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Power Poll to Mayor Cooper: B- or C+
Also: The notion of Megan Barry running for mayor really isn't that far-fetched

Nashville Power Poll members are giving Mayor John Cooper some mediocre grades. Depending on how you look at it, he comes out with a B- or C+. Passable. But nothing to write home about.
Meanwhile, former Mayor Megan Barry, who as we all know left office in a cloud of chaos three years ago, is seen by about half of Power Poll as having no political future. That said, a strong 37% said she does have a future. And the remainder (13%) say they “don’t know.” Essentially, if our former mayor were able to do a little convincing of the “don’t knows,” she will have achieved pretty solid political rehab.
Presenting sponsor
BlueCross, ETSU Launching BlueSky Tennessee Institute
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee has partnered with East Tennessee State University (ETSU) to create BlueSky Tennessee Institute.
BlueSky Institute allows students to earn a bachelor’s degree and a technology job offer – in just two years.
BlueSky Institute’s accelerated bachelor’s degree will provide a new pathway into one of the fastest-growing careers in the nation. The program will help develop much-needed technology talent for BlueCross – and prepare the next generation of technology leaders.
“In developing BlueSky Institute, we sought out a program partner that recognized the high demand for technology jobs in Tennessee and shared our vision to meet that need with a new approach,” said JD Hickey, M.D., president and CEO of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. “We’re excited to collaborate with ETSU to develop tech talent together, right here in our home state.”
ETSU will deploy its ABET-accredited B.S. in Computing with a concentration in Information Systems in an accelerated format to serve as the foundation for BlueSky Institute’s curriculum. ABET is the premier global accreditor for computing programs, and ETSU’s program offers coursework in high-demand fields such as cybersecurity, cloud computing, wireless computing, data analytics, healthcare information systems, and more.
Tennessee has roughly 4,100 technology job postings per year and only 1,000 qualified graduates to fill them.
BlueCross is facing the same challenge, typically having more open cybersecurity and coding jobs than it can fill with local talent. As a Tennessee-based organization committed to the state’s overall wellbeing, the company recognized the opportunity to help prepare more people in its own communities for these rewarding career paths.
“The work of serving BlueCross members has become increasingly technology-driven,” Hickey added. “With BlueSky Institute, we can meet a critical business need while expanding opportunities for students in our community.”
BlueSky Institute will offer eligible high school graduates the chance to:
- Earn a bachelor’s degree in Computing from ETSU in just over two years
- Gain real-world experience by learning and working as an intern at BlueCross – a mission-driven company focused on improving the health of 3.4 million members in Tennessee and beyond
- Create a portfolio of projects while earning their degree
- Secure a rewarding job offer at BlueCross after successfully completing the program
ETSU BlueSky Institute students will complete their coursework on the BlueCross campus in downtown Chattanooga, becoming part of the company’s diverse and inclusive workplace community. This education site is pending approval of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
Student Recruitment Will Focus on High-Priority Schools in Hamilton County
The inaugural BlueSky Institute class will begin in the summer of 2022 with around 15-20 students. BlueCross and ETSU are placing a special focus on identifying and recruiting high-potential students from Hamilton County who may have not have equal opportunities.
“Our students will get personal support every step of the way, including mentorship from BlueCross employees,” said Scott Wilson, vice president of corporate communications and community relations, who helped spearhead the initiative. “We’re committed to making it easy for BlueSky Institute students to focus on their futures.”
BlueSky Institute will be led by Brad Leon, an education expert who most recently served as chief of strategy and performance management for Shelby County Schools. Leon brings more than a decade of successful innovation to the role, with experience in blended digital/online and teacher-driven instruction as well as leading effective improvement efforts at some of Tennessee’s most-challenged schools.
BlueCross and its foundation have a shared commitment to supporting local education. Starting in 2018, the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Foundation has gifted $500,000 to fund the BlueCross Technology Academies at Red Bank High School and Soddy Daisy High School. The programs pair classroom learning with professional mentors to prepare students for technology careers.
More about BlueSky Tennessee Institute
Brad Leon Outlines What BlueSky Institute Offers Students (video)
Finally, Power Poll asked members about the possibility of Republicans dividing up Nashville's congressional district in upcoming congressional reapportionment. After the census, the state Legislature, which is dominated by Republicans, will redraw what is mostly a Nashville district, one dominated by Democrats. Power Poll members were all over the map, with almost equal numbers saying Republicans would, or would not, divide up the district to weaken the likelihood that we remain a Democratic district. Nearly three in 10 respondents felt they couldn’t predict what Republicans would do.
Here are the specific questions and numerical responses to this month’s Power Poll:
Let’s grade Nashville Mayor John Cooper’s job performance since assuming office in September 2019. What grade would you give him?
A: 17.4%
B: 34.8%
C: 30.2%
D: 12.3%
F: 3.5%
Don’t know: 1.9%
Our low-profile former mayor, Megan Barry, briefly made news last week as her theft charges were expunged from all court records. Do you think Barry could have a successful political future ahead of her at some point in time?
Yes: 36.6%
No: 49.5%
Don’t know: 13.9%
Put on your prediction hat. The Republicans in the state Legislature will, in the not-too-distant future, redraw Tennessee’s congressional districts. District lines will be based on the 2020 Census results. It is possible that Republicans could carve up Nashville’s mostly Democratic 5th congressional district into multiple pieces, merge them into heavily Republican districts surrounding us, send Democrat Jim Cooper into oblivion, and cause Tennessee to lose a Democratic seat in Tennessee. Will this ultimately happen?
