The death of the Black Wednesday movement
Today people will wonder how Black Wednesday died. Was it from the editorial saturation from the News Sentinel? Did Jack McElroy’s editorial advocacy turn off voters? Did people think February was all that was needed? Did the misleading and dishonest marketing campaign of the Knox Charter Petition signature collectors drive people away?
Or was Black Wednesday a myth? Was February only a highly charged Presidential Primary with Black Wednesday as tag along that meant nothing? Was this Black Wednesday movement ever real? Or was it an editorial illusion?
It is official. Black Wednesday doesn’t matter. Today voters ignored the rage of February and the Apathy Party ruled local Knox County elections. In a shocking display of low voter turn out people gave a clear message, they don’t give a damn about local government. On a pleasant day with moderate temperatures, people chose to stay away from the polls just like they did in early voting.
It was a dismal day for reformers and local Democrats as Amy Broyles and Finbarr Saunders had wins with wide margins for the Democrats.
The headline race for Sheriff had incumbent J.J. Jones winning with 58 percent of the vote.
The carnage is over and now comes the time to lay blame. What happened? It was a great day for embattled County Mayor Mike Ragsdale as he gained new support on County Commission. People have to wonder how a Mayor who may be removed at any time with an ouster lawsuit and who may possibly be indicted on criminal charges can win County Commission meeting votes and sweep County Commission races. The Teflon coating may be scratched but it still works.
Collective head scratching will begin as people begin to unravel the strangest election in many years. One of the greatest ironies is the News Sentinel. Editorial after editorial ranted about Black Wednesday but the Sentinel’s recommendations were old school. In fact, the people who decided to vote took those recommendations to heart. In a strange sort of way, the Sentinel has a Pyrrhic victory. After all this drama about changing things the decision was to go back to the way things were.
Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale may be the big winner tonight but News Sentinel editor Jack McElroy may be the big loser. The Pulitzer Prize winner editor McElroy may now receive attention he really doesn’t desire for the inexplicable series of editorials drumming up support for the Black Wednesday movement, which was reversed by the Sentinel’s voter recommendations.
McElroy won the Pulitzer for his former newspapers coverage of the tragic Columbine shooting. Now concerned voices in his new town of Knoxville worry that he will take the tragic Church shooting at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church on July 27 and try for another Pulitzer.
Ragsdale wins big as the editor of the only daily paper faces confused and outraged readers.
