It can’t be easy being a congressman in Georgia these days when your constituency is often divided by segments across the political spectrum. With respect to those members who find a way to successful handle this precarious situation, I don’t understand the logic of Rep. Jim Marshall ignoring his district’s support of the Democrat candidate Barrack Obama.
Of course, Rep. Marshall has a right to support or not support anyone he chooses—remember when he almost endorsed John Edwards. However, the African American community has been there for him since his days as mayor in Macon. Like Congressmen Bishop, Barrow and Scott, Marshall often makes moderate/conservative votes that reflect the moderate/conservative nature of most rural Georgians—African American and White. But, if the African American community understands those votes, Marshall should understand that this election is not just an election. Words cannot begin to describe the residual effect the Obama candidacy has in our community.
We all know that Obama would be president of all of America and that moderate Blacks are not 100% in love with all of his positions, but to go from Jim Crow to having this man as the possible president—my goodness. And for the record, if General Colin Powell ran as a Republican back when, he would have done big numbers in the African community also.
Bottomline: for all the African American votes Jim Marshall has received over the years, he should work hard for Obama’s candidacy or else. Maybe middle Georgians should put his feet to the fire a little bit and if he is so against what we believe, let’s watch him win without our bass. (pun intended)
Candidate Obama is always talking about having a civil debate next year—about disagreeing without being disagreeable. Middle Georgia should consider sending a southern Republican to Congress who will at least be as respectful to Obama as Georgia Democrat congressmen have been to President Bush.
Project Logic Ga 
I was at an Obama Acceptance Speech poolside cookout (Albany style) Thursday night or shall I say Friday morning since the celebration would not stop until the venison sausage was fully smoked. Understand, the celebration was for a African American man reaching that level of achievement and the irony is that the function was at the home of a recently departed African American surgeon who was a proud Republican. His son and guests talked about the picture the military veteran doctor displayed in his den of a meeting with then-Vice President George H.W. Bush. This inspirational doctor told us in the 80s that no one political party should have all African-Americans all of the time. Doc and my dad (fraternity brothers) would have beamed with pride watching that speech.
A good friend who is non-active duty Marine (he says there are no “ex” Marines) got into a discussion with a member of a prominent fraternity know for it’s brotherhood, community loyalty and occasional barking. Of course, Marines earned the nickname “Devil Dogs” for their ferocity of the battlefield and beachheads. My buddy tells this fraternity gentleman the story of walking into a nightspot and barking to locate any Marines in the place –Albany is a genuine Marines town. Confusion ensues and a “clash of epic proportions” was narrowly avoided when someone familiar with both groups played peacemaker.
I was on a congressional staff trip with Navy/Marine liaison (one of Senator McCain’s old jobs) back in the day and toured the Top Gun flight school, Marine Recruit Depot, and the Seal Team training facility.
Congressman Jim Marshall is in the Army Ranger Hall of Fame. An example of Ranger fortitude was the day during my high school years that was so cold that almost everything in Georgia was canceled except Ranger training at Fort Benning—legend has it that they weren’t issued field jackets either.
It takes a different kind of courage to gain membership in the fraternities and military elite groups I have mentioned here; a courage that alludes this writer.
I wish Rep. Marshall courageously attended that acceptance/policy speech that night and took copious notes to help the Democrats craft policies more palatable to moderates and conservatives. As a famous ranger, he should have employed their motto “Rangers lead the way” as “change” comes to our political leadership.
Truth be told, it’s hard to be on a team if you don’t care for their directions and views. So, why won’t Marshall do like Nathan Deal and switch to the GOP—it might have a lot to do with getting that wealth of votes from people who see “D” on the ballot and go straight down the line.
But, that is one of the only places and times you will see Marshall and Democrats together. Marshall skipped the primary debate with Democrat Robert Nowak and if you watch his 2006 campaign ads on his website he only identifies himself as a “conservative Democrat” once. Watching those old ads was a reminder of just how helpful the Blue Dogs Democrats have been and will be in steering the Democrats toward the middle.
But after skipping that historic speech, Marshall had better start mending fences with the Ds (the people not party leaders) because folks are playing attention to details this year and his “D” is starting to look like it stands for disrespect.
With Georgia up for grabs, Obama will be rallying here and I can’t wait. The last straw could be Marshall skipping again.
I have attached an interesting article about Macon’s mayor Robert Reichert’s endorsement of Obama—thanks to Peach Pundit where I first saw the article.
As the resident moderate African American democrat at Project Logic Ga, I have to say I can respect Reichert for his feelings about this unique candidacy; just like I respect the two other two contributors on this blog for their decades long commitment to conservatism (costalgirl) and independence (HBA1). Reichert has vision and heart.
Republican State Representative Scott Austin of Tifton showed the same vision and heart when he took hits for his state flag vote.
So the current mayor of Macon says about the congressman from Macon (who was a respected Macon mayor), “Marshall is very sensitive to not try to alienate any of his Republican support.”
Is Marshall concerned about alienating his African American support? Senator Obama could have really used a white male congressman’s support during that primary battle and Senator Clinton supporters must be thinking the same thing.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/08/13/obamas_boomer_strength.html?hpid=topnews
Have mercy, the Dem Team in Georgia should wake up and smell the coffee: you can’t vote for a Democrat in the 8th congressional district race this year. The choice is between Rick Goddard, a McCain Republican, or Jim Marshall, a Bush Dino (Democrat in name only.)
Latest proof: Marshall has the endorsement of the NRA. Forget about hunting, my family has always supported gun owners’ right for home security reasons and gun ownership is need because the police can’t be everywhere all the time.
Senator Biden crafted the comprehensive Crime Bill in the 90s that included the assault weapons ban because that is too much firepower for private use.
Anyway, I am starting to see the signs of a switcher and Jim Marshall must be looking pretty good to the GOP. The plan must be: Marshall sleeps on Obama/Biden and the whole Dem ballot, he wins with all of those African American votes, and he switches to the GOP Team where he is more comfortable. Finally, he grins.
As a moderate, I am voting for Sanford Bishop but if I lived three miles east of here in the 8th District, I could not support someone like Marshall who openly disrespects positive change.
If Marhsall was so quick to support Bush policies that McCain now says could have been better but Marshall can bring himself to publicly dialog with Obama and the Dems, he deserves shunning from real Dems.