Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton says he is working harder than ever in the final days of Memphis' mayoral special election, but he appears to be pivoting to a message that goes beyond winning over voters.
Wharton is already appealing to constituents, even as he talks to people behind the scenes about the possibility of joining him at City Hall. That of course is contingent upon Wharton winning Thursday's election, although he says he is operating now as if that will definitely happen. The WREG-TV Channel 3 poll released late last night confirmed Wharton's view of the race, showing him with 53-percent support in a Mason & Dixon Research survey of 400 likely voters, far ahead of Memphis Mayor Pro Tem Myron Lowery at 16 percent and former city councilwoman and longtime state legislator Carol Chumney at 9 percent.
Wharton's campaign is buying more TV and radio airtime ahead of the election, and the latest advertisement is not asking for votes -- it is demanding action on behalf of those who say they want Memphis to improve. It appears that Wharton is taking a page from the Barack Obama playbook and replacing a call for votes with a call to action.
Speaking to a crowd of enthusiastic supporters, Wharton says: "If you came out here and you were expecting me to start telling you all that is wrong with our great city, you are in the wrong place. Now if you came out here because you said you want to work to make our city the great city it can become and that it is destined to be, you are in the right place."
As a side note, the YouTube links showing "related videos" next to the campaign ads are always interesting. For example, the top "related video" to A C Wharton's "Right Place" is of course -- what else could it be? -- "AC/DC Get It Hot Jessica Cirio" with 46,900 views and a screen capture showing scantily clad dancers. Gotta love those Google algorithms. Sample lyric:
Gonna have ourselves a party
Just like we used to do
Nobody's, playin' Manilow
Nobody's, playin' soul
Yet another unfair advantage for the county mayor, right? An inadvertent link to that all important demographic in Memphis, party-goin' hard-rock fans with disdain for Barry Manilow and soul music.
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