http://www.tiftongazette.com/local/local_story_027143054.html
GOP Georgia State Rep. Austin Scott of Tifton is running for Governor. This news is interesting because Scott is famous for siding with Democrat Governor Roy Barnes to change the Georgia flag. Without getting into a debate about the Stars and Bars, Scott displayed a heaping amount of intestinal fortitude for his history of bridge-building rather than traditional rural rock throwing.
In the Tifton Gazette article, Scott outlined an innovative fundraising plan to raise $100 from 100 people in each of Georgia’s 159 counties—the people in a dozen counties can’t afford to pay attention, so good luck there. But, the plan sounds somewhat Obama-like and I have been writing that the GOP needs to shake things up with some young blood and fresh ideas.
To be honest, I wish Scott would challenge Rep. Jim Marshall for his congressional seat because Obama needs constructive conservatives in D.C. and I am still ticked-off that Marshall was never in candidate Obama’s corner. What should the Black community do if we realize that the Democrat candidates for governor cannot win in this Red State (like no Dem will beat Senator Isakson, so save your campaign money and consider it a stimulus check from me.)
The logical action would be focusing on the GOP primary—where the governor will be selected- and supporting the most appealing candidate. But, then again, that would be too much like right.
Project Logic Ga 
http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/freshloaf/2009/01/27/rep-austin-scott-to-go-for-guv/
Wow, the hip, cool cats at Fresh Loaf in Atlanta said some interesting things about Austin Scott. As a moderate Democrat, I think this candidate would fit best into the direction that Michael Steele wants to take (drag) the GOP.
Dems, hear me, if President Obama could not win Georgia, the next GA gov will be GOP.
At this early point, Scott is the GOP candidate with the most level head. Can a level head guy make it out of the GOP primary?
GOP Georgia state representative Austin Scott should reconsider his run for governor and beat that Blue Dog who never supported Obama.
How does Marshall vote for liberal Nancy Pelosi for speaker but never said he voted for less-liberal Obama for president?
Someone needs to ask Marshall if he voted for McCain/Palin.
If Scott ran against Marshall, I’d be back out there walking door to door again.
And Scott has a healthy facebook group so they should take a strong look at early indictors and make a wise decision. But, then again who would have thought McCain and Obama would be the last standing.
As I have written here before, the best candidate for a general election might not be the person liked by the primary voters. I see Cagle coming out of the primary on top because he is most similar of Georgia GOP voters. However, Handel could do well with moderate women eager to have their “Obama-history” moment but women this time. (That includes men who think a female perspective would be nice.) Scott could really, really do well with the young moderate crowd in both parties because he has good energy and is more personable than other leaders. But, we will never know because Scott can’t get pass Cagle, Handel and Oxendine.
Please, please, please, someone pull Scott on the side and tell him about Lewis Massey. If you are thinking “who?” then I have proven my point; Massey was a bright Georgia political star who stepped up a little early. But, I can see Scott locking Tifton and connecting with the Houston County crowd and finally dividing Macon. That flag vote would fly well with Black Macon—dude has moxie. And once he hit the Congress, they will eat him up on that young new GOP style.
i am for Austin Scott for Governor of Georgia. Karen Handle and Casey Cagle donot even have college educations and i think casey has some other issues he needs to work on!!! if Karen Handle would slow down and do the jobs we have elected her to do maybe in a few years but not now she job hops to much!!! and she would hire Sonny boys bullies back on staff and we dont need them!!! i heard one of those mean ladies is moving to another agency that is good she is not Governor office material she needs to work in a road stop bar!!!! so what i am trying to say is we need new blood in that office not the same old Sonny people we have had for the last 8 years so go Austin Scott!!!!
Marie: Thanks for commenting on the Austin Scott for governor issue. I had better be cool because Scott’s father is operating on my mom’s knee next week; he is a good doctor.
http://www.peachpundit.com/2009/01/12/on-college-degrees/
The granddaddy of Georgia political blogs Peach Pundit had an interesting discussion about this a few months ago. Handel and Cagle did not finish undergrad degrees but the have tons of life experience and the voters without degrees might rally behind that.
