Herenton Won

Even though he didn't participate in tonight's debate, Mayor Herenton still won overall. Herman Morris took his five minutes on the microphone. To try and play the race card against the other two candidates. It came across as superficial, and rehearsed. The other two candidates didn't field the question to well, but it still backfired on Herman Morris. He ended up being taken to task about his own race relations. For the first time he gave a logical explanation for the city's investment in NetWorx, a fiber optics company . I personally understood, but I still don't think the public understands though. Had everything went as planned and the city attracted new companies and jobs. Nobody would be complaining then.

Carol Chumney took the opportunity to take a shot at the Mayor. This would have been the ideal time to put all her critics to rest, by actually offering some solutions to the city's problems. Instead one of the moderators had to bring her back to her present task, the candidates who were participating in the debate. That pretty much took the wind out of her sails. For her follow-up question to Herman Morris about the VIP list at MLGW. There were times when she seemed to be overtaken by emotion, almost to the point of tears. For people like myself that was only confirmation for what I already assumed. She doesn't have the moxy required to run the city. Her soft spoken demeanor wouldn't stand up under the pressure. Imagine her having a council member like a Sarah Lewis.

If anybody scored points tonight it was John Willingham. He asked both of the others some real tough questions. He didn't improve his own position that much. His role is that of a spoiler or giant killer. He just made the others look bad. John Willingham is unelectable as a Mayor in the city of Memphis. He's the wrong color and in the wrong party.