Ye Old Senator Alexander
A couple of weeks ago I was scrolling through the Nashville Post and noticed a bizarre image of U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander robed in knight’s armor, fully clad with flannel shield. Amused and a bit muddled I looked closer to discover an ad for the Nashville Post’s annual St. Crispin’s Day awards.
Intrigued, I registered and last night in pearls and my most conservative of digs hit the bar at Cabana to mingle with the political elite of Tennessee. I arrived in time to shake the hand of Senator Alexander before he was whisked away to his next appearance– busy times are these with two weeks before election day.
For a little over an hour I schmoozed and rubbed elbows with political staffers and really anyone who I recognized or was willing to engage me. I slurped down my glass of pinot and enjoyed the cocktail reception. Ken Whitehouse, political reporter for the Nashville Post, wrangled the attention of the busy bodies and opened the awards, but not before Henry V’s brilliant performance of Shakespeare’s St. Crispin’s Day speech.
So what does Shakespeare have to do with TN politics? Well, on St. Crispin’s Day (a religious holiday that falls on 25 October) in 1415 English King Henry V addressed his battered forces (TN politicians) before they faced a well-armored French army (the Nashville Post and all those willing to poke a little fun at the elect). Henry’s words of encouragement boosted morale, leading his troops to victory. Some 200 years later Shakespeare recreated this address in his play, Henry V. This address became know as the St. Crispin’s Day speech.
All in good fun, the Nashville Post’s annual St. Crispin’s Day awards bid a “roasting (of) Nashville’s political leaders.” Keeping in English tradition, this year’s theme was James Bond and the comic awards that ensued followed that theme. No politico was to be spared from the roast, from the expected Rosalind Kurita and Eric Crafton (who got a boo) to TN favorites like Fred Thompson and Marsha Blackburn.
There was one honorable award, the Order of the Crispin, which is presented to “someone who, like the English at Agincourt, has fought difficult battles but is too often overlooked for the work they have done” (Whitehouse, Ken. “St. Crispin’s Day: A time to honor and dishonor.” The Nashville Post. 24 October 2008). This year’s award honored the late Ross Alderman, Nashville’s former Public Defender.
The roast lasted about twenty minutes followed by a social onslaught the likes Cabana has never seen. Squeezing through the packed crowd with barely room to move an elbow I clasped my pinot with iron grip in an effort to prevent any unfortunate meeting of red wine and Brooks Brothers.
As I made my escape I was taken by the familiar face (he’s in the paper all the time) of the man in black with a hat, John Jay Hooker. Ever the gentleman and quite the curious character I was pleased to make the acquaintance of such a (in)famous Nashville political figure. It was a fun night laughing at the expense of those who govern, making connections and brooding my way into the political culture of Nashville.
