June 24, 2008
Is Eric Crafton Nashville’s next Bill Boner?
Is Councilmember Eric Crafton following in former Nashville Mayor Bill Boner’s notorious footsteps?
That question is admittedly somewhat unfair to Crafton, who hasn’t humiliated local residents with his harmonica playing, extramarital affairs or tales of “seven-hour-long passion” on national television. By accounts I’ve read, Crafton’s personal life is free of the level of nonsense that Boner seemed to champion. Nonetheless, last year Crafton revelled in the opportunity to discuss his English First ballot initiative on Fox News for viewers across the U.S. to see. For anyone who’s proud of the great city Nashville has become in the past 20 years, it wasn’t pretty.
The news that Nashville’s Metro Council had passed an English-first bill generated media attention, much of it casting the city in an unwelcome light, in cities nationwide. Only then-Mayor Bill Purcell’s subsequent veto helped to balance the coverage with a more positive view of Nashville.
For a city that’s a lot closer to being progressive and cosmopolitan than it was when Boner served as last lead executive in 1991, it’s unfortunate, in my opinion, to have a local elected official drawing attention to a measure that will accomplish very little–other than casting our city as an intolerant and unwelcoming place and possibly resulting in costly legal expenses down the line.
The good news this time around is that Crafton’s posturing and shortsighted initiative is focused squarely on his work as a Council member (and not on any Boneresque antics that involve infidelity or musical instruments). No, Crafton isn’t Boner (at least not yet), but in my opinion he’s doing much more harm than good when it comes to Nashville’s image and identity.
![Rob Robinson](http://thinktrain.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/Rob.jpg")
A Proud Legacy : Post Politics: Political News and Views in Tennessee said,
June 24, 2008 @ 2:06 pm
[...] Rob Robinson wonders if Councilman Eric Crafton may be following in the footsteps of the embarrasing footsteps of Bill Boner: That question is admittedly somewhat unfair to Crafton, who hasn’t humiliated local residents with his harmonica playing, extramarital affairs or tales of “seven-hour-long passion” on national television. By accounts I’ve read, Crafton’s personal life is free of the level of nonsense that Boner seemed to champion. Nonetheless, last year Crafton revelled in the opportunity to discuss his English First ballot initiative on Fox News for viewers across the U.S. to see. For anyone who’s proud of the great city Nashville has become in the past 20 years, it wasn’t pretty. [...]
Lazybones said,
June 25, 2008 @ 1:38 pm
Personally, I think you insulted Boner. While Boner’s antics got the best of him in the end, he was an intellectual who could make a sound argument and a very hard worker. Sure, he made Nashville look like a bunch of lusty country star wannabes but that wasn’t too far off from what people already thought about us. Crafton spends his days playing cards at Hillwood Country Club and is neither smart enough or motivated to do the work it will take to get it on the ballot and beyond. He does make a good mouthpiece for the local repubs led by John Z. Crispy but rest assured they are the brains and work effort behind it. The worst part is that Crafton and gang is making Nashville look narrow-minded and backwards after we have revamped our image in the past decade to be much more progressive.
Rob Robinson said,
June 25, 2008 @ 2:20 pm
The worst part is that Crafton and gang is making Nashville look narrow-minded and backwards after we have revamped our image in the past decade to be much more progressive.
You said it. That’s the last thing we need. If you’re right about Boner, it’s a shame that he let his personal life become his undoing and Nashville’s folly. At least these days that part of our history is water under the bridge.