be-former Chattanooga mayor, it's clear his focus is on the national rather than the local.
Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com and follow him on Twitter at @jgreesontfp.
Jay Greeson