Project Logic Ga

In rural politics and public policy, we function differently than urban areas.  While state and national political parties exist, local and regional interests create unlikely alliances and that’s fine.

Background

Political history in southwest Georgia could serve as a background research area for the rural South. Coming out of Jim Crow, recent segregationists were Dixiecrats in the Democrat Party with Blacks and Labor Union members nationally.  This awkwardness ended with the exodus of Southern Whites to the Republican Party.  In his book A National Party No More, Governor/U.S. Senator Zell Miller wrote that the Democrat Party winning big elections required flexibility in national parties.  You give a little and you get a little. 

The Big Tent or Big Umbrella political party concept got tossed out of the window and was replaced by litmus/purity on policy tests.  But, regular voters often like public servants who had served previously with secondary consideration for party drama and loyalty. Georgia U.S. Senator Sam Nunn took care of our military bases, veterans and agriculture while serving as one of the last White congressional Democrats from the South.

Successful Strategy

When Republican U.S. Representative Saxby Chambliss prepared to run for U.S. Senate, Georgia GOP Chairman Ralph Reed cooked up an ingenious strategy.  Normally, the Dems and the GOP want candidates in every congressional and state legislative contests. The logic is that those down ballot contests are building blocks for statewide or presidential races.  But the crafty brain of young Reed realized Rep. John Lewis, Rep. Sanford Bishop and other Democrats could not be defeated in districts that both parties helped design.  If you can’t beat these Democrats, the smart move would be leaving them, their sizable, big dollar war chests and proven voter turnout machines out of the battle. Much to my chagrin, the strategy worked because some of the affection for Lewis and Bishop was personal or racial rather than political party-based.  Basically, some Democrat voters didn’t vote at all because these members were not challenged.

Senator Sam Nunn, Rep. Lewis and Rep. Bishop’s support with secondary consideration for political party is similar to rural Democrats who often voted for Senator Johnny Isakson and Senator Saxby Chambliss.  All of these leaders aren’t generally angry or conniving in their natures in my opinion. 

U.S. Senators might disagree but traditionally they discuss issues and policies with their colleagues with comity.  Comity means a state of civility or courtesy between people, organizations, and nations. It’s a hoped-for mutual respect and friendliness, although too infrequently the case in politics and business.  

For sake of full disclosure, Senator Chambliss was super nice to me on a Farm Bill tour stop in Taylor County when I was a congressional staffer and I still appreciate his comity. He said, “watch this” then gave a textbook speech about national parties fighting on Capitol Hill but how the Georgia delegation will always work together on agriculture, military, veterans, transportation and other regional issues. 

In 2011, Senator Chambliss joined the bipartisan Gang of Six with other Senators to address the national debt.  The new increasingly angry “my way of the highway” extreme segment of the Republican Party was not pleased.  Of course, the growing Progressive segment of the Democrat Party was unhappy with Senators Warner, Durbin and Conrad as well.  In 2014, Chambliss did not seek reelection and I think the bitter climate in Congress was a factor.

Concept: Winning important elections requires flexibility in a candidate’s support.  Does your political party afford you the range of support from old friends in the other party without jeopardizing the most loyalty-driven segments of your party?

A classic adage says “There are no permanent enemies, and no permanent friends, only permanent interests.”  But, what you can’t do is be my friend in the morning and trash my whole team as evil in the afternoon.  How short is your memory?  Being part of a team must mean you come in swinging when a team member is in a fight.  You don’t ask the “particulars” like was my team member wrong.

This “swing first” mentality is related to Machiavelli’s “The ends justify the means.”  Personally, I refuse to participate in the demonization of all Conservatives.  Many of the principals of conservatism are similar to the Black community’s roots in doing for self and not depending on the government.  However, resorting to misinformation by anyone in the political arena for power gain is despicable.

Loyalty in War

Big elections are national or statewide wars.  But, the local and regional battles feel like Civil Wars because they involve personal friends and former colleagues. How many officers on both sides of the American Civil War were classmates at West Point? Again, what happens when your team or party goes to battle for a questionable cause. General Robert E. Lee was the most important military man in America before the Civil War and President Lincoln immediately offered him command of the Union Army.  While Lee was a hero during the Mexican American War, a commander at the John Brown raid at Harper’s Ferry and former superintendent of West Point, he could not take up arms against his beloved Virginia. Are you more a member of your race, faith, Georgian or American?  Do you “ride with your team” like General Robert E. Lee?  

The hip hop culture example of this loyalty to me is the scene in the movie Boyz In The Hood when Tre (Cuba Gooding Jr.) told Doughboy (Ice Cube) to let him out of the car heading for a revenge shooting.  He didn’t jeopardize Morehouse College and a professional career by committing a gun crime.  In real life, many NBA and NFL players from rough areas received “passes” from local thugs during high school who acknowledged that they were doing something positive that deserved encouragement.

My point is that the rough extremes in both political parties should give “passes” to their candidates who are supported by everyone across the board.

Great Places: Above the Fray

During the Civil Rights Movement, Atlanta’s business community and local Blacks worked together to grow the city into an international trade center while other cities struggled with unrest. From Atlanta Mayor Ivan Allen, Jr. hosting a dinner honoring Dr. Martin Luther King for receiving the Nobel Peace Prize to a string of Black mayors in the 1970s, Atlanta was about making money over fighting old battles.  In south Georgia, Thomasville and Tifton have earned reputations of working together on local and regional interests across traditional lines. Honestly, a history of constant bickering and racial drama jeopardizes attracting national companies with a diversity and inclusion mentality. 

Kibosh: The dictionary defines kibosh as: To put an end to; squelch; check.   

Strategy

Before the 2022 election year filing deadline, shall we work together to put “the kibosh” on opponents for southwest Georgia candidates who have worked on regional issues together, displayed a certain amount of comity and will likely win anyway.  The logic is why involved them in state and national political battles if not necessary. The time and energy they would spend fundraising and campaigning would be better spent focusing on issues and seeking solutions.  

Money: In the political arena/campaign cottage industry, those who make money from campaigns (wag the dog) wouldn’t be pleased with candidates not needing their services.  However, the millions that the governor’s and Senate races will put on the table more than make up for removing a few officers from certain battles and those officers will still be deeply involved in the other contests on the ballot.  In short, shall we be smart and diversify our political portfolio by acknowledging the usefulness of certain elected officials?

State Rep. CaMia Jackson of Albany recently asked that her campaign fundraising be directed to the Boys and Girls Club because their vehicles were vandalized. Her consideration deserves a nod from either political party and a review of other members of the General Assembly from the area could produce a “Kibosh” list because those lawmakers are beneficial to the region.  And if campaign consultants and fundraisers need to work, they can fund and engineer this effort publicly or behind the scenes.   

Timing

Before candidates get the bright idea of running, we should tactfully help them have the best information about the strong support of certain current officeholders. On a related note, candidates seeking to “primary” those officeholders should have smart reconnaissance as well.