Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘blue dogs’

Gillibrand New Day

Posted in Georgia, politics, tagged , on January 23, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Watch out now: Clinton’s Senate seat goes to Blue Dog Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand rather a Kennedy.  My political philosophy is that the major party that opens up to the center/moderates will win and govern.  At this point, it is unclear if the Blue Dogs types will flirt with the conservatives or back the Dem Team; this group can tip the scales and has serious power.  If the GOP doesn’t secure more moderates and the Blue Dog movement grows in the South, the road back might be really long.

 

I did notice that Senator Saxby Chambliss refers to the “liberal Democrats” during this recent campaign.  Was he deliberately implying that there are “non-liberal Democrats” (i.e. Blue Dogs) with whom conservatives could and should work?  The GOP members are big on loyalty and blood oaths, “I agree with the Grand Old Party 100%.”  To win in the future, they need more centrist Democrats support rather than card-carrying new GOP recruits. 

 

Obama 2012 is already salivating over bigger numbers in the West and Midwest and the Blue Dogs might help by pulling the Democrat agenda closer to the center.  Pretty soon, the South might get bluer. 

 

Get the popcorn; this is going to be good.

Read Full Post »

Senator Isakson 2010 reelection easier

Posted in politics, tagged , , , , , on November 24, 2008| 10 Comments »

The Chambliss-Martin runoff results won’t be a indictment of the Obama administration because our community is not crazy about Martin and does not have deep distain for Senator Chambliss.  My political friends and I remain puzzled by the GOP’s lack of connections with moderate Black Georgia.

 

The situation will be different when Georgia Senator Johnny Isakson runs for reelect because he has cultivated strong personal connections with the African American community for decades.  Team Isakson should be studying the current senate race and taking copious notes to keep viable Democrats from entering the 2010 race. He should follow the examples of Obama and the Blue Dog Democrats by building personal relationships with the opposite party members and leaders because people who met Isakson really find him a likeable guy. 

Isakson should add a moderate Dem or two to his field staff to quell the “Us v. Them” mentality of the past—which is easy because casework and field staffing is largely non-partisan.  

Read Full Post »

Saxby Chambliss and the Black Community

Posted in Georgia, politics, tagged , , , , , , , on November 16, 2008| 3 Comments »

The runoff election between Saxby Chambliss and Jim Martin never should have come to this in my opinion.  As I have consistently stated, Chambliss is a good senator whose primary shortcoming is failing to develop a functional relationship with the African American community in Georgia.  Members of the House of Representatives can win elects with members of their parties only or people who look like them; but, all senators are statesmen and stateswomen literally who cover the entire state.

 

When the Republican Revolution occurred, their leadership discouraged relationship building with the other party or people who voted against them.  (The opposition of the Obama transition process today.)   While many African Americans would support Chambliss based on his regional achievements and actions, the dated GOP strategy assumes our community would never support a conservative or that their methods of energizing their base would turnoff Black voters.  The “Liberal Elite Media” is reporting that Chambliss said the rush of early African-American voters during the general election energized “our side.”  I had to find the actual quote and clearly Saxby said that Republicans were motivated to vote to balance the new Democrats voters, many of whom were Black. 

 

Saxby’s “our side” should include a coalition of African American farmers, military families, small business people, moderates and other conservative of color.  The young preppies that are the campaign staffers of the GOP know little about the diversity of Black Georgia and that is a shame.  Saxby is in a great position: the opportunity to end this rough year on a winning note.  The southern GOP had better do some soul searching to explain their base because the Blue Dog Democrats have created an attractive subsection of our party for reasonable people—Obama Republicans?   

 

 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/30/us/politics/30chambliss.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

The development is not lost on Mr. Chambliss. “There has always been a rush to the polls by African-Americans early,” he said at the square in Covington, a quick stop on a bus tour as the campaign entered its final week. He predicted the crowds of early voters would motivate Republicans to turn out. “It has also got our side energized, they see what is happening,” he said.

Read Full Post »

Saxby Chambliss v. Jim Martin: GA Senate Race Overtime

Posted in Georgia, politics, tagged , , , , , , , , , on November 8, 2008| 7 Comments »

The nation focuses on the senate runoff election in Georgia between Republican Saxby Chambliss and Democrat Jim Martin.  Of course, the big question is “Will the African American community come back out to vote with Obama not being on the ballot?”  Another question is “Does President-Elect Obama have the power to persuade the Democrats to return to the polls for the runoff?”

 

The Georgia senate runoff election has various angles and factors that should be considered.  I was always an African American for Saxby—which puzzles his GOP base.  People vote for and against candidates for different reasons.  Saxby experience on agriculture, military bases and other issues of interest to Georgia is reason enough to keep growing his seniority. People vote their regional concerns and Saxby is the only member of the Georgia congressional delegation who lives in the southern part of our state.  On regional concerns, I never would have thought that Blue Dog Democrat Jim Marshall would receive 44,000 votes in Bibb County, Georgia, while not endorsing Barrack Obama or Hillary Clinton.  Basically, the people of Macon said they are with their former mayor Marshall despite his attitude about Obama.  That was big of Macon and the same can be said for Democrat Sanford Bishop pulling 69% of the vote and Republican Jack Kingston getting 66%.  Marshall, Bishop and Kingston clearly enjoy crossover appeal after years of service.

 

Jim Martin is a respectable guy but I am still troubled that the Democratic establishment convinced him to run because they did not think African American Vernon Jones was worthy.  They turned their hoses up at Jones because he voted for President Bush during the aftermath of 911. It just occurred to me that Vernon Jones would be a better runoff candidate against Saxby because Vernon has a knowledge of agriculture, is more conservative than Martin and could get the African American voters back out without riding Obama’s coattails.

 

Am I the only person in Georgia who remembers that Jim Martin voted for John Edwards and not Barrack Obama during the primary?  Speculation is high that the big guns (Obama, McCain, Palin, the Clintons) will be in our state for this runoff.  Let me say this in no uncertain terms: If you voted for Sanford Bishop or Jim Marshall, Saxby Chambliss is closer to them politically than Jim Martin.   Republicans don’t want to hear it but moderates appreciate Georgia Senators Chambliss and Isakson efforts to work across the aisle on the Farm Bill, the energy plan and other matters. 

 

Consider this: maybe the moderate and conservative African American community should gain some crossover clout by giving Saxby our support.  In return, all I want is fair debate on the issue for the new White House—the same consideration that the Blue Dogs Democrats gave President Bush.  November is going to be awkward in the peach state because Congressmen Bishop, Barrow, Marshall and maybe Scott don’t really want to campaign against their aggie friend Saxby.   Jim Marshall will be fine because President Obama will find a position for him in the administration.

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts