Congratulations to Robert Duvall for winning the Scene Poll

The Nashville Scene has come out with their "People and Places Reader's poll, Best of Nashville 2012" issue. Along with  categories "BEST THING THAT'S CHANGED IN NASHVILLE IN THE LAST YEAR," which the Scene poll participants said was Nordstrom, (a place I have only been in once and a place I can't afford to shop) and BEST PET WALKER/SITTER' which the Scene poll participants said was Beth Joslin (whoever that is and if I had pet to walk I would walk it myself) is the categories "BEST METRO COUNCIL MEMBER" and "BEST METRO COUNCIL MEMBER YOU'D LIKE TO SEE GONE."

The results are not surprising really. I have in my mind a profile of the readers of the Scene and can predict their opinions. Well, not all of their readers of course. I read it myself, but I read a broad spectrum of stuff. I mostly read the Scene for the listings of art openings, and music performances and to see what good liberals are thinking.

My image of the average Scene reader is a higher than average income, white, pony-tailed, Birkenstock-wearing, latte-grande-sipping, avant-garde-art-loving, pretentious and condescending liberal. He has a dog but pays someone else to walk it. He is someone who sends his children to the best private schools but opposes charter schools and school vouchers. He is an avowed environmentalist and advocates cap and trade, yet has a big carbon foot-print due to owning a big house, a big dog and frequent trips by plane. He thinks society should do more for the downtrodden, but other than buying an occasional newspaper from the homeless guy, never gives anything to charity except when he contributes to WPLN and gets his free WPLN tote bag which he always carries with him to go grocery shopping at Whole Foods.

I have no idea how many people voted in the Scene's poll. They don't tell you. I didn't. I imagine few casual reader like me voted in it but mostly loyal readers who fit the profile I have imagined. Anyway, here are the results: 

BEST METRO COUNCIL MEMBER 

• Megan Barry 
• Jason Holleman 
• Peter Westerholm 

BEST METRO COUNCIL MEMBER YOU'D LIKE TO SEE GONE 

• Robert Duvall 
• Tony Tenpenny 
• Eric Crafton 

If I would have voted in this poll some of the names could have stayed the same, just switch the categories.

You can see that the voters in the Scene poll have opinions but they are not very informed opinions. Eric has been out of the Council for some time now. Despite being gone already, the voters of the Scene poll list Eric as one they would like to see gone.

Upon learning of being the number one "Best Metro Council Member you'd like to see gone" by voters in the Scene poll, Robert Duvall posted the following on his facebook page.

 I don’t read the Nashville Scene. So I didn’t know, until a fellow Councilmember called me today, that I have been named the “Best Councilmember You’d Like to See Gone.” 

 I had a bit of laugh at that for this reason. When you stand up for the people of your district and go against the wishes of the Belmont Boulevard crowd, you don’t win many points with Nashville’s elite politicians or media.

The wishes and well being of the people in my district come first. Always have. Always will. When the numbers don’t add up on huge new projects, no matter how shinny and exciting they may be, I will ask how we intend to pay for it without adding to the burden of the taxpayers. When my constituents ask me to oppose a property tax increase in a down economy, I will oppose it. When the opinion of my district is different than politicians and media, well, sorry guys. My district wins.

That is how I have conducted myself as a Councilman. It hasn’t won me friends among the cocktail crowd. But they don’t matter. What matters are good jobs and new opportunities for OUR part of Nashville. I have fought for that on the council and will fight for that in the State House. 

I congratulate Robert Duvall on his distinction on being disliked by the Scene poll participants. Sometimes you can know a person by the enemies they make.  

Top Stories