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Posts Tagged ‘republicans’

Theory: Campaigning Is Where The Money Is

Posted in politics, tagged , , , , , , on November 9, 2010| 3 Comments »

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.”

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Georgia Politics: Go Hard or Overtime

Posted in politics, tagged , , , , on October 25, 2010| 1 Comment »

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.

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Rep. Sanford Bishop: Golden Egg

Posted in politics, tagged , , , , , , , on October 22, 2010| 6 Comments »

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.

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Libertarian Party Candidate John Monds and Get Out the Vote

Posted in politics, tagged , , , , , , , , on October 19, 2010| 1 Comment »

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.

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The Blindside: President Obama and Rep. Sanford Bishop

Posted in politics, tagged , , , , , , , on October 16, 2010| 9 Comments »

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. 

https://projectlogicga.com/2009/08/07/congress-town-hall-protests-and-norman-rockwell/

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Rep. Jim Marshall slams Speaker Nancy Pelosi

Posted in politics, tagged , , , , , , on October 13, 2010| 5 Comments »

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.

And I approved that message.

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Carter, Reagan, Obama and President Palin

Posted in politics, tagged , , , , , , , , on October 5, 2010| 1 Comment »

I feel like Chicken Little but would perfect a little chicken—smoked with some John Boy and Billy barbeque sauce.  It’s hard for a brother to publicly admit a love for yardbird but it is time to tell the truth.  After watching a zillion campaign ads a month before the election, I wish those fellows would spend 5% of that money on some good old fashion barbeque chicken rallies so real folks can talk about the real mess we are facing.  The folks on the Right are out hustling moderates with those events this years.  

The Chicken Little thing comes from running around say that we should diversify our political portfolio by understanding moderation and some elements of conservatism.  Well, the Blue Dogs became the closest thing to Democrat conservatives and that put big Election Day targets on them.  Because political portfolios are like my nonexistent stock portfolios, we thought we should also hedge our bets my investing in some reasonable Republicans, those slightly over the political centerline.  That stock would have dropped like BP stock because the GOP got rid most of the few moderates in their ranks as they drove farther Right…scary far Right.  

Barrack Obama is Jimmy Carter and Sarah Palin is Ronald Reagan.  Like my homie Carter, Obama is the smartest guy on the planet but not smart enough to realize that our party doesn’t deserve him.  From Georgia Tech and the Naval Academy, Carter was a brainy president who campaigned telling the truth and wanted to govern the same way.  If we listened to Carter and changed our energy consumption in the 70s, our involvement in the wild Middle East could be limited to wanting peace rather than needing their oil. 

President Obama, like Carter, is too nice for the rough, sneaky world of politics.  Obama planned to help regular people and watch them show their appreciation my supporting Democrats at the polls.  Sugar, Honey, Iced Tea.  People didn’t appreciate Carter or Clinton and November 2 will be Obama’s unfortunate wake up call. 

You can’t help people who won’t help themselves.  President Obama and the congressional Democrats have done a good job during a terrible period and history will realize that fact.  Jimmy Carter has a vibe about him that seems to say, “If you would have listened to me.”

I can’t understand why the current GOP is loving on Ronald Reagan so much because everyone knows that the conservative movement has moved so far right that Reagan wouldn’t pass their purity test.  Reagan would be a Blue Dog.  But boy, ole boy, President Reagan had Hollywood style charisma; dude was a natural leader.   

Which brings me to natural leader Sarah Palin.  The GOP actual has quality presidential material sitting on the bench in Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels and Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan.  But, No…that would be too much like right.  They want Palin and she is like butter because you know she is on a roll.

Sarah Palin, who has as much business being president as I have, is using this mid-term election to take control of congress and give President Obama hell.  But checking this out: she isn’t creating an army of regular Republicans—regular Republicans wouldn’t be too much different from Blue Dogs.  Palin is taking over with the Tea Party Movement and if she were successful next month she would be the GOP candidate for the White House.  If moderates don’t vote, we are greenlighting President Palin. 

I think Reagan would reject the whole witch hunt technique of the far Right and the birthers.  When big money and power are on the table, people will resort to anything.  As President Obama often states, the TPM is primarily regular Americans concerned with the size and scope of government.  But the brains behind the movement are nasty nerds who didn’t study political science in school; they studied marketing and got really good at it.  The same ad men who design marketing plans for soap, burgers and cars also design political plans that whip people into a frenzy of hate and divide this nation.  

