Cordenus Eddings or the Chamber: Which One's Worse?
One thing we meant to say last week: How about that Cordenus Eddings?
The obscure, reclusive school board candidate nearly upset incumbent Ed Kindall, even though her campaign treasurer served a prison stint for armed robbery, she ignored campaign finance disclosure laws, and largely blew off talking to the media.
Then there was day when she actually tried to campaign at a funeral. Ah, those were good times.
Incredibly, the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, whose judgment these days is worse than John Edwards', took a look at Eddings and saw greatness. It endorsed Eddings and wrote her a check for $5,000. That infusion of cash nearly helped this nobody pull a monumental upset.
Would you want this nobody leading the school district?
Of course, the Chamber could care less about Eddings, who ran for Metro Council last year and lost. It just backed her because Kindall opposed the school board’s rezoning plan. This is what happens when you only care about one issue. You end up backing a loony tune and losing credibility.
Hopefully, the next time the Chamber folks select a Manchurian candidate, they’ll actually spend a little time with her in the workshop. Or, better yet, maybe they'll just stay out of these races altogether. You’d think that after they backed the pro-Garcia candidates two years ago, they'd understand how little sway they have when it comes to public education.
Comments
She was just all they could find and some of her political "friends" probably recommended her. She'll run for something else I'm sure. She wants to dress up and be on stage.
Posted 08/11/2008 at 04:08:34 PMThe problem here is obviously she has something that people are interested in for you to be talking today about a so called nobody that seems to be a topic of conversation right now. This lady should has to be given credit that she did come awfully close to beating the 23 year stuck in the rut career school board member Ed Kindall. Something must be wrong with him that he would want to be in this seat so long. The other incumbents swept their district. AYE the Mark North that Ed Kindalls friend ran against. Well that tells you that Ed does not have the support he thinks he had otherwise he would have swept his race to.
Posted 08/11/2008 at 04:47:13 PM"It just backed her because Kindall opposed the school board’s rezoning plan. This is what happens when you only care about one issue."
There are so many reasons to oppose Ed Kindall, that to think that it's an "only care about one issue" case is to miss the point entirely. Ed Kindall barely squeaked by. Against a "nobody." That says so much. He needs to go. Yesterday.
Posted 08/11/2008 at 06:13:28 PMOr maybe she did an inadequate job of "seeking reality".
Please explain the sentence in the previous post: "AYE the Mark North that Ed Kindalls friend ran against." What are you trying to say?
Posted 08/11/2008 at 06:23:32 PMThe sadder note is the Nashville "voters" elected 5 school board members with about 10,000 +/- total people voting in the school board races. And they have the ultimate say on how the majority of the Metro Government's funds are spent.
Posted 08/11/2008 at 07:04:26 PMOne point that Matt seems to have ignored: The Chamber (who are no particular friends of mine) also endorsed both Alan Coverstone and Lee Limbird, both of whom were also spoken highly of on this blog by Bruce Barry. Is Mr. Barry therefore a resegregationist? Did the Chamberpots somehow become enlightened? Or was it simply easier to dump on the hapless Ms. Eddings?
Maybe I'm wrong, but didn't the Chamber also endorse Sharon Gentry, another of last week's winners? And didn't she speak out against the rezoning plan?
Posted 08/11/2008 at 10:16:45 PMGentry has gone back and forth on the rezoning plan, while Coverstone has expressed disappointment with the process that led to it.
But even if the Chamber's other endorsements were spot on, it's flat-out embarrassing that they would write a check for Eddings. Why not just sit that race out?
Posted 08/11/2008 at 10:30:54 PMGentry has gone back and forth on the rezoning plan, while Coverstone has expressed disappointment with the process that led to it.
But even if the Chamber's other endorsements were spot on, it's flat-out embarrassing that they would write a check for Eddings. Why not just sit that race out?
