Wilder's legacy . . . aw gee

I was sad to learn of Lt. Gov. John Wilder's passing yesterday, and in various tributes to Lt. Gov. John Wilder ("Humphrey on the Hill" | knoxnews.com) it was interesting to note the several references to "the Tennessee Plan" for choosing appellate judges in our state. Tom Humphrey has assembled some charming eulogistic statements.

Roy Herron asserted in his tribute:

[Wilder] was deeply committed to the rule of law, bipartisanship, racial equality and fiscal conservatism. We will not see his likes again.

Sorry, I do not doubt that Wilder desired to serve what he perceived to be the best interest of Tennesseans, but the establishment of a process that ignored "judges shall be elected" was grossly inconsistent with "rule of law." In any event, RIP, Lt. Gov. Wilder.