Yes: 35.8%
No: 36.1%
Don’t know: 28.1%
As we all know, the Power Poll is not a scientific poll. At Power Poll, we gather together the influential, powerful, significant players here and then we ask them questions. We do that once a month. Power Poll members also post comments about the question being asked and elaborate on their positions. The answers to the survey and the subsequent dialogue are often instructive and helpful to those who seek to advance the city forward. Power Poll is non-partisan.
A total of 697 Power Poll members were sent the survey and 367 (or 52.65%) responded. All voting is anonymous. To look at the member list, click here.
CONTEXT
COVID, the tornado, bad financial numbers, a Christmas-day bombing—any one of those would be tough for a city's mayor to handle, but Cooper has had all of this, and more, on his plate. It's been his job to lead us through it.
To be blunt, Power Poll members give him only slightly-above-average grades. A couple of thoughts here:
1. Normally, when mayors are handed tough stuff, the Power Poll crowd rallies around them. People give their leader a pass, or offer to help. (Think Karl Dean and the flood. Hell, we made him Noah.) In this case, nobody is giving Cooper a pass.
2. Cooper really doesn't have a lot of friends to buck him up. He was elected as the lone wolf, the back-benching naysayer, the man who could find the hole in the donut. In Council, many thought of him as the resident obstructionist. And now, when he needs a group of close allies to fall back on, there is none.
3. His massive property-tax increase has made him no friends, in part because while we probably needed some revenue enhancements, he was the guy who for years said we didn't. People don't like that.
4. The stories that have spilled forth from the Metro Courthouse over the last two years related to the mayor's outbursts, both at staff and members of the public, have further isolated him and made him persona non grata.
5. At a time of social isolation and separation brought about by COVID, the features we most yearn for in a public figure—warmth, humanity, community, understanding, empathy—are not what one finds in Cooper.
Is he politically vulnerable? That brings us to...
THE MEGAN BARRY FACTOR
I hollered at Megan to let her know I wanted to ask her about her Power Poll numbers.
Having entered into a conditional plea to a felony theft charge that has now been expunged, and having had a scandalous affair with her personal bodyguard before she resigned from office, I thought her Power Poll numbers were pretty strong.
Megan had prepared a statement with regard to the Power Poll, which reads as follows:
"I don't really know if I'll run for office again and I don't think it matters if I have a future in elected office. What matters is if the issues I care about have a place in future elections with future candidates. Those issues haven't changed. They have only become more stark in their necessity: social justice, equality, access to housing, education, transportation, jobs and the out-of-control substance use crisis, just to name a few. And if I do run again, I'll look forward to convincing those folks who don't believe I have a future to vote for me. After all, that's what I've done every time I've run."
She doesn't rule it in.
She doesn't rule it out.
Doesn't take a genius to go out on a limb here and conclude that of course she would be looking at running for something. That's how these political actors operate. And with the city fathers and mothers having put Cooper in what amounts to a civic time-out, it's only natural that she would be monitoring the next mayor's race as it develops. (It's not until 2023.)
I'm into this story.
She would have real problems raising money for a race. But she also had the same problem in 2015, raising under $1 million before laying waste to the likes of Bill Freeman, Charles Robert Bone, and others who were shelling out millions. In any future race, she would have trouble raising money once again. But it may not matter. She's got precedent here for taking the small-donor, grassrootsy path.
One political type described her to me recently this way: "She'd be the warm blanket we're all looking for." There's her gregariousness, her warmth, and the je ne said quoi that a woman brings to a political office. These play in her favor, particularly when you consider the personality profile of the incumbent.
Consider also: She's still got a lot of people who think she did some very bad things, both on the left and right, and she'd have work to do.
We all crave stories of redemption and resurrection. Political comebacks are page-turners. Everyone should be watching Megan closely. She is 57. Clock is ticking. She knows that.
MEANWHILE, JIM COOPER AND THE 5TH DISTRICT
Here's the nightmare scenario for Nashville Democrats, and pretty much the city:
The Census figures come back. The Republicans in the Legislature open them up and then set about redrawing all of the congressional district lines, just like they're supposed to every decade. They then take Nashville, divide it up into fourths, and place each quarter slice into a nearby Republican district. The districts absorbing all those Democrats are able to still stay majority Republican. The math works. Thus, a Democratic seat in Congress gets eliminated. Democrats cry, Republicans rejoice.
Will this happen?
Power Poll members don't know. It's roughly one-third saying yes, one-third saying no, and one-third saying they don't know.
As for what I think? I think that if you're a Republican congressman, you really don't want any more Democrats moving into your district. Yeah, maybe your district is now 75% Republican, 25% Democrat, but why would you want the hassle that comes with becoming 55% Republican, 45% Democrat. You want your seat to be safe. You like job security.
I'd also venture to say that if Republicans in the Legislature do this, there would be quite a bit of stink. It'd be pretty outrageous, even by the standards of the Legislature.
My Opinion: 5th District remains as is.
About Power Poll: Power Poll asks questions of the most powerful, influential people in U.S. cities. It is not a scientific survey. But because the people responding to the surveys comprise the leadership structure of their cities, the results afford a fascinating glimpse into the thoughts, opinions, and beliefs of those in a position to make change. Power Poll is distinctly nonpartisan.
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