Jon Huntsman’s candidacy helps the political arena because he serves as foil to the other GOPers in the race for the White House. If I remember correctly from junior high lit class, foil is a character who contrasts with another character to highlight features of that character’s personality…i.e. Dr. Watson to Sherlock Holmes…Morris Day to Prince….Dirk to LeBron.
Huntsman, President Obama’s former ambassador to China, is smart and level-headed has little chance of coming out of the GOP primary. Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels or Huntman could secure a sizeable part of the Center voting bloc but my friends on the far Right don’t want to vote for anyone who the Middle find acceptable.
To be honest, cool Huntsman puts me in the mind of Barrack Obama–they might be cousins. If President Obama wins reelection, the GOP should know that they could have had a reasonable, non-pissed candidate that centrists could have supported but they looked elsewhere. Many Democrats thought it was Hillary’s turn and that she was the type tough leader that the nation needed but we knew that the Clinton legacy was a two-edged sword that might motivate some to support the GOP nominee. Senator Ted Kennedy often said a half a loaf is better than no loaf. Well, some folks want the whole loaf or nothing. Huntsman’s demeanor on the debate stage is welcome by some Democrats and if he happens to win the White House, the nation could have done worst.
I am here to tell you…mark my word: the conservative movement is about to out hustle the left and the middle again. My friends can’t stop giving me a hard time about being on the local news for attending a meeting on redistricting with three people.
Oh, but the real hard time is coming when they wake up one day to find that a focused, determined percent of the population is running everything. We can’t find time to get involved with redistricting but we can watch all of the NBA playoffs—you know the Hawks have gone fishing already.
The next five elections might be decided in the redrawing of the district maps but folks are sleeping. In the future, they might be seeing red…a sea of red with a blue island called Atlanta. At the official redistricting hearing, the GOP dam near took over Albany State University. Oh, the usual Dem leaders were there but the masses need to get off their (you know.) It’s time for some good old fashion rallies about these maps (old school D.J.s and hot fish grease) because after all the fancy nerds did their things last November, GOTV buses saved the day.
As Chuck D and Flava said, “Consider Yourselves Warned.”
There is a controversial painting of all American presidents that includes President Obama standing on the U.S. Constitution. The guy was president of the Harvard Law Review and a University of Chicago constitutional law professor but he doesn’t respect the Constitution. Really?
I saw the painting hanging in the district office of U.S. Rep. Austin Scott. Readers of this blog know I appreciated GOPer Scott removing Rep. Jim Marshall because Marshall, a law scholar himself, decided that Speaker Pelosi and the White House wasn’t his cup of tea. The two Georgia U.S. Senators, Scott and Rep. Jack Kingston are the most bearable Republicans in Georgia because they are good guys in person. But, the ultra conservatives are busy and seemingly require that the GOP leaders limit input from Democrats. Kingston has a well-earned reputation for going to policy-hostile events and breaking down his voting record. That’s how you do it and Bishop, Barrow and even Marshall did the same.
If the picture is in Scott’s office, it is there because Scott feels that the White House’s policy contradict the framers intend; Scott is on a fiscal correction mission. When Rep. Sanford Bishop was a freshman, his Washington office initially didn’t have Georgia flag outside the front door. In an interesting twist, Bishop got the old flag (stars and bars included) but state legislator Austin Scott was (I think) the only GOPer who support changing that flag and he caught hell for it.
The artist who created “The Forgotten Man” said he knew the work was a little strong and I personally think it is too strong. I always respect President George W. Bush and argued with those who thought he wasn’t bright—dumb people rarely graduate from Yale. The birther junk and whatever comes next are insults and thank you to those of the other side who want to stick to the issues. I saw the facebook video statement of Rep. Scott regarding the killing of Bin Laden and yes, he was of the few conservatives who gave President Obama credit.
Democrats have always allowed Bishop, Barrow, Marshall and other Blue Dogs flexibility to included conservative elements in their actions because conservatives are Georgians too. I am concerned that the far Right will not allow the same leeway to any GOP members of congress. Of course, the views of real liberals fall on death’s ear but even moderates and centrists should keep an eye on redistricting and hope that they end up in moderate districts.
When Jon Stewart said that Bill O’Reilly was the “thinnest kid at fat camp,” he meant that O’Reilly was the best person at Fox News and one might say the same about Sen. Saxby Chambliss (Gang of Six) and Austin Scott.
Jon McNaughton’s The Forgotten Man is art and art is designed (like Spike Lee’s and Tyler Perry’s work) to provoke thought. You be the judge.
Project Logic GA is starting a year long, monthly effort design to broaden our discussion of major issues, cultivate the next group of policy leaders and create a web-based/actual meetup network of results-oriented voters. We believe, the major political parties, the media and special interest groups often execute their agenda while the people seem like pawns on a chessboard.
In Georgia, the current 12th, 8th and 2nd congressional districts join the likely new north Georgia congressional districts as the competitive districts during election season. With the importance of issues and policies, we will select one major topic per month and “put it on the table” for our panel of contributors. We are inviting contributors to chime in with a brief paragraph or two on the monthly topic with the hope that a dozen issues will be discussed by this time next year—an ebook of non-Atlanta Georgia issues because the ATL gets enough ink all ready.
The party bosses and major political players in the Atlanta enjoy battling the other side in a blood sport. Some feel that the rest of Georgia is more genteel and would prefer a civil approach to moving our state, our South and our nation forward. Which some folks love “fussing and beefing,” moderates and centrists generally acknowledge good points from both sides. Who really wants to go through life with a constant vibe of loathing, hate and conflict?
In an interesting twist, we recognize the success of the Tea Party Movement in mobilizing those who feel they are Taxed Enough Already. While their methods and techniques are “interesting,” their passion and networking savvy should be respected and emulated. To borrow from boxing great Ali, “they shook up the world” with motivated voters while greater numbers of voters stood idly by.
We hope that this project will generate a facebook-based network of Georgians who will be informed and focused because a relatively small number of voters on both political ends shouldn’t select leadership and drive policy.
Helen Blocker Adams, Augusta talk radio host, Project Logic GA blogger and serious optimist, recently wrote the book “Unlikely Allies: 8 Steps to Bridging Divides that Impact Leadership” about people coming together to address community problems. We love books and blogs better when they serve as the catalyst for understanding and growth.
The Unlikely Allies Project of Project Logic GA endeavors to:
Hear from contributors over time on major issues; cultivating the next generation of leadership.
Gather a collection of facebook friends from Georgia’s competitive congressional districts who are interested in policy discussions among unlikely allies.
