Best of Nashville 2009: Politics and Media

Best iPhone App Developed by Some Local Dudes:
gpsAssassin
Local secret geniuses and all around computer gurus Jackson Miller and Nicholas Holland claim to have no viral marketing campaign for gpsAssassin, but it's virtually impossible to be on Twitter and not hear someone talking about how great it is. Now it's not just the local online community, but folks like TechCrunch who are calling gpsAssassin "the iPhone's next highly addictive hit game." The idea is simple enough: By using GPS, players can virtually attack other players who are near them in real life. And it's that simplicity which seems to have ensured that it's a hit, though the price—free—surely doesn't hurt. BETSY PHILLIPS

Best Jimmy Stewart Imitation in Tennessee Politics:
Rep. Kent Williams
Just like in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Williams started as the handpicked stooge of the political establishment. In January, in a bargain with the 49 House Democrats, he shocked the Capitol by snatching the speaker's gavel by a single vote—his own. He was kicked out of the Republican Party as punishment. But since then, he has proven himself a decent, common-sense guy with the bizarre idea that legislators should come to Nashville, vote their consciences and then go home. JEFF WOODS

Best Reason to Give the Republican Party One More Chance:
Rep. Beth Harwell
Harwell came across as a reasonable grown-up leader in the legislature this session—meaning she was skating on very thin ice with the Republican Party. She voted against allowing guns into bars. She led the move to dismiss a pointless ethics complaint against House Speaker Kent Williams, forcing crybaby Republican leaders to succumb to her wishes in the interest of bipartisan cooperation. Then she told then-GOP chair Robin Smith not to kick Williams out of the party. Smith ignored Harwell. Now, guess what? The party is thinking about taking back Williams because he's one of the most popular politicians in the state. JEFF WOODS

Best Country Wiseacre in the Legislature:
Rep. Frank Niceley
A wisecracking farmer from Strawberry Plains, Niceley has never lived down his brilliant utterance, "It's not exactly rocket surgery." This year, though, he helped found the "country boy" Republican House caucus, which promptly admitted Speaker Kent Williams in defiance of the GOP establishment. Niceley knew that with Williams on their side, Republicans could finally boast a majority. "Country boys can count to 50," Niceley explained. "Those city boys can only count to 49." Then he proposed that gubernatorial candidates stage debates next fall in each of the state's 99 counties—a move that would force the candidates to actually meet the voters and show some grasp of the issues. "It'd be kinda like going back to the days of Davy Crockett, when he was running against that peg-legged fella," Niceley said. We didn't know what he meant, but it was funny. JEFF WOODS

Best Web Monkeys at the Capitol:
Burney Durham and Russell Humphrey
The Tennessee legislative website was named the best in the country this year. The National Conference of State Legislatures said the site—capitol.tn.gov—stood out for its ease of navigation, depth of content and openness, and availability of information to the public. As soon as the award was announced, politicians took credit. But insiders knew who really deserved the praise: Burney Durham, longtime clerk of the House of Representatives, and Russell Humphrey, the Senate clerk. JEFF WOODS

Best Political Reporter:
Ed Cromer, The Tennessee Journal
Every week, Cromer writes the insiders' bible of state government and politics. His reports are full of insight and institutional knowledge that only a savvy veteran can provide. He's first with the big picture on policies and trends. Past editions of his journal are like library reference material. Plus Cromer, the consummate gentleman, is never flustered or angry, and he treats everyone with respect—a rarity in today's blog-driven loudmouth media. JEFF WOODS

Best Comeback:
A.J. McCall
When last we saw the scion of the Wilson County appliance empire, he was running for the state House when someone unearthed his DUI arrest records, documenting a drunken attempt to coax a lady into his van in a Walmart parking lot. Oops. That didn't stop ol' A.J., though—he's back for more this year running for state Senate. Several Republican legislators hosted a fundraiser for him, even though he's running a primary challenge against one of their own, Rep. Susan Lynn. So while it's no slamdunk McCall will reach the state Senate, the fact that he has convinced the GOP powerbrokers to let him give it another whirl is a comeback story in and of itself. A.C. KLEINHEIDER

Best Scandal:
Sen. Paul Stanley
No surprise on this one. In a flameout of epic proportions, the holy-rolling, gay-adoption-opposing state senator was not just caught cheating on his wife with an intern, but with an intern who A) had a past drug conviction, B) a husband in jail and C) a boyfriend on the outside who decided to dabble in extortion. While Stanley did not actually get caught with the proverbial dead girl or live boy, he came close enough. Whatever you might think of his legislative chops, one thing Paul Stanley can do is unravel a political career in a hurry. Kudos, sir. Kudos. A.C. KLEINHEIDER