Columnist
Otis Sanford is professor emeritus of Journalism and Strategic Media at the University of Memphis and political commentator for WATN-TV ABC24 News. Contact him at o.sanford@memphis.edu.
There are 259 articles by Otis Sanford :
“Many rural Tennesseans will no doubt argue, as Ronald Reagan did in 1962, that they did not leave the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party left them. I respectfully disagree.”
“An overwhelming majority of local voters believe Republicans have allowed the inmates to run the asylum. And the local party is paying the price.”
“A lot is at stake up and down the ballot. And it’s important that all eligible voters voice their choice.”
“Police alone also can’t stop the violence. It will require a community-wide effort. And that includes the faith community.”
Memphis voters have tended to favor incumbents. Since the mid-1960s, only three sitting mayors have been denied reelection.
The referendum extending the number of consecutive four-year terms from two to three will appear on the Aug. 4 ballot. Early voting begins Friday, July 15. Memphis mayor potentials recalculate after Strickland announces possible third termRelated story:
“Why would he just sit idly by and allow an outsider to trash Tennessee teachers and Tennessee colleges?”
Republican incumbent Amy Weirich is in a fierce battle with Democratic challenger Steve Mulroy as she seeks to hang on to the job of Shelby County’s top prosecutor for another eight years.
“I’ve always been told that if something isn’t broken, don’t fix it. Tennessee’s standards for teaching social studies are not broken. Far from it. They offer students a comprehensive and accurate view of our world, past and present, warts and all.”
Like Richard Nixon, Donald Trump is criminally corrupt and unfit to hold office. Sadly, millions of Americans still refuse to believe the truth.
Frist is trying to infuse compassion, reasonableness and a spirit of compromise into Republicans in Congress who, on the issue of gun safety, are seemingly heartless.
The battles for district attorney and county mayor will get most of the headlines, but the race to determine who oversees judicial proceedings at Juvenile Court is the most important overall to the community.
“The internet is full of screeds and bellowing referencing the fringe theory that white Americans are slowly but surely becoming extinct.”
How did this group of Republicans, all of whom profess to being true conservatives, particularly on fiscal issues, get so out of step with one another?
Turnout for Tuesday’s primary was 10.7%, the lowest for a county primary since 2014.
“Welcome to the world of Tennessee Republican politics in 2022, where the long-held belief of party unity is just an illusion.”
The Democratic primary ballot has 55 candidates running in 22 of the 24 races. A dozen races have three or more candidates.
There are many ways to define Memphis, but violent crime is the one definition we cannot be willing to accept.
“In an ideal world, there should not be a Democratic or Republican way to enforce laws, ensure public safety, oversee our jails and juvenile detention facilities and hire capable deputies and support staff.”
“Despite the grousing and threats of a meaningless censure, Strickland is simply being Strickland. He’s also being pragmatic.”
Our society’s long-overdue reckoning with racial inequities is not a full-blown offensive to correct 246 years of racial disparities in America. It’s more like baby steps designed to start making our institutions more reflect the makeup of our population.
The bottom line is Mason’s elected leaders were right not to surrender the charter. They have a legitimate right to exist as an incorporated town.
A local race that already had the makings of an intense battle has gotten more interesting. All because of our polar opposite political views on voting rights. Let’s continue that debate.
The expansive discount chain – with seemingly a store on every corner in Memphis — is mired in a financial and public relations nightmare of its own making because it put corporate profits over public safety.
“ ... imagine my delight when I learned this week that Memphis-Shelby County Schools and one of its top schools academically — White Station High — intend to press ahead with an even deeper dive into the accurate history of the African American experience in this country.”