Bring Georgians together in various social settings to humanize everyone in the political discussions.
During a trip across Georgia last week, the Eagles’ song “The Long Run” came on the radio and hearing it was timely. In Georgia, we need to think about the long run or long term development of our human resources. When Don Henley sang, “Well I don’t understand why you don’t treat yourself better…do the crazy things that you do,” my mind turned to starting this needed effort.
Joe Scarborough’s Politico column “GOP gets dose of ‘Wisconsin nice’” will never be read by the average southern conservatives. But, the more positive vibe coming from RNC chairman Reince Preibus, Rep. Paul Ryan and Gov. Scott Walker could be the blueprint for making their policies palatable to moderates and centrists. Yes, Governor Walker is in the middle of a rough budget/union situation but compared to some, these guys are cool people.
President Obama often looks to House Budget Committee chairman Ryan as a conservative with whom the White House can negotiate. For some strange reason, some conservatives were surprised to learn that President Obama doesn’t hate Republicans. Hate takes up so much energy and while the good battles those they see as wrong, we should all remember “…for they know not what they do.”
I stay in trouble with other moderates for watching the GOP presidential field out of the corner of my eye. This mess keeps me up at night because I can’t bring myself to want the GOP nominee to be a candidate who is an easier opponent for the president. What if said candidate actually wins the White House? I might be wrong but I say stack the deck with candidates I can see as president from both parties. That would be nice but nice is a four letter words to those on both political extremes.
I watched Denzel Washington’s movie The Book of Eli in the wee hours of New Year’s Day. Washington’s character was protecting the last known King James Bible in a post nuclear war world. We forget how important and useful the Bible’s messages and lessons are when (to be frank) we are busying sinning.
Yesterday at my church and evidently everyone’s church, the pastor use Philippians 3:13 “…forgetting the things which are behind and stretching forward to the things which are before.” I am so glad Denzel got sage information like that into to the rebuilding world and we need to think about that as we start a new congress, a new year and a new presidential selection process.
Come on: we all know that the political parties will be bickering in the next few days with the Democrats being afraid of the lefties and the Republicans being concerned about pleasing the far right. They should all please the American people in general and Americans should get a fresh start with a mindset geared toward self-determination rather than governmental solutions for self-created personal drama. I need to hear that from President Obama and smart conservatives should dig that vibe from Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, a good dude who will likely be passed over in the GOP presidential race.
Millions of other Americans and I need a fresh start with a new job and the mad scramble for employment is starting to seem like the quest for water in The Book of Eli. Spoiler alert for those with HBO On Demand: Denzel’s character is blind in the whole film but surprisingly he can sense things slighted people miss.
They say that in the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king. I say people “between opportunities” in this economy will quickly tell the employed to work hard, sharpen skills and watch their backs. While you are grumbling at your work place, some enthusiastic people would love to be in your position.
At the end of the Book of Eli, a newly produced Bible was printed and a copy was put on a self between the Torah and the Quran. Viewers get the impression that a lack of tolerance and/or faith-based conflicts started the war. Governing isn’t a game and pitting people against each other is reckless.
In December of last year, President Obama quoted a variation of Voltaire’s “Don’t let prefect be the enemy of good” to Democratic Senators. The late Senator Ted Kennedy was famous for saying it is better to get half a loaf than no loaf at all. We need compromise, understanding and dialog in a large diverse nation but the political extremists on both ends seem to be more interesting in constantly fighting in a toxic manner.
Hell, I think I am correct but acknowledge that others feel differently on public policy. Is Voltaire’s “perfect” a drive to completely destroy or eliminate those who feel differently? I personally avoid any members of a political party who thinks the other major party is 100% wrong. Rural Georgia members of congress worked together on Farm Bills that aren’t prefect but are good for most involved interests.
We have recently seen several Georgia Democrats switch the GOP. Is the GOP more appealing or is the Democrat Party in the South no longer a place where they could be. And what will become of those in the state of flux between the two major parties. I agree with the new group Nolabels.org that these people (many still belonging to the D and R parties) are actually a quiet majority of Americans. We have moderate Democrats who appall the far left and centrists Republicans who are being purged from the South GOP…take your hat and your coat and leave..as we say at southern high school sports events.
Governor Palin and Todd were on the Barbara Walters Special last night and the Governor is getting smoother. But know this: the Tea Party Movement was fun and therapeutic but a more measure approach could have achieved better results in a healthier matter. If Michael Steele executed his original plans, more members of the center could comfortably move into a moderate wing of the southern GOP. Oh, my bad…there isn’t a moderate wing of the GOP.
The next step for the southern GOP shouldn’t be converting moderate Democrats into GOPers but teaching their current members that unlikely alliances with moderate Democrats are needed in some situations and on vital regional interests. Democrats shouldn’t lump Senator Isakson in with all national Republicans nor should Republicans do the same to Representatives Barrow and Bishop.
I have all kinds of friends and associates and the ones deep into the southern GOP like their party just the way it is….thank you very much. They want perfect or 100% of their agenda…no compromise, no 80% and no half loaves. If the Democrat Party in the south is to survive, it must get the center back while battling urban liberals who mean well but fail to grasp budgetary limitations.
The American people must asked themselves who the political leaders are supporting—the people or interests that keep them in power. One good thing about the economic crisis is that average people are following legislative actions weekly and daily. It’s not rocket science for Democrat members of congress to start speaking frankly about the mounting national debt and the need for every American to do their part to reduce the need for spending for public services that could have been avoided with better personal decision-making.
Voltaire had another quote that stated “It is dangerous to be right in matters where established men are wrong.” In this last election season “established men” on both sides spent a lot of time, energy and money (money they raised from who knows where) putting each other down. Otherwise good dudes slamming each other because someone told them that was the thing to do. Come on now. In the South, we came out of the womb fighting during our troubled past and some folks like fighting and fussing. For me, I am siding from now on with the cooler cats who seek to debate and create policy in a civic manner.
I have a new theory about campaigns and elections. Of course, my new theory could be fact that everyone other than me already knows. My theory is that for some people the business of campaigning is more important than actually governing ( i.e. Sarah Palin). Could prepping for campaigns and campaigning be where the money is?
Roy Barnes raised and spent over $28 million dollars running for governor of Georgia but didn’t win. Much of that money went to media buys like T.V. and radio ads. Old school people like me just assumed a sizable old fashion Get Out the Vote effort was coming and that rallies with sweet smelling Georgia barbecue would be held from one end of the state to the other end. It never really happened because the fancy Buckhead type consultants (who aren’t cheap themselves) pushed ads, ads and more ads. I have never been so tired of political ads and many of the spots were negative against Nathan Deal which was nonsense because everyone knew that Barnes and Deal basically liked each other.