Before his political career, Ronald Reagan was one of the few Americans who stood up to the witchhunting red scare of  Senator Joseph McCartney.  As Gil Scott Heron sang, “When other celluloid saviors were cringing in fear from McCartneyism, Ron stood tall.” Reagan went before the congressional committee and said that as a young actor he had various friends and some had usual political affiliations.  If Reagan were alive today, what would he think about the attacks Obama took during the 2008 campaign?

Gil Scott Heron broke it down in his classic “B Movie.”  The political song was about America’s desire to have a president who rode to the rescue like John Wayne in B Movies.  “..but since John Wayne was no longer available, we settled for Ronald Reagan.” 

The first line in “B Movie” (just before the righteous bass playing started) was “And the first thing I want to say is mandate my ass.”  He went on to say, “we have been convinced that 26% of the registered voters—not 26% of American people- forms a mandate or a landslide.”

Almost thirty years later, Heron’s grasp of political numbers is still important.  How big is the Tea Party Movement.  What the hell difference does it make because the most salient statistic is this: 100% of them vote.  Do we need chicken, fried fish, and one of those kid bouncy room things to entice regular folks to vote?  If we do, we deserve the Tea Party as mean-spirited leaders of this nation.  How is this for enticement—President Palin.  Beck and Limbaugh will tell you in a minute that their jobs aren’t running the nation but generating ratings. If a cultural civic war happens as a result, ratings will be off the chart—more money. 

We listened to Gil Scott Heron vinyl and tried to understand trickle-down economics.  A rich guy needs to be richer so he can get a bigger pool and I get my money as his pool cleaner.  They get the rest of the masses with church stuff; like Democrats are godless heathens. 

Democrats help people who don’t vote or follow politics but don’t let a football game come on the box.  I came up with a little test this morning:

Ask a southern guy to name as many SEC football head coaches as possible then ask him to name the same number Supreme Court justices.  Ask him to name as many NFL starting quarterbacks then name one U.S. Senator from that player’s teams’ state. 

My point is football is important but voting and good leadership directly affects your family and your wallet.  Conservatives generally aren’t bad people but their plans for leadership center on allowing people to suffer and struggle to encourage them to prove their condition—tough love style.  Vote for those you want to govern but by all means vote. 

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Georgia Political Talks/Obama Style

Posted in Georgia, politics, tagged , , , , , , , on September 25, 2010| 2 Comments »

With Rep. Bishop

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.

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Michael Steele In Georgia: Shoot the Gift

Posted in politics, tagged , , , , , , on September 19, 2010| 5 Comments »

I caught RNC Chairman Michael Steele at two speaking events on Saturday and I couldn’t help but think what should have been.  Steele nodded in agreement when I said that his Blueprint document from his campaign for chair was the forgotten outline for their success.  In other words, they could be winning on facts, policy, and positive candidates rather than fear and loathing.

He got off the bus with the GOP candidate in Macon and smile as if to say “where did you’ll find this one.”  Austin Scott is a policy wonk and the type candidate (like Scott Brown) who centrists could take in swing districts.  Before the event started, I told someone that I was the most important person there.  The guy said wouldn’t that be the person with the news camera.  My humorous point was that I was from the center and the last month of the election is about getting our votes—not preaching to the choir by getting the same votes of the same people you had on day one. 

I came to see Michael Steele “shoot the gift” and did he delivered.  Old school rap fans know the term shoot the gift, which means using words to achieve an objective.  Like the Nas lyric “I move swift and uplift your mind, shoot the gift when I riff in rhyme..” 

Michael Steele brought the gift in Macon, Georgia, and reminded me why so many Blacks in Maryland supported him for U.S. Senate.  He represents a version of conservatism that is palatable in our community.  The guy spoke without being angry and some in the crowd seems to be hearing their views presented with sugar for the first time and grasp the concept. 

In Statesboro, Georgia, later that day, I was talking with Steele’s staff photographer in the lobby of a hotel as we watch a college football game.  Again, I said Steele really should be in the Senate and he agreed that his old friend was in his element when connecting with the people.  I have known Ray McKinney, the GOP candidate from the 12th congressional district, for years and he could win the center from a Blue Dog if he pulls blue-collar labor voters.  For example, the story was told at the event of a pallet of campaign materials arriving and the warehouse personnel looking for a forklift driver.  As a nuclear power plant worker, Ray knows equipment and jump on the forklift himself without second thought.  McKinney isn’t a country club Republican.  

We Democrats accept flexible candidates in swing districts because the other voters in the area need to have their voices heard also and policy might have elements of their concerns.  South conservatives traditionally have a “my way or the highway”  “winner take all” mentality.  I think that isn’t a healthy way to run a diverse nation and my friends and I will support GOPers like Steele, Scott and McKinney who add range to the game. 