You make a good point because running Georgia is more challenging than running most of nations in the world except a few dozens. Of course, we will hear about the successful people who dropped out of college (Ted Turner, Bill Gates) and the PHDs on skiprow.
Georgians like homespun politicians (i.e. Governor Palin, Joe Frank Harris, Zell Miller) so this debate will be delicate. But, I agree with you that Austin Scott would be a good governor if he could survive the millions of dollars that the others in the GOP primary will put on the table.
On the other hand, if the poll numbers don’t look good, Scott could go Congress in the 8th Congressional district by beating Jim Marshall.
What a wild scenario, Scott runs against Marshall, which pushes Marshall into the governor’s race. Scott walks into Congress.
i only have a ged and i know the importance of a college education to hold such a job. just because we are not educated does not mean we would stand behind a wife cheater and a lady who cant stay put on one job very long at a time.
And another note Karen Handel would keep all Sonny people and they are rude children. and i mean children that is all he hires.
that mean woman is the chief of staff girl she is a trouble maker. i was a intern there and she stayed in everyone business but her own.get all of them out of there and the governors office might be o.k. again they will make you sick catering to that trashy lady she is bad news. so if you want to intern there wait until Scott is governor.and dont go to the mansion to intern either her friend is out there bad bad news people.vote for Austin Scott and help get rid of these low lifes.
Well, I generally reserve judgment on people I have never met and I actually haven’t met any candidates for governor. I still thinking Austin Scott would be a shoe-in for congress against Jim Marshall and the GOP primary is going to take 3 to 5 million dollars for each candidate.
We have seen this before on the D and R sides; a crowd of quality candidates in one primary when a good regional battle for congress was the place for some of them. After Jim Marshall votes against a few Obama initiatives, Moveon.org is going to put him on full blast so the solid base in Bibb County will be weak.
Would someone please take Austin Scott to Sonny’s (the barbeque spot not the governor’s mansion) on Highway 82 in Tifton and tell him that the governor’s field is too talented rich and that running against Jim Marshall is the thing to do.
I know conservatives like Marshall for his slightly right position but at the end of the day, he still votes for Pelosi for speaker and never supported Obama/Biden.
I am telling you guys that Scott can get the numbers in Tift and Houston Counties to counterbalance Marshall’s Bibb County numbers. And at some point, Black Macon is going to recognize is slighting of Obama last year.
Would someone please take Austin Scott to Sonny’s (the barbeque spot not the governor’s mansion) on Highway 82 in Tifton and tell him that the governor’s field is too talented rich and that running against Jim Marshall is the thing to do.
I know conservatives like Marshall for his slightly right position but at the end of the day, he still votes for Pelosi for speaker and never supported Obama/Biden.
I am telling you guys that Scott can get the numbers in Tift and Houston Counties to counterbalance Marshall’s Bibb County numbers. And at some point, Black Macon is going to recognize the slighting of Obama last year.
I cannot imaging anyone who is soft toward Obama gaining the governor’s office after what we have seen so far. Our only hope is to find leadership that knows how to balance a budget, who knows that you cannot spare people from pain when they have spent beyond their means, and knows that compassion is not socialism – it is individual people giving a personal helping hand to their neighbor. The current agenda will create more hate and class struggle and take us backwards not forwards. Government is always hungry for power and money and can never be trusted to take care of us – because government is us.
If Congressman Nathan Deal from North Georgia gets into the governor’s race soon, the field would be too crowded for Austin Scott to win the primary with those flaggers still bitter and Eric Johnson brings a lot of swagger to the field also…real talk.
Think about it; Scott showed courage with the flag issue that Marshall did not show when he avoided Hillary and Obama last year.
