Saturday Morning, Small-Town South, August 7 2010

OS is weary, and so happy to be looking across his coffee cup at the sainted Mrs. OS, who has decided to tolerate him one more day, bless her.

OS knows a local newspaper writer, working for one of the county-seat papers. His county's experience paralleled ours. He reports that people are disgusted, and that they aimed their displeasure at the incumbents, many of whom have sat on their collective tooshies while their counties unwound around them. It may be a harbinger for November. In any case, OS breathes a bit easier in his county, with a new sheriff elected, replacing the one who more resembled the old Dixie model of a criminal with his own badge and police cruiser.

Over coffee, OS ran across this.

It's a thoughtful discussion of why the true unemployment rate may well be north of 20%, instead of south of 10%. Those figures actually correspond with OS's instincts and daily experience. The problem of the 'uncounted unemployed' has been with us a long-long time, and we may have reached an inflection point, where it is impossible to ignore.

OS, for his part, although far from rich, is so very grateful for the life he has been given. His spending habits, due to repair of flood damage from May, and necessary house and car repairs, have amounted to a one-man stimulus package for the local economy...

Incumbency Was A Disadvantage In Tonight's Elections, Part Deux

OS woke up to the early news on the local stations, to check the weather for today's long drive north.

Eight county mayoral seats in the middle counties of Tennessee turned over. Incumbents were booted. In Tennessee, many of these folks serve for decades, transforming each county into a personal plantation.

In the governor's GOP primary race, Zach Wamp, Congressman from Chattanooga, enjoying the support of much of the Religious Right, lost by a wiiiiide margin after almost two years of campaigning. Voters remembered that he voted for TARP, after he was swamped by his constituents begging him to vote against it. That sort of stuff comes back to haunt. People have memories, after all, and waited for the opportunity to register their displeasure.

Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, a GOP institution in the legislature, came in a distant third. OS met Mr. Ramsey a few weeks ago as he came through town politikin'. He was, well, creepy, not anyone who should be allowed to actually run anything large.

Bill Haslam, mayor of Knoxville, who actually has successfully managed budgets, won the GOP primary. In his case, the public experience worked in his favor.

OS thinks the serfs may be irritated, that the natives may be getting restless.

Here's hoping.