Few noticed that former DeKalb County CEO Vernon Jones was in Nathan Deal’s corner and was standing right there during the victory party. Good for Jones because the same fancy Democrat Buckhead crowd didn’t want him running for U.S. Senate against Saxby Chambliss. Sure, Vernon has some history but hey cast the first stone and he would have done better than Jim Martin (I voted for Saxby for regional reasons.) But, the real winners of that election were the fancy fundraisers and political operatives who got candidates who could raise money and pay them.
We remember when Austin Scott was running for governor with the idea of raising smaller amounts of money and keeping it a people’s campaign based on his ideas and policy facts. On the other side of the fancy streets in Buckhead, the GOP types have even fancier offices that require much money to maintain. I think they look past the bright young man with good ideas and toward the four or five candidates who could put big money on the barrel head. Nathan Deal is the new governor and Scott is heading to congress.
Fairness requires that I acknowledge the effort put forward by Rep. Sanford Bishop’s opponent’s team. They hustled hard and made that thing too close—they were a well-oiled machine. I was ticked with the Barnes campaign and the state Democrat party because they were spending money on those freaking ads when people weren’t rallying in person, face to face like the other side was. When we did get together, it was so cool.
The first rule of politics is save yourself and Bishop got old school with his last Get Out The Vote push. He won that election with little help from the top of the ticket and because the people woke up at the eleventh hour.
Looming on the horizon is the 2012 presidential election year. While the presidential race outcome is unclear, you can bet that my community will be there for President Obama in huge numbers. An old theory of mine is that conservative candidates could fair well during that Obama wave if they could swim. My old friend Karen Bogans in Savannah is the only hope the GOP has in winning the 12th District race; she is smart, direct and has the political and professional credentials. Could an African American conservative get out of the GOP primary is the question but her campaign would be hard on the Obama White House yet surprisingly usefully to the Obama presidency at the same time. Hey, she criticizes me all the time and I would be upset if her comments weren’t true and didn’t need to be said.
I told Bogans that she could get a sizeable amount of the Black vote and win a congressional seat without raising and spending much money. She said those fancy folks in Buckhead must get their business/coin or they will push someone else up. I have concluded that the process of campaigning and prepping are likely more lucrative than actually serving in office. Sarah Palin gets $800K for one speech while President Obama gets half that amount as an annual salary. If you are going to be in the game, you must know the rules and the new golden rule is “he who has the gold..rules.”
It’s 5:15 a.m. on Day Lights Saving Time Sunday morning and my clock just fell back. In American politics, it feels like we are falling back in time also. Are we near a cultural Civil war and isn’t “civil” war the ultimate oxymoron. The one thing that is sure is that we need to have a better understanding of other’s points of view and the governmental process under which we function and live.
The Tea Party is a good place to start. By Tea Party, I mean the original Boston Tea Party. We have conveniently forgotten that the British taxes at the center of the debate were to recoup funds spent on the colonies’ defense during the French and Indian War. War and defense cost money. The Boston Tea Party wasn’t a protest inside the current form of government; it was an effort to overthrown the current form of government and some current protest today have the same thing in mind.
President Obama and most reasonable Americans know that the fundamental concerns of the Tea Party Movement are valid: federal spending and debt; size and role of government; and grow of entitlements. The nation would be better if all America “carried themselves” with a moral compass and a sense of shame as we did in the past. The government currently addresses problems that shouldn’t be problems at all. However, extremists on both ends of the political spectrum would ignore the U.S. Constitution and the foundation of this great nation.
It would be socialism if the government provided a nice house for every American. The government should provide a fair climate where every American has an opportunity to grow and prospers but if that doesn’t happen, you deal with the cards resulting from your actions or inactions. On the other hands, extremists on the far Right would interweave church and government for better moral fiber. Would America be better if we all followed a faith? Yes. But, the question becomes should the government mandate this faith and which one? As much as we respect them, the founding fathers at times goofed. Slavery is one obvious time and some believe that Christianity should have been the official faith with tolerance for other faiths.
We shouldn’t play with the intent of the founders or the foundation of this country. We are in a mini Civil War in the South base largely on energy policy and health care policy. President Carter was correct in the 1970s: we need a comprehensive energy policy to end our dependence on foreign oil. The Cap and Trade provision of the energy legislation passed by the U.S. House fueled the Tea Party protest. New York Time columnist Thomas Friedman has written several great books on our energy futures and we must make tough decisions and changes. Of course, the agriculture community gets my deference because we all must eat the food they grow but we must figure out farming methods that use less energy. The last Farm Bill promotes research on producing renewable energy.
I must be half asleep because I am about to type: the problem with President Obama. Okay Tea Party people here it is: We Obama supporters and President Obama himself know that some things could have been done better or differently. The same could be said about Bush 43 who I actually liked on some level. President Obama is real…straight real…too real. We elected him to implement big changes but the adoring crowds weren’t listening to the guy. He constantly said, “It won’t be easy…It’s won’t happen overnight….I can’t do it alone…we must do the hard part.”
As quiet as it is kept, Michelle Robinson Obama was raised in the model conservative family environment and if she starts speaking freely and sternly about how we are “carrying ourselves,” her importance in history might overshadow her husband. The residual benefit Sanford Bishop’s congressional service was always his positive image for the all kids. The Huxtables on the Cosby Show and the Obamas in the White House have the same benefit. The Georgia GOP botched the opportunity to have Dr. Deborah Honeycutt in Congress as a conservative example from a southern family but Mario Rubio and Austin Scott will be there to provide a fact-base form of conservatism that moves the nation forward with dialog rather than fear.
Obama’s The Audacity of Hope outlined problems and solutions with healthcare. He pointed out that preventive care that comes with having every American seeing a doctor regularly could save billions and fund changes. Obama was half right because what was also needed was far Right teeth. I don’t mean a dental plan; I mean public policy with teeth, bite or strong consequences. The kids in my family love their Uncle Teddy and their uninsured Uncle Teddy has made diet and exercise adjustments to stay under 240 pounds. A doctor would tell me that 260, 280 or 300 pounds would trigger health problems that require expensive treatment.
Wait a second; if the doctor and the healthcare plan told Uncle Teddy that buffets could lead to a certain point where expensive treatment would be self-funded or not administered, I basically dug my own grave and they should spend that money on a nice fat double-breasted suit for my funeral. It sounds cold but that is the reality of avoiding taxing or charging some people to pay for life choices of other. While we are working out on the tennis courts, cats drop by with triple cheese burgers in hand. “What’s up, man.” What’s up?…your cholesterol levels and your blood pressure…that’s what’s up.