Posted 08/11/2008 at 10:31:00 PMThe moneyed Chamberpots, great name, gave more money to Lee Limbird who was equally as great a candidate as Alan Coverstone but she belonged to their "Alliance Club". Sharon Gentry changed her voice on the rezoning and spoke for its reconsideration and the concern about resegregation. She stated that she didn't clearly understand all the information. Go to the WPLN radio interviews for info. Ms. Eddings may be hapless but it's of her on makings if she offers herself to be used as a candidate with no point of view. She never gave an interview, which were few and far between, with any substantive comments about public education or her own understanding of the dynamics in MNPS. She could have run anywhere for most public offices on her statements.
Posted 08/11/2008 at 10:36:16 PMBless your heart, MattP. Fix the upfeed on the blog. You don't even have patience.
Posted 08/11/2008 at 10:38:38 PMMattP, look at the results to answer your own question. The Chamber took a chance on her because they saw Ed Kindall as someone whose rhetoric was baseless and self-serving. He was also vulnerable as evidenced by the fact he squeaked by with approximately 80 votes. Hindsight is always 20/20 but they had the foresight to see his weakness. While not successful, they did the best with what they had and came out on top in 3 out of 4 endorsed races. Most local politicos would take that record everyday.
Posted 08/12/2008 at 12:26:25 PMSo, did they win because they were DESTINED to win and because the Chamber is just great at picking winners? Or did they win because the Chamber funneled thousands of dollars into their coffers, allowing them to increase their visibility? That one's pretty obvious, isn't it?
Posted 08/12/2008 at 01:17:27 PMLet's see: Gentry they endorsed and gave money but she reversed her Chamber held opinion on the rezoning. Again Alan Coverstone, co-endorsed, was not who the majority of "their" money went to if they are the Success Pac. Mark North was a no brainer. Buying school boards isn't a great formula for a winning school system. It just moves money around to mailing houses and political PR types.
Posted 08/12/2008 at 01:50:56 PMPutting aside for a moment my ability to see the future by predicting this post last week, c'mon Pulle, Chamber and Eddings aside, your post is just negligent if you don't at least acknowledge how worthless Ed Kindall's service on the Board has been.
Posted 08/12/2008 at 07:22:50 PMHow do you know that ScottJ? From reading the paper, attending School Board meetings, working for the school system, being a parent in his or any district or knowing the history of his service? I would like to know what people know first hand and what they base their statements on before one lauds or condemns people who have for many years given of their time to public service. If you can document your reasons for saying that, then I can make an informed decision.
Posted 08/12/2008 at 07:36:39 PMI really take issue with you calling Cordenus Eddings a “nobody". I’ve know Ms. Eddings for 12 years, in that time, she has demonstrated to me, a passion for public service. When we met she was a research analyst for State Representative Joe Armstrong, and from what I remember about her at that time she was very good at what she did and had a lot of political savvy.
She later left that position and work directly for Don Sunquist. I remember that she wrestled with taking that position, which was a promotion for her, because Sunquist was a Republican and she was (and has always been) a Democrat. She took the position anyway because she believed that public service should not always be guided by political partisanship. I remember her taking a lot of grief because of that professional move by some members of the Black Caucus; she showed a lot of character and fortitude to do what she did.
I also recall Cordenus going back and forth to her home town of Jackson, TN to see about her sick mother during this somewhat stressful time in her life (her mother eventually passed ), she also found time to work on her Masters Degree at TSU during this time. In my book that’s pretty good for a “nobody”. Come to think of it, the Black Community needs a lot of “nobodies” like Cordenus.
Posted 08/13/2008 at 10:10:09 PMScott are you Cordenus alias? Oh wait, you've only know her for 12 years. Maybe you are a Karen Johnson alias.
Posted 08/13/2008 at 10:59:40 PMSome one needs to do some more digging on Cordenus Eddings...This woman should NEVER be in political office! Pulle..you have email?
Posted 08/25/2008 at 08:35:10 PM