There may not be two Tennessee politicians who are farther apart on, well, everything than U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen of Memphis and state senate speaker Ron Ramsey of Blountville. It might take more than nine hours to drive from Cohen's Midtown house near the Memphis Zoo to Ramsey's house around the way from NASCAR's famous Bristol Motor Speedway -- which is probably about half the distance that separates them ideologically, from Cohen's consistent liberal approach going back to his political start in the 70s to Ramsey's accelerating conservatism.
Today at noon in East Memphis, at 925 South Yates near Poplar, Ramsey is opening his Shelby County campaign headquarters. As the key member of Tennessee's General Assembly, Ramsey's on-the-ground campaigning in Memphis has lagged behind that of his GOP rivals, U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp of Chattanooga and Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam. It will be interesting to see who comes out to show support for Ramsey in Shelby County.
Saturday from 1-3 p.m. in at Whitehaven Plaza on Elvis Presley Blvd., Cohen is opening his Whitehaven campaign headquarters, which is significant because his opponent in the 9th Congressional District Democratic primary, former Memphis mayor Willie Herenton, is ramping up his efforts to force black voters who make up a majority of the Whitehaven area factor race into whether they vote to retain Cohen (who is white) or give the 70-year-old Herenton (an historic black political figure) another political chapter. The huge financial advantage held by Cohen has been apparent with advertisements promoting his event -- and featuring influential African-American supporters like civil-rights pioneer Maxine Smith, Olympic gold medalist Rochelle Stevens and Shelby County Sheriff candidate Randy Wade. And the music entertainment at the event, we presume, is also costing the campaign some of its cash.
Today at noon in East Memphis, at 925 South Yates near Poplar, Ramsey is opening his Shelby County campaign headquarters. As the key member of Tennessee's General Assembly, Ramsey's on-the-ground campaigning in Memphis has lagged behind that of his GOP rivals, U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp of Chattanooga and Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam. It will be interesting to see who comes out to show support for Ramsey in Shelby County.
Saturday from 1-3 p.m. in at Whitehaven Plaza on Elvis Presley Blvd., Cohen is opening his Whitehaven campaign headquarters, which is significant because his opponent in the 9th Congressional District Democratic primary, former Memphis mayor Willie Herenton, is ramping up his efforts to force black voters who make up a majority of the Whitehaven area factor race into whether they vote to retain Cohen (who is white) or give the 70-year-old Herenton (an historic black political figure) another political chapter. The huge financial advantage held by Cohen has been apparent with advertisements promoting his event -- and featuring influential African-American supporters like civil-rights pioneer Maxine Smith, Olympic gold medalist Rochelle Stevens and Shelby County Sheriff candidate Randy Wade. And the music entertainment at the event, we presume, is also costing the campaign some of its cash.
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