These mini Civil Wars could be avoided if good conservatives worked with moderates sincerely. In the South, we often find those individuals who feel they are more American than others for some reason. I am proud that I had a dorm assignment at UGA and briefly attended grad school at UF (Go Gators) but I knew that I want to be at my HCBU to study from people who reminded us that we helped built this great nation for free while not free. We actually toiled in southern fields for over a hundred years before America was America in 1776. How difference is “go back to Africa” from “I want my country back.” President Obama likely thinks that we can all join hands and sing “This land is your land…this land is my land” but he did grow up in my dirty South so he doesn’t know that no one is giving up or shares money and power without a struggle.
Oops, I am flashing back to those revolutionary days of youth when radicals hit us with too much “knowledge and wisdom.” That stuff could come in measured dosages. From the Boston Tea Party to John Brown to George Wallace to the Black Panthers to the current Tea Party, Americans must remember that our opinions and plans must be coordinated within our framework of government and among all Americans. If the people decide to move slowly, not at all or in another direction, we must respect the process.
After the ballot drama Bush v. Gore, Democrats acknowledged President Bush as leader of this nation. When President Bush decided that military actions in Iraq rather than Afghanistan only was the course, I respected that jacked-up decision (Cheney lied to 43). Oh, but don’t let regular people elected Obama; folks start talking about second amendment remedies and secession.
Big corporations, unions and lobbyists are fueling these civil wars…pitting Americans against Americans. It is shame that some politicians on both sides think the objective for the next two years is winning the White House in 2012. The clear objective is to reduce federal spending while growing the economy and creating the climate for job creation while keeping us safe.
New members of the congress should put the best interest of the nation above partisan politics because the people in this fast internet age have no problem tossing those guys out every two years…work together.
I need to go because it is communion Sunday at church. Yes, Democrats and moderates go to church and try to practice what is preached during the rest of the week. During my lifetime, overhyped people killed folks while they were worshipping in church…be careful with that fun rhetoric because civil wars are nothing with which to play.
The Albany Herald endorsed Mike Keown for congress in Georgia’s second district over Sanford Bishop. I think that newspaper is wrong because Bishop is uniquely qualified and appropriate to represent the urban/rural; liberal/conservative and yes Black/White hodgepodge that is the 2nd District.
Keown is a conservative pastor from a very rural area and speaks with a command similar to a stern father chastising a wayward child. That type sternness has been at the center of the far Right’s reaction to the election of President Barrack Obama. In our system of government, most American adults have the right to elect officials and the actions of those public servants should reflect the will of the people.
That concept sounds clear in theory but we know that a more detailed explanation is that elected officials do the work of those Americans that vote, vote, vote. President Obama and the Democrats did well in southwest Georgia in 2008 and those election results gave direction to Rep. Sanford Bishop. For some reason, the Tea Party division of the conservative movement feels their votes count heavier that other Americans’ vote. It must because they are smarter or something.
If Rep. Sanford Bishop did everything the Tea Party Movement wanted during the last two years, he would have been functioning in an unconstitutional manner because he would have ignored the desires of the majority that put him in office. As a moderate, I could accept a Republican taking this swing seat if the guy was a policy wonk like Austin Scott or a conservative with a personal history of talking with various communities like Rep. Jack Kingston, Senator Johnny Iasakson or former Senator Sam Nunn.
Bishop came to congress 18 years ago after serving in a majority White state legislature seat; he prides himself on relating to and having a comfort level with everyone. As a blogger, I watched the Keown campaign from day one and rarely saw them working to build relationships with my community. The tone in Tea Partiers’ voice when then say “Barrack Obama,” “Sanford Bishop” and “Nancy Pelosi” is something different from regular Republicans. You know the tone and if you have forgotten it shame on you. Those who don’t remember history are doomed to repeat it.
Keown ran a strong race but some other congressional district or statewide position would be better for him and better for us. Bishop won’t win this election if the people who gave him a mandate in 2008 don’t vote on November 2.
An Albany city commissioner, who is also a Darton College professor, told the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call that Rep. Sanford Bishop was a $100 million dollar industry in south Georgia based on this position on the House Appropriations Committee. In one of the poorest areas of the nation, the voters shouldn’t drop a congressman who secures funding for economic development, training and job creation.
This hard campaign has served the purpose of making Rep. Bishop aware that he must be in the middle of helping President Obama shape more-moderate policy if he wants a second term. And that’s it; the reason far right conservatives want Bishop gone from the Democrat Caucus is so the remaining Dems are so liberal that the presidency will go their way in 2012. The Tea Party candidate for president will be Sarah Palin and keeping Palin out of the White House starts with voting for Bishop on Tuesday.
Did the Albany Herald ever ask Mike Keown about his opinion of a possible Palin presidency? Keown keeps bring up my old boss Rep. Charles Hatcher, who Bishop defeated in 1992. As one of the last loyal Hatcherheads, I can say Hatcher always said you don’t get rid of committee chairs and appropriators because they deliver for home. Hatcher knew the Farm Bill like the back of his hand and wouldn’t jeopardize the provisions of interest to south Georgia by bouncing Bishop during tough times.
Our shrewd plot has been foiled a week before the elections. The moderators of Project Logic Ga have always supported candidates from our parties (Democrat for me and who knows for Helen) but we also prepped for the worst case scenario by sending best wishes to the best candidates from the other side. The residual benefit of this idea centers on saying “if you had more candidates like this one, you could get a wider range of support.”
Senator Johnny Isakson has been in the game since 1974 and has a comfort level with every segment of the Georgia electorate; who ever met Isakson and didn’t personally like him. The GOP botched opportunities with Dr. Deborah Honeycutt, a conservative with a comfort level in our community.
In South Georgia, wise people have noticed conservative Austin Scott’s career for years because he seems comfortable in many circles, knows the issues and votes his mind. Scott was recently talking with T.J. Holmes of CNN like they were college chums at homecoming. T.J. didn’t likely hear about a rough patch Austin had when he voted to change the Georgia flag a few years ago.
I don’t want to see real Democrats lose to GOP candidates but if and when it happens, I hope the GOP candidate would be reasonable and comfortable in every community. The shrewd plot was voting for the occasional conservative who supports our regional interests while thinking that fair-minded conservatives would do the same when the shoe was on the other foot…no, not shoe…boot. That situation is not the case (I was wrong) because I can’t understand why regional interests would not compell south Georgia to continue supporting Rep. Bishop.
