The World According to Oatney

Rob Huddleston for Knox County Commission

Rob Huddleston announced his candidacy yesterday for the 9th District Knox County Commission seat. It should come as no surprise to anyone that I wholeheartedly endorse Rob and I hope the Commission gives him the opportunity to serve. Rob is much like me in that he has never hidden the fact that he has political ambitions for himself. Those ambitions do not exist, however, for the sake of self-promotion, personal grandeur, or the obtaining of power for its own sake. In the relatively short time that I have known Rob, I have clearly seen that his eagerness to be in public service exists only because he desires to serve others.

I have often said of my own desire to serve that it matters very little to me what office I might hold, only that when I leave that office the people can say that they were well-served. I strongly believe that Rob Huddleston shares that philosophy. He is also a man of deep principle:


There will be no kissing of any rings, no kissing of any babies, no backroom deals or handshakes, no lobbying, or no endorsing of one warring faction over another in exchange for an appointment on to the Commission.

To do those things would most probably help my candidacy. It would also be choosing pragmatism over principle, and I have been openly critical on this website of others in politics who do the same thing. I will not be hypocritical on that front.

Rob has a quality that is sorely lacking in Tennessee politics-integrity. His vote on the Commission is not something that can be bought. He understands that in spite of the unusual circumstances that would lead him to the Commission, he is ultimately answerable to the people of the 9th District and the citizens of Knox County, and only to them.

Commissioners should also note that Rob is young, and should be able to effectively serve the people for as long as his term of office should last-he may be in public service in some capacity for many years to come. As a successful attorney, Rob already maintains the kind of higher public profile that a good Commissioner needs. It may be for these very reasons that that the Commission rejects him in favor of an inferior candidate, but that does not mean that the people of Knox County can't let their wishes be known. I urge all concerned citizens of Knox County to call their Commissioners and let it be known that you want Rob Huddleston serving on the Knox County Commission for the 9th District.

Labels: Local politics

posted by Deacon David Oatney @ 11:03 AM