Do Something

If you have been following the mayoral campaign, I am sure you are to say the least, uninspired. I don’t know what Morris and especially Chumney are doing. 65 to 70% of the population knows they want Herenton gone. But Morris and Chumney are still beating up on Herenton as if they are going to drive down the base of his support. If they have any hopes of winning, Morris and Chumney have to give voters something to buy into. So far that’s not happening at all and voter turn out is going to be really low.
I’m particularly disappointed in Chumney. She is having only a handful of events (5 between now and September 9th) and she doesn’t have any money. That talking point of not having money is eating into her viability as a candidate in the public’s mind. If you don’t have any money, you have to work even harder, get inventive, or go home. It’s time for her to start making lemonade out of lemons. If I was working on Chumney’s campaign, this is what I would do:
1) Embrace the talking point. Come out saying the campaign doesn’t have any money, but follow it with why. The same people that gave money to Herenton and made his $500,000 warchest are now the same people giving money to Morris. You really think there is going to be change with Morris? It’s just switching the obnoxious guy with a docile guy. Just more of the same old same old. If you want to change the policies that have so failed Frayser, Raleigh, Hickory Hill, and Whitehaven than Chumney is the only choice.
2) Make sure undecides break for Chumney. Start using this talking point against Morris. What support does Morris have? $250,000 and he’s sitting on 9% support. Chumney doesn’t have two dimes to rub together and she is at 24%. Morris is not a viable candidate and splits the vote, insuring a Herenton victory.
3) Use free media. With few campaign events scheduled, I think Chumney has time to do something creative and show the public she understands the community. Get Chumney behind the wheel of a car with someone filming in the passenger and backseats. Have her start driving under one of those big, red, “continue the progress”, Herenton billboards in south Memphis. She then goes on a driving tour of the city in which she talks about (and shows the problems) of the city. Have her tell stories about different city projects/policies and what happened on the city council. (And for godsakes, don’t play the martyr) Edit the video into commercial, short film, and extended versions. Put it on Youtube and the Chumney website. No one has ever done anything like that before around here and it will get a ton of free media. Plus, it shows her in control and possessing a vision to drive the city forward. In addition, you can email it out with a link for on-line, small dollar donations. There are million college sophomores who can edit digital film for cheap in this town. Go find one, quick.
4) Debate Morris. If Herenton doesn’t want to debate, so what. You still have to get undecides to turnout and to go with Chumney rather than Morris. Show the city a glimpse of a post-Herenton world.

That's my two cents worth.