The Boot Sanford Bishop idea must be rooted in the old Boot Roy Barnes and Boot Austin Scott efforts after the flag vote—for the record, I wouldn’t have change the flag nor would I tear down a concentration camp—lest we forget. While some might seem naïve, the thought of politically “booting” someone in the South comes from a fantasy of actually doing it and the concept has ugly connotations. I mentioned this to Bishop’s opponent at the Grits Festival this year and he sincerely had no idea about someone gleaming a corporal aspect. I can’t say the same about some of those guys supporting him.
I could trade a Blue Dog Democrat for Isakson or Scott but I don’t see Bishop’s opponent being comfortable in every community. GOP Congressional candidate Ray McKinney from Savannah is a regular guy who can talk with anyone but I have rarely seen Bishop’s opponent in different circles.
I have never seen so many whining southerners in my life. From think-they-are-victimized Tea Partiers to lethargic Obama supporters, a relatively small percent of the population could change the game as others sleep. While driving an old pickup truck in middle Georgia this weekend, I came across a country song on the radio called “Lucky Man” by Montgomery Gentry. The guy in the song basically stated he couldn’t complain when you break it all down.
The luckiest man in Georgia politics is GOP governor candidate Nathan Deal. He might win the election on November 2, or take the contest into overtime with a runoff. Libertarian John Monds is benefiting on some level from voters disenchanted with the negative campaign ads from the two major parties’s candidates. Former governor Roy Barnes must be getting the message because in his new ad he sits behind a desk and ask the voters to make him governor again.
If or since Democrat voters are slow to come out for the general election, the Democrat ticket must “go hard” now. The traditional GOP establishment must be watching the clock and eager to get this thing over before the political center notices that the Tea Party has commandeered their party and those cats are out there…really out there.
There is an old joke about a football game between the insects and the bugs. The insects came from behind in the second half once the centipede came in as running back. The surprised coach asked the centipede “Man, where were you in the first half” and the centipede said, “In the locker room lacing up all these shoes.” It’s the second half and fourth quarter, the Democrat team needs to lace ‘em up and get in the game or the next two years will be rough Coach Obama. I don’t want to hear a word of whining from Democrats who didn’t push, pull or drag their friends and family to the polls.
The Georgia 2nd congressional district race comes down to one simple point for me: Rep. Sanford Bishop is the goose that laid the golden egg. We, the 2nd district voters, have positioned him to serve our state and that posturing took time and effort. Tossing our employee now wouldn’t be smart.
An Albany, Georgia, city councilman who is also a college professor recently called Bishop, a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, a $100 million per year industry for South Georgia. I can get concerned about staff miscues and oversights but protecting a 100M per year is a bigger concern.
Where were these budget-minded people when we were spending billions “nation building” in Iraq. No one supports our troops more than me but I wish we would have allowed the military the leeway to take down Saddam and his sons with a Navy Seal Team quickly rather than a prolonged situation that had us building schools, hospitals and roads there while our infrastructure crumbles.
The conservative movement seems hypocritical because Bishop is one of the few Congressional Black Caucus members willing to work with conservatives on issues. To me, the massive effort to remove Bishop is centered on 2012. With moderate Democrats gone, the remaining congressional Dems would be more liberal and easier targets for presidential candidate Sarah Palin.
It may sound silly but keeping Bishop and his seniority reminds me of that comedy bit by Sommore. Her man explains that the woman he is with provides the resources he uses to acquire Sommore’s nice things. Sommore tells the man to cover her up so the “blank” doesn’t catch cold.
Bishop’s slight oversights are nothing compare to governor candidate Nathan Deal’s mulitmillion dollar oversights but I don’t care about oversights; cover Bishop up so he doesn’t catch cold. Bill Clinton was “involved” with a chubby intern but his economic policies led to record budget surpluses; we covered Clinton up so he wouldn’t catch cold. Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss protects our regional farm and military interests with Bishop; cover Saxby up with an appropriate red blanket so he doesn’t catch cold and cover up GOP Rep. Jack Kingston so he doesn’t catch cold while he works (again with Bishop) to securing funding to deepen the Port of Savannah, a leading economic engine for the South.
To confuse the golden goose/poultry parallel, Bishop could be the 100M golden goose or a chicken on the TV show Survivor. While some castaways want to eat the chicken for protein now, wiser team members protect the bird for a constant supply of eggs. Everyone outside the Tea Party Movement know the Obama reelection wave of 2012 will take the 2nd district back for the Democrats. So, bouncing Bishop would hurt south Georgia for no good reason. We shouldn’t rally to help Bishop and Obama; we should rally behind Bishop to help ourselves.
I am ticked off that “rallying” is needed anyway. Let me get this right: Obama comes on the national stage and folks are crying and swooning (he is a great leader.) But, Bishop has been break his neck for Georgia for decades and folks need to be rallied. Excuse me. Sommore needs to be his campaign manager because nobody knows money like Sommore knows money.
Oh, we know Bishop after decades of public service and we know the he wouldn’t jeopardize his status or legacy behind some little part-time jobs or small scholarships. Please. Bishop’s efforts regarding job creation involves billions and college money would be billions in regular scholarships for working people and veterans education benefits for our returning troops and their families.
Democrats and reasonable moderates need to vote in southwest Georgia or our goose is cooked. Tea and golden goose liver pate would be one costly dish.
Could it be true: are some people too dim to vote. I just noticed a comment on a post about John Monds, candidate for governor in Georgia from the Libertarian Party. The comment said “he short as hell” and I did not know if the writer was referring to my picture with Monds or with Rep. Sanford Bishop. Monds, Bishop, and MLK are all Morehouse Men and like Dr. Benjamin Mays of Morehouse they emphasize achievement and intellectual stature over physical stature.
John Monds is taking the high road in a governor race that has seen negative ads after negative ads from candidates who aren’t generally considered negative people. I think a cottage industry has developed in which people are more interested in making money from fundraising and media ads than actually winning the elections.
Monds has represented the LP movement well and introduced a southern style of the LP. Nationally, the LP generally stands for freedom and liberty from government regulations and involvement. Monds has pushed those principles without bringing up the marijuana card that could spicy up his numbers with some voters. I am not for smoking cannabis or for gambling personally (gaming being another hot button issue) but many political observers would play that card with the current changes in California in mind.
Monds is a powerful man in Georgia politics because his governor bid could provide ballot access to the LP for future elections and his run will likely force a runoff. Former congressman Nathan Deal is fighting to hold his base and former governor Roy Barnes is fighting to turnout the Dem base while attracting moderates. Politicos I bumped into during the local HCBU’s homecoming all said the same thing: why are Democrats spending 30 million dollars on media buys and very little on the streets.
