Phil Bredesen spent his last four minutes and 12 seconds in the spotlight Tuesday night coming to grips with the sobering reality that his time in politics is over.

“Our country has changed,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in Shelby County v. Holder, a landmark decision that overturned a key provision of the 1965 Civil Rights Act and ended the enforcement of federal oversight of voting practices in states that have historically disenfranchised minority voters.

I’m taking a breath. The election is over, and however you may feel about the outcome, the sun has managed to come up the last three days regardless. My back hurt before, during, and after the voting, and nobody running helped me get my socks on in the morning. The person who does that got my vote a long time ago, although she may be looking for another candidate.

Two quotes in the closing days of this year’s midterm election, both on the subject of the “migrant caravan” as a political motivator:

It’s almost 2019 – do you have a plan for year-end fundraising?

Some nights begin with a bang. The 2018 Memphis Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony started with a ball of fire.

If you’re not mad, you’re not paying attention.

Memphians of a certain vintage may recall a time when the rest of Tennessee disparaged us as Big Shelby. It was a backhanded way of expressing East and Middle Tennessee’s resentment of – and, truth be told, our own vaulting pride in – the power wielded by Memphis and Shelby County in the state’s politics and government.

One of the more memorable Memphis cultural moments of the past several years was Justin Timberlake’s 2015 induction speech for the Memphis Music Hall of Fame.

“People make choices. Choices make history.”

I was having a pint in the Eagle when I heard them.

There’s a bit early in Primary Colors, Joe Klein’s written-as-Anonymous 1996 roman a clef on the 1992 Bill Clinton campaign, that comes to me from time to time.

Early voting started in Arkansas on Monday. Memphis and Tunica aren’t on the ballot, but they may as well be.

The politics of fear and division, playing out at the national level, has literally hit home.

Throughout my career in politics, I have always worked to amplify the voice of the voters that I have been fortunate enough to represent. In that spirit, I urge everyone to vote against the creatively worded charter amendments on the ballot in the Nov. 6 election.

In a letter I wrote supporting Joe DiPietro for president of the University of Tennessee, I noted that he gained the respect and cooperation of the UT Institute of Agriculture faculty, staff and students during a difficult time of state of Tennessee funding reductions.

UP TO THE WOMEN.

Two weeks ago in this space, I suggested The Memphis 10 would be taking a two-week hiatus, one for some fall break family travels and a second for an NBA/Grizzlies opening-week workload.

In almost any previous era of our history, it would have been possible to begin a column two weeks after a controversial Supreme Court nominee was confirmed by writing, “Now that the dust has settled …”

Picture this scenario: A man with a gun is chasing on foot another man, who may or may not be armed.

As I begin my journey of service as Sheriff of Shelby County, I am humbled by the faith this community has placed in me.

You have probably heard some public discourse around the use of code names for projects seeking incentive packages in our community.

This morning I rode my bike east on the Greenline and through Shelby Farms thinking about how perfect the fall morning is and what a great asset we have in our bike paths, parks and recreational areas.

“The job is basically getting 7,000 people to stop bickering and remember why they got into this business,” he said stoically before breaking into his trademark grin. “Should be pretty simple.” A recent acquisition and a second pending acquisition were about to triple the size of the “family” as Phil Trenary lovingly referred to his Pinnacle Airlines employees, and Phil understood his culture was falling behind. “We need to stop behaving like separate airlines and start acting like one.”

Of all the health care issues that any community faces, infant mortality causes the most heartbreak. Nothing matters more than giving our babies – each and every one of them – a fighting chance. Nowhere has it mattered more than in Memphis.