One of the more bizarre political promotional items popped up this week in the Tennessee Governor’s race as proponents of Marsha Blackburn produced a coloring book detailing the life story of their preferred candidate. 
The 40 page edition, ‘Marsha Blackburn: An American Success Story’, a biographical coloring book produced by Coloring book publisher Really Big Coloring Books is reportedly “unauthorized” and “traces” Marsha’s life from a childhood in Mississippi, to earning her college degree in home economics at Mississippi State, to her 2018 election as U.S. Senator. Word is that she wasn’t really pleased with all of the Mississippi references since she’s running in Tennessee, but since she has held political fundraisers there and in Atlanta, she really has no room to complain.
We haven’t perused the whole book so it isn’t clear how much of her extensive business career as a fashion consultant and directing the Teen Board for a department store Castner-Knott in Nashville is depicted. If it was omitted perhaps it will make the second edition.
It didn’t take long for AI generated pages mocking the Blackburn coloring book to emerge. There are surely more to come.
The promotion will have little if any impact on the November 3 election results when Blackburn is highly favored to win. But it does underline the seeming lack of seriousness about the campaign when it comes to deep policy proposals and debate. But with elevator-gate, crushing fortune cookies, and payroll tax missteps being the main themes so far, is a self-aggrandizing coloring book really surprising?
TO D OR NOT TO D, THAT IS THE QUESTION.
Speaking of debate, it appears that Blackburn will continue her no debates primary stance into the general election.
As Barry correctly notes, there are several good tactical and strategic reasons for Marsha and her consultants to avoid any debates with her competitors over the next few weeks. But is it good policy? With no debates she really doesn’t enter the Governor‘s office with any sort of legislative mandate or agenda that she can promote as having been endorsed by the voters of Tennessee. Will it matter? Republicans have super majorities in the state house in the state Senate, but will HER policy agenda matter, or will it be the agenda pushed forward by speaker Cameron Sexton, and whoever emerges as the next Lt Governor? Will they drive the agenda or will she? And does that really matter to her and her consultants? Winning matters, but so should laying a foundation for governing.
“TURN OUT THE LIGHTS, THE PARTY’S OVER”. In the aftermath of serious storms in Memphis, leaving thousands of residents without power over the weekend, Mighty 990 KWAM noted that Democrat gubernatorial nominee Jerri Green (and state House candidate Jesse Huseth) had quickly announced that their campaign headquarters on Poplar Avenue in Memphis, which had power, would be available for residents to charge their cell phone phones and cool off in air conditioned comfort. The Todd Starnes KWAM station also pointed out that Green was the only candidate for Governor, who had commented about the power outage, leaving thousands in the dark.
Where is the Shelby County GOP? They announced that their headquarters is closed until after Labor Day. They do know there is an election underway, right?
While Democrat Green was offering power and light, Memphis Democrat Congressional nominee Justin Pearson (facing Brent Taylor in the newly drawn 9th district) was playing the race card. It is not surprising since Pearson only has one card in his deck.
Pearson seems to believe the weekend storms intentionally targeted black people in Memphis. And that white folk were somehow responsible.
For the record, this “majority black, working class city” is completely controlled by a majority of black elected lawmakers – all Democrats.
If he’s got a problem with the incompetence in city government – he should take it up with “his people.” And perhaps with the consistently incompetent but never accountable folks at the Memphis Power and Water (MLGW).
And for the record – many of the power outages impacted the white suburbs as well.
The only thing worse than a racist is an “ignorant racist.” And if you look up the term in a dictionary, there is likely a photo of Justin.
Steve Gill is editor and publisher of TriStar Daily.