Newt, Saxby and Isakson should pull Scott to the side and quietly recommend a congressional race against Marshall. That is where Scott could be of greatest service to the state and nation rather than losing in a bloody primary battle.
Man, I must be get slow in my old age. I just figured out why the GOP won’t sweet talk Austin Scott into running against Jim Marshall for congress.
Marshall might jump into the govenor race and could actually win. Getting out of that GOP primary will be hard but Scott was solid in his Albany Hearld story recently.
http://www.albanyherald.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=1873&SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&S=1
Boy there are Austin Scott signs all the way down 19-41 from Griffin to Barnesville Earle Shivers must be on it with his ladies those women will go to the coast for Mr.Shivers if he ask them to do so! he leaves his mark where ever he goes he never meets a stranger and he will give it his best and i am sure his best to put Austin Scott in the Governors office! I went to a party at his home the sugar shack in Griffin for Casey Cagle I wonder if he is backing him for Lt. Governor?? HIS BUCKHEAD WOMEN WILL WRITE THE CHECKS I have seen that go on with Mr. Shivers he can get$$$ out of people when he needs the cash and I am sure he is getting cash for Austin Scott. I think he is also a huge Roy Barnes fan I am almost certian of that he does like his former Governors and keeps close to all of them!!
Trent: I actually think Scott would have been a good governor and might still be one some day but the prevailing current conditions has other candidates with the GOP bigwigs behind them. The people (primary voters) select a party’s nominee and the polls don’t look good.
If it is any solace for Scott for governor supporters, he would have done exceptionally well with young people across the state in a general election—that includes Democrats and moderates—but the bear is getting out of the GOP primary when previous statewide winners are locking up the big backers.
It’s like Lewis Massey on the Dem side: young talent goes for the big ticket a little early, doesn’t win and a bright political future is over. But, if he puts in some time in congress, Scott would have a knowledge of the federal government to match his understanding of state government and the private sector. Of course, many lawmakers are reluctant to commuter between Georgia and D.C. if they have school-age children. I can respect that.
Slyram i respect what you are saying but he will be our next governor!!!
Trent: if that is the case, Georgia will be a better place because the GOP primary would have produced a candidate who is bright and full of new ideas rather than the handpick choice of the political powers.
why is that man walking around Georgia hello is that not the most retarded thing!!!!
well atleast he is healthy enough Sonny or Karen lazt butts never have walked down my dirt road but he did
you can have him and Sonny and Karen both they are ALL DEAD BEATS and by the way you spelled LAZY wrong
Karen Handel is lazy she cant make up her mind what job she would like to serve in Georgia! Sonny and his children have wrecked our state and i wonder even if he is ever in his office Karen Handel is never in her office working. I am for Austin Scott he has proved to me he cares about Georgia!
Wow…wait a minute…I turn my head for a few days and all Hades jumps off. Around July 4, I decide to stop prodding, convincing or cajoling people to run for office but before I was really interested in Scott running for congress but people know what is best for them and Scott is running for governor (I never met Scott …come to think about it, I never met any of the candidates for governor on both sides other than working in the Georgia congressional delegation with Nathan Deal who was a Blue Dog Democrat at the time…and good Blue Dog at that)
What’s the difference between a Blue Dog Democrat and a congressional Republican? Speedstick…..lol But, they are often similar.
As a Democrat who should likely keep his nose in the middle and out of the Right’s business, I will refrain from saying much about the Red primary for governor but I like the idea of any candidate taking it to the people first rather than starting with the D or R Buckhead or Washington elite. I liked Ray McKinney’s grassroot walk in the 12th congressional district…oh my goodness, a GOP candidate sitting and listening to Black people…what will people say….did they try and turn him liberal. What Ray learned (actually, already ready knew) is that my Black Georgia is rather moderate or conservative.
Anyway, I like candidates of any party taking the time to hit the road rather than total media blitz….It should be about listening more than speaking. People like leaders who listen.
Mark my word and check the date of this post.