Tuesday, June 2, 2009
By the Way / Hannan / Media May Town Flack Anonymously Disses Opponent
Posted by Caleb Hannan on Tue, Jun 2, 2009 at 12:38 PM
Wow. What a dismal view of Nashville. Davidson can't compete with Williamson County and therefore we shouldn't try. This was his argument? Pathetic. And this guy wants to run for office again? Let's find some decent leadership.So there are a couple funny things about this. The first is that this commenter is listed as "Everyman," a nom de plume that suggest some sort of working-class hero. Like a plumber who happens to opine on local politics when he's not unclogging toilets. The second is that while Post Politics requires its commenters to leave their e-mail address, it does not require them to list a website. Unless they want to. Which Everyman did. So that, when you put your cursor over his name, you see this: Tom.Jurkovich@wallerlaw.com. Whoopsie! That'd be the same Tom Jurkovich, partner at Waller Lansden, who was hired by Bells Landing Partners on April 7th to lobby in favor of May Town. Assuming Everyman is Jurkovich and not some prankster trying to shame him, we've just got to say that, along with it being a little dishonest to anonymously call out someone speaking against the project you're paid to support, this "dismal view" take is the LAZIEST FUCKING ARGUMENT WE'VE EVER SEEN. Don't have facts? Resort to jingoism. It's the same approach Butch Spyridon used in Sunday's convention center debate: "This man to my left may present facts, figures and cold-blooded rationale, but would he eat his own shirt just to prove to you how much he loves Nashville? WOULD HE (gulp)?!"
Comments (4)
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I keep suspecting that most of the anonymous pro-MTC chatter is part of an astroturf campaign. This, more or less, is confirmation.
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OG DG I did not know there was an actual term for creating grassroots where none exist.
I humbly request that you allow me to use "astroturf campaign" when describing the work of McNeeley, Pigott & Fox. The call the service "grassroots" on their website but your description is much more apt. They have astroturfed Nashville all the way to a taxpayer funded lobbying contract.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astroturf_campaign
I'm out of town on a short beach vacation-- but a colleague just sent this to me.
I owe David Briley an apology. Yes, I think his oppostion to May Town Center is wrong-headed and mis-guided. But so what? That's no reason to get snarky and personal. I counsel against that very approach-- yet violated my own advice in a moment of pique. Nor is there any acceptable rationale for me to post anonymously in such a context.
I'm often critical of the sharp tone and sometimes fact-free discourse from the Scene and others when it comes to May Town Center-- a project I whole-heartedly support and proudly represent. That being the case, I should know better and act accordingly.