“The streets” or Get Out The Vote (GOTV) operations have traditionally been a method of awarding those with great community networking skills and those with well-earned reputations as community problem-solvers. Today, that money goes to run more and more TV ads and the real winners during election season are HBO and Showtime—no commercials.
Mark my word and file this post: the down ballot Democrat candidates are suffering from a lack of GOTV and if the governor race goes into a runoff, Democrats are not coming back out because getting them out now is unbelievable hard. Some Democrats are rumored to be voting for Monds as a protest for Barnes taking them for granted while courting conservative voters.
Again, are some people too dim to vote? You have Dems who cried when Obama was elected but won’t vote in the mid-term elections. We also have conservative voters whose views are shaped by TV and radio talking heads and the Tea Party Movement rather than seasoned public servants or policy wonks. When did experience become a bad thing? Rep. Charles Hatcher told me that lobbyists like dumb candidates and heavy turnover because congress is complex and under those conditions the lobbyists have the knowledge and power.
Recently, former governor Roy Barnes bumped into 8th district GOP congressional candidate Austin Scott and Barnes joked that a picture together would ruin Scott’s reputation. Barnes was so right because the GOP voters want candidates who detest Democrats and Scott must cloak the fact that Democrats and Republicans down here consider him a bright and likeable guy. Of course, there can be zero mention of the fact that Scott voted to change Georgia’s flag when Barnes was govenor. If Scott wins next month, his history of voting his mind will put him at the top of the list of freshmen Republicans that President Obama wants to know.
That last line means that the conservative Austin Scott would be better for this White House than the current Democrat congressman Jim Marshall who is slamming Obama and Pelosi every chance he gets.
Come to think about it, I am taller in pictures than Austin Scott, Sanford Bishop, John Monds, Rep. John Lewis, Senator Johnny Isakson and Rep. Jack Kingston but that doesn’t mean a thing when we remember MLK’s line about contend of character. (The same could be said about U.S. Senate candidate Michael Thurmond, who I never met. He would be a great asset in the U.S. Department of Labor.)
In America, no one is too dim to vote. However, we clearly have those who are too dim to realize the importance of voting but I am not worried because they didn’t read this long blog post. If weed was legal or decriminalized, those dim cats would be even dimmer. Former Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders is off on the marijuana issue.
I watched the movie The Blindside on cable on-demand with my mother yesterday and she enjoyed the first football film of her eighty years on earth. Watching a movie was a welcomed departure from the political campaign ads but that movie still had me thinking about election season 2010 which is more like the movie The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
Moms understands football blocking and protecting the quarterback now. Big Mike’s Crusaders football team seems like the Democrats and that would make either President Obama or Rep. Sanford Bishop the quarterback.
The massive, quiet and undeveloped talent of Big Mike brings to mind Obama supporters. While we are in the proverbial fourth quarter and the clock is ticking, the gentle-natured giant that is the Democrat base needs to get aggressive and start blocking. In sports, few things are more gruesome than watching an unsuspecting quarterback get hit on his blindside. Rather than staying in the pocket, his first inclination is to start running up field alone. As the rapper rhymed in “Walk it Out,” even Jesus had twelve disciples and don’t start that Obama Messiah talk again. But, it does seem like that gospel song that say “must Jesus bear the cross alone and all the world go free…there is a cross for everyone…there is a cross for me.” Mr. Luke could raise that hymn at St. Johns in Poulan, Georgia, during my childhood. My point is everyone needs help.
The coach and the quarterback can only do so much; they need blocking and play execution or the game is over. While continuing the football parallel, we must acknowledge the tenacity and determination of the other team. As we say in the South, it isn’t the size of the dog in the fight; it’s the size of fight in the dog. The GOP and their injection of adrenaline/steroids known as the Tea Party is undersized but hard-working and crafty.
About size, it burns my britches to hear Tea Party folks (some of whom are my friends) say, “All I hear is this,” “everyone I know thinks this” or “Obama and the Democrats never listen to people because I told them what to do and they didn’t do it.” Do you hear yourself? Like Sandra Bullock’s character in that movie ,they seem to be living in a bubble on one side of town with zero knowledge about the existence of other parts of town. But for God’s grace and mercy, Big Mike could have been any of us.
Big Mike’s tutor (Kathy Bates) was the only Democrat the Tuohy family knew. When Michael saw that famous Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving painting, he wanted to have a family holiday dinner for the first time. I couldn’t help but think that some people realize the painting isn’t realistic because an old woman couldn’t hold a turkey that size at that angle without falling over. We should leave a tender moment alone because the same type ugly people who point out that turkey fact are the type people who spent November 2008 saying “it won’t work….America can never come together…I hope the young president fails with this hope and change crap.” Norman Rockwell would have enjoyed the Blindside and likely voted for President Obama because the social progressiveness in his art is legendary. From that old lady to Obama supporters, we should never underestimate our strength.
As President Obama repeatedly says, the Tea Party Movement Republicans have valid concerns about the size and role of government but I share the president’s concern with the TPM’s” my way or the highway” mentality. They seem to ignore the people who voted for the other guys and want officeholders to do the same. Okay, the ugliness of the TPM seems like the loudmouth football player that Big Mike eventually blocked off the field and into the stands.
We have two weeks to start blocking for the Democrat quarterbacks or it’s game over. I have always favored political teams and groups that look like a microcosm of America or my southern state. Ask yourself if the TPM protest looked like Georgia. While they are acting sweet and nice now, they showed they natural -sses during that healthcare debate and it seemed like 1968 all over again. Oh regular Republicans like Senator Isakson and Austin Scott have a variety of supporters across the state but most of these TPM candidates listen and learn from people in their circle of friends and associates only.
In The Blindside, that family and Michael learned about different ways of life and everyone grew. That situation is similar to the positive energy that catapulted President Obama into the White House. We were hopeful after lifetimes of ugliness, division and bitterness. What kinds of people thrive on bitterness and smirk at every little misstep someone makes. Is that really how someone wants to live life? Who wants to carry rage and anger constantly in their hearts? I know the national debt is too large and owing China keeps me up at night but did Democrats go crazy when Bush 43 made costly decisions about Iraq. I, for one, respected the president and I would appreciate the same courtesy from my friends on the Right now. (And people in hell want ice water but they are not going to get it.)
