S-townMike has decided he wants Briley for the next mayor of Nashville.

I’m so glad to read that. Anyone who’s seen our front yard (or pictures of our front yard) in recent weeks knows we’re a Briley household. But I have a great deal of respect for S-townMike and the strength of his views on community and neighborhoods and what’s good for Nashville in general. So honestly, just to know that he’s thrown his support behind Briley as well pleases me, but I’m especially pleased that some of our reasons are the same:

Every opportunity I have to talk to Mr. Briley, he makes a concerted effort to listen, to chat with me authentically, and to be accountable for what he tells me. […] I have never seen him evade a difficult question put to him.

Indeed I have seen David Briley seem to seek out difficult questions. I really sense that he’s a man of great character and integrity, and it comes through most in one-on-one interactions. Not to say the man’s never been wrong or won’t be wrong again — we’re electing a mayor, not an icon — but I get a good feeling when I talk with him that he sincerely means to do the right thing by people, and to do the right thing by Nashville.

Which reminds me of one more thing S-townMike says:

It is a testament to who David Briley is: a consummate leader who is not simply versed in the intricacies of governing, but a man readily attuned and energized by his responsibilities to the communities that he governs.

Exactly.

Chris Wage — whose opinions on the growth and development of Nashville I also have a great deal of respect for — has this to say about the race:

Everyone I’ve talked to in the past week — admittedly a small sample set — has been excited about Dean or Briley, whereas I’ve gotten nothing but baffled apathy regarding the rest of the field, particularly with regards to Clement.

I have had some overlap in sampling with Chris, but our sample set is not exactly the same and my experience is still identical to his. More specifically, the people I meet who are passionate about the race are passionate about Briley. I think it comes back to how much his character comes through when folks meet him.

Hey, look. I know I’m not an expert on local politics. I’m not a Nashville native, and I don’t have as much background on who’s who and what their backgrounds are as do a lot of folks I know. But I do pay attention, and I learn more every day, and I do genuinely care. When Karsten and I moved here four and a half years ago, we didn’t know we were going to fall in love with the place so much. I’m happy to call Nashville home and I hope to for a very long time. I believe David Briley is the mayor we need to help the city continue to grow responsibly, to address the valid concerns that come with growth, and to become an even better place to live than it already is.

It’s Briley for me, too

4 thoughts on “It’s Briley for me, too

  • July 27, 2007 at 7:09 pm
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    I’m going with Karl Dean. Briley is a snake – so the insiders of Metro Gov’t claim.

    Reply
  • July 28, 2007 at 8:13 am
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    Could Apple secretly be for Clement? Karl Dean will want and need David Briley supporters if he makes the runoff. The same case holds for Briley. Both rivals are in a difficult spot to compete but not offend.

    For me, David Briley is the most capable and most prepared candidate. He has my vote.

    Reply
  • July 28, 2007 at 3:25 pm
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    Hmm, that’s bewildering. I know and trust quite a few Metro “insiders” who are decidedly pro-Briley, and having met and spoken with David Briley a number of times myself, I have a strong sense that he’s a decent person, far from a “snake.” He’s a great listener, his voting record has been great with only a few exceptions, and when talking about the other mayoral candidates, he had nothing negative to say. I wonder why our experience differs so significantly.

    Reply
  • July 30, 2007 at 11:01 am
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    The new Davidson County Democratic Party’s website has a Voters’ Guide to the upcoming Metro Elections. The Guide contains biographies and responses to our Issues Survey. The candidates’ responses are unedited except for formatting for consistency. All of the mayoral candidates submitted responses to our requests and many of the Metro Council candidates as well. The page is found at http://www.davidsondemocrats.com/elections.html

    We have received good feedback about the information from the community and would like for more people to know about this resource.

    Reply

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