That family in The Blindside must have been thinking about the benefits of developing that gentle giant; we shouldn’t be naïve. President Obama, Roy Barnes, Sanford Bishop and other high-profile Democrats will be okay personally but I am more concerned with regular people like me who want to see our South move forward with positive energy rather than falling back into that classic “us reverse them” mindset. President Obama sought counsel from the conservatives in congress when he took office but few would break ranks and enter a dialogue.
I know for a fact that Rep. Bishop has always cultivated relationships with every type southerner. While some aren’t watching the congressman’s blindside, many still have his back because he has had their backs during decades of public service. You might get knocked down but just don’t stay down.
At this point in the game, we can’t blame the other team or the referees. It’s time to collect ourselves, focus and start blocking for our team—play your position and the rest will take care of itself. In football and in life, size and raw talent can be defeated by a determined and focus smaller opponent. Winning at football and at this political game also requires good coaching, a little cheerleading and some motivational pep rallies. Hell, Obama must quarterback, block, cheer and drive the team bus. If we lose, we deserve it because we didn’t do our parts.
Some old friends recently started the facebook page Georgia TruthSquad and we will be having a few pep rallies—better later than never. Sandra Bullock’s character has nothing on the lady who create GTS because she simply refuses to have her hometown represented by a TPM congressman. I know too well that the coach of the GTS has no problem “motivating” the team.
Sidenote: I wrote the blog post below during the healthcare debate protest in the summer of 2009. I turns out that I was wrong about the GOP creating a moderate section to balance the Blue Dogs. That protest movement know as the Tea Party actually took over the GOP and they might win next month (if unchecked) by using time proven techniques. It’s called winning ugly. My daddy took a train from Macon, Georgia, to study agriculture and play football at North Carolina A&T in the 1930s when one of the best ag schools in the nation was just up the road in Athens. He had to attend grad school years later at Tuskegee when one of the best ag schools was just up the road in Athens. Oh, we have been down this road before and we are heading back to the future. He was proud of Sanford Bishop but he never would have imagine Barrack Obama in 2008 or our complacency in 2010.
I am moderate Democrat and understand that Blue Dogs are moderate to conservative on some level. However, the latest campaign ad from Rep. Jim Marshall might have crossed the line. The ad slams Speaker Pelosi more than she could possible deserve.
The same Mrs. Pelosi who engineer the Democrat takeover of the House and helped the Obama/Biden ticket. She is from San Francisco but her leadership isn’t ultra liberal, as some would have you think. If she is so bad, why did Rep. Marshall vote for her for speaker? Can he ask for Democrat votes while never admitting if he voted for Obama or McCain?
If the ad say Marshall is supported by groups that wouldn’t have anything to do with a Pelosi supporter, what will become of those who wouldn’t have anything to do with a Nancy Pelosi slammer. How does he feel about Rep. Steny Hoyer and Rep. Jim Clyburn of Pelosi’s leadership team.
While we are fighting to support real Democrats, several Dem freshmen members of Congress recently learned that funding support for their reelection might be pulled and redirected. They must be smart with cash for the final push but those brave freshmen that supported President Obama deserve help before a veteran like Marshall who brags about “voting the same as Republican leaders 65% of the time.” Hear that sound, it the erosion of your base.
What in the world could get Obama supporters voting this election season? Watching Fox Cable News for one hour. That’s it; I have done it again and gratis I unfortunately add.
The word unbeknownst comes up in conversational English rarely but many southerners work with people who “unbeknownst” to their neighbors are being brainwashed by the Rightwing media. We aren’t talking about extremists or separatists; I am referring to average hardworking Americans who have been whipped into a frenzy by a constant dosage of well-crafted propaganda designed to pit Americans against Americans and drive T.V. and radio ratings. Dig this: the ultimate goal isn’t necessarily winning elections. The goal is getting gold..staying paid.
The propaganda is rooted in truth but amplified to a dangerous level. For example, we all had radical phases in college but had to back off that “knowledge and wisdom” before we went too far. Too much Public Enemy would make you slap someone and like get shot with a deer rifle. (Flava Fav is dating whom again…and Ice Cube is America’s dad.)
On the morning after the talent rich Atlanta Braves ended another season without a championship, the talent rich Democrats wonder why we can’t win when obviously helping hard-working people weather a rough economic storm. It’s because Fox Cable News has twisted voters’ minds so well. Barrack Obama, Michelle Obama, Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton are collectively the anti-Christ or something. Those people at Fox know what they are doing and they are very good at it.
If you voted for Obama/Biden, you should have someone ducttape you to a chair that is out of arms’reach from the remote control and watch the national Fox cable channel for one hour. The methods and ugliness of that channel will close the enthusiasm gap with a quickness and make you vote. If not, you are doing the president wrong by voting for him but being ghost when the heavy lifting starts; he can’t do it alone. The cats on Fox News are smart people and they know deep inside that Obama isn’t the things they are saying. To be fair, MSNBC is fast becoming a Left version of Fox so turn to CNN and toss the remote out of the window.
For the college kids, watching Fox News could be a new drinking game; take a shot every time you say “Say what” “Dam” or “Nasty.” The Tea Party type Republicans aren’t your daddy’s GOP and as freshmen members of congress they would commandeer that party like the inmates running the asylum.
Recently, some old friends and I started a facebook page called the Georgia TruthSquad to share information about this election season and to answer one amazing question: what’s happening with low turnout and involvement from the Democrat side.
After the energy of the 2010 election, the coalition that support President Obama didn’t remain engaged as the Right conducts a textbook display of grassroots and Astroturf. There seems to be a disconnect this Fall regarding the importance of a mid-term election.
To me, Obama deserves better than the coming hell of two years of far Right congressional opposition. What we experienced in 1994 with Clinton was nothing when compared with what’s next if folks can’t look up from the football season long enough to notice the coming wave and vote.
The enthusiasm gap is more like the Grand Freaking Canyon and a zillion campaign ads can’t do it alone. It’s time for some old fashion get out the vote rallying featuring those who (like the Tea Party) understand the methods to light fire under some tails. Can you say impeachment?
Grown folks knew what is happening was going to happen when we elected President Obama. They said that the same people who cheered and jumped up and down would be the same people who did vote in the midterm elections.
I can see it in the First Lady’s face; a face that looks like mine. She is telling him, “remember when I said you can run only with the understanding that if it doesn’t work, if the nation doesn’t want or appreciate us….we walk away.” She looks like she is thinking, “we don’t need this mess.”
Oh, do we need them. We need her to cut loose and tough talk with regular Americans about what we can do to improve our situation with the moderation, planning, focus and deliberation that made the Robinson family successful.
She could create a new moderation that opens the door for moderates being shown the door by the far right. The emergence of these new moderates gives a voice to those who read Hill Harper, Bill Cosby and Joe Scarborough books. The Blue Dogs were correct all along and that’s why the crafty cats on the far Right want them gone; no moderate Democrats mean the Democrat Party is primary liberal and an easier target in 2012.
But, first things first: vote in the midterm. In Georgia, a 2010 vote is more important than your 2008 vote. A very vocal and energetic segment of population has ginned up voters with a desire to take over the congress from the Democrats and even the Republicans. Yes, the far Right section of conservative side is looking at the regular Republicans as if to say “this is how you do it” and you know what they do if you are over 40 years old.
Grown folks, we need to talk. After we talk, we need to call, email, text, tweet or whatever whose under 30 and tell them (not ask them) to vote. The Republicans have a few quality guys who might be president in the future—Rep. Paul Ryan and Governor Mitch Daniels come to mind. But, this midterm election is the next step in the Palin for president plan and her Tea Party congressional candidates will be spending the next two years graying the rest of Obama’s hair with subpoenas and impeachment efforts.
We shouldn’t hate on those who use “any means necessary” to stop an agenda they dislike because they couldn’t do it if regular folks would take 10 minutes to early vote. By any means necessary (cookout, Sunday dinner, half-time talk at the high school football games), we should remind our community to vote. Early vote or the Obama presidency effectively ends early–not four years but two years when he should have eight.
You might as well dust off your 70s vinyl because we are about to go back to the future next month if you we don’t vote. I am listening to that haunting R&B flute with fond memories of the past but also clear recollections of our community being voiceless and the South being a powder keg. By mid November, reasonable people will be saying “I want my country back” when referring to last month.
Albany, Georgia City Commissioner Jon Howard is my classmate from college and one of the most dedicated public servants you will ever meet. He put together a candidates forum this morning and I found myself talking with Bishop, Everson, Monds and Dukes.
That list of names isn’t a law firm but speakers at the forum who represent the whole political spectrum. Sanford Bishop is a sitting Democrat congressman and my old boss. I had three congressmen bosses on Capitol Hill and they all took pride in listening to and serving everyone in their districts—the people who voted for them as well as the loyal opposition. During this election season, I have heard that the Democrats don’t listen to people. I take that personally because I know for a fact that we had hell to pay if we didn’t give full consideration to every citizen from our area.
(Follow me because this is about to get complex.)
When a candidate says “everyone I talk with wants the D.C. crowd gone,” that candidate is being sincere and isn’t lying. That candidate simply has been receiving a constant diet of information from a select or limited group of voters-come to my side of town. Albany State University is playing a college football classic game against Savannah State in Waycross, Georgia, today. Waycross is represented by GOP Rep. Jack Kingston, who prides himself on going to political forums in every area…alone. Jack knows he isn’t going to get any votes on that side of town but wants to stand like a man by his legislative decisions.
Knowing the political makeup of Kingston’s district, I would not move there and badger him for not being a moderate like me. By my logic, the same mindset applies in Bishop’s district. However, Democrats have a tendency to take some elections off or not fully appreciate the work of elected officials like President Obama. So, the squeaky wheel gets the grease and the other side is very loud.
Democrats are too nice to each others. If you support this president, you should vote now because this election to those of the far Right is a referendum on the White House and the Democrat-controlled congress. The vote this November is actually as important as the vote in November 2008 because Obama wasn’t going to win Georgia but we have a lot to lose this year.
Melvin Everson was a GOP candidate for State Labor Commissioner and also a graduate of Albany State University. I told him earlier this summer that I looked forward to voting for a fellow Golden Ram but his party’s primary voters picked someone else. At the forum this morning, he was surprisingly classy to supported other GOPers because I am still tickled about his defeat and the defeat of GOP congressional candidate Dr. Deborah Honeycutt in the Atlanta area. I better leave that alone but…..you know what’s up.
Winfred Dukes is a local contractor and long-time state representative. I never met him before today but admired his fight during the last legislative session. Some young members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity were sitting in front of me and clearly there to support their brother Dukes.
With Libertarian Party Governor candidate John Monds
Before John Monds spoke as governor candidate from the Libertarian Party, I told the young men that Monds was also a member of their organization. Speaking with Monds today was interesting because he could be the kingmaker in the governor race. Monds, whose wife is a professor at Albany State, could get more support from the ASU family and the Omega family than his political party. The GOP could be cruising to victory in the governor race because a woman, Karen Handel, lost in their party to former Rep. Nathan Deal. What party wouldn’t welcome the chance to pull a sizable amount of the women voters from the other side? Monds could get enough of the vote to force the Democrat and Republican into a runoff. So, Roy Barnes’ campaign better not take my community for granted. Monds and the LP have a message that some people are starting to dig.
In politics and policy, you circle the wagon and this president isn’t the horrible leader some would have you think. However, it’s up to us to have real talk about real issues. I was there in 1994 when Gingrich, Kingston and company took over congress in Bill Clinton’s first mid-term. This year is different because Newt had vision (back then) while the Tea Party Movement, which has taken over the Right, has something else in their eyes.
In addition to Newt Gingrich and Tom Delay, the other bigwig in the 1994 revolution was Dick Armey and Armey is very good at what he does. Where is Armey today? He created Freedomworks—the foundation of the Tea Party Movement.
Back in the day, the Right demonized Bill and Hillary Clinton but quietly many on the Right were surprised when they got a better look at her during her presidential bid. Did she change? No, they just got to see the real her rather than believing the rhetoric from the media.
President Clinton recently said that President Obama should nationalized the mid-term election, admit that the recovery is taking longer than planned and ask for two more years to get things done.
I am for that because I am patience and respect elected leaders. When Vice President Cheney said that the war in Iraq would be funded by money from the Iraqi oil fields if we could get to them before they set them on fire, I trusted him. I never voted for Bush/Cheney but I respected the will of the people. Did President Obama ever get a second of similar trust and respect?
Georgia Democrats shouldn’t be mad at the GOP and/or the Tea Party Movement. We should be mad at each other for not using an equal amount of energy to rally real people we help with policy. (They must dial back that spending because I can’t stand owing China.)
President Obama had an issue discussion in someone’s backyard this week and I love it. We should follow his lead and take to the backyards to fire-up the grills and the voters. If we can argue and fuss about football teams, we can do the same about these important elections. Enough with the zillion T.V. ads for the governor race; that money could fund some serious Obama style backyard talks. So, my fancy friends in D.C. need to stop calling me about the elections in our state and send down some Johnsonville brats and Matchlight coals. We will take care of the rest.
Project Logic Ga 