Steele will be in my congressional district this coming week but I won’t be there.  My community likes our Blue Dog just fine–thank you very much.

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Election Night: Worst-Case Scenarios

Posted in politics, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on September 12, 2010| 2 Comments »

I was in a discussion this weekend about the worst-case scenarios for election night in November; the situations and outcomes that should have been debated and considered now. 

Lately, the GOP in Georgia has been taking heat in my community because African American (AA) candidates Dr. Deborah Honeycutt and Melvin Everson couldn’t make it out of their primaries; the GOP voters spoke and the message bounced from GA to DC. 

Former Governor Roy Barnes, who beat a field that included long-time Attorney General Thurbert Baker, heads the Democrat big ticket.  The Black community supported Barnes for governor over African American Baker because they thought he had the best chance of winning.  Frankly, a Black president and a Black governor at the same time just weren’t going to happen in the Deep South.

Barnes’ strategy seems to center on adding White moderates to the Dem base.  But courting the center requires running from President Obama and national Democrats.  Once again, the base gets taken for granted.  Barnes and conservative Democrat Jim  Marshall are slamming Obama’s health care reform with a risky passion but hey, what can the AA voters do since they won’t vote for the GOP candidate? The wild card in the race is Libertarian John Monds who is a Morehouse Man and Omega Psi Phi just might get enough votes to tip the election. 

The big Dem ticket includes AA candidates Michael Thurmond, U.S. Senate; Darryl Hicks, Secretary of Labor; and Georganna Sinkfield, Secretary of State.  While I think every candidate runs to win, my friends feel these candidates real value is to get out the Black vote and to help Roy Barnes secure the Governorship. 

We must read the signs…literally.  If you see a campaign yard sign for the GOP candidate for governor, you also see a cluster of other GOP signs.  The same situation is true on the Dem side in my community.  On the other side of town in areas of people who don’t look like me, you see Barnes signs and that’s it. 

In other words, the White support Barnes will receive could only be for Barnes, the White and Black congressional Blue Dogs and that’s it.  Is it every man for himself?  The Dem ticket is D.O.A. without new voters who love President Obama and we are noticing the slighting he is receiving from his team. 

That slighting seems to justify the vigorous campaign for Sanford Bishop’s seat.  Okay, let me get this right: one of the most conservative Black members of Congress gets the biggest target.  Mind you, Rep. Jim Marshall’s district was won by John McCain in 2008 and Austin Scott, the GOP candidate against Marshall, has a functional relationship with Blacks in his district and Blacks in the state legislature.  Bishop must be flattered because the GOP really wants to remove a moderate CBC member so that the CBC will be as liberal as possible as they prep for 2012.  The GOP is good at being bad. Dam good.  Marshall isn’t catching the heat that some Blue Dogs are experiencing because he remembers Polonius’ speech from Hamlet—To thy ownself be true- and he votes “no” on major Dem legislation before bragging about it back home.  They must think real Democrats won’t notice. 

The worst-case scenario would be that all of the big ticket Blacks will end up having a bad election night while Marshall and Barnes win.  If the governor’s race goes into a runoff, you can best believe my community would not come back out.  Barnes is a smart guy and has time to adjust his approach.  I am going to need President Obama himself to personal explain why we should care about Marshall. 

Another worst-case scenario would be far Right conservatives taking over the congress; people who have little involvement or past interaction with folks different than them.  On Meet the Press today, David Gregory played an old clip of Rudy Giuliani talking about the big tent that is the GOP and their numerous moderates.  When asked if that was still the case, Giuliani didn’t have much to say.  Rep. Jack Kingston under congress as a firebrand in the early 1990s but the tide as changed so much that GOP Rep. Bob Inglis of South Carolina, who lost to a Tea Party candidate, rightly points out that Kingston is now one of the only the voices of reason in South congressional politics. 

On the bright side, President Obama’s White House might be pulled toward the center after election night or maybe before.

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10 Questions for 2010: Blue Dogs, GOP candidates, Political Journalism

Posted in politics, tagged , , , , , , , , on September 2, 2010| 2 Comments »

3.  Are some Blue Dogs sidestepping the political heat?

First, I have an original Blue Dog pin and will never sell it on Ebay.  Blue Dogs are a unique breed of moderate to conservative Democrats, but they aren’t Republicans.  If you think about it, the Democrat Party looks like America with diverse groups at the table debating issues.  President Obama has a bold policy agenda and at some point the issues are too progressive for some Blue Dogs. I was working at the Congress on the day current gubernatorial candidate Nathan Deal switched to the GOP—we liked Nathan the day before and we liked him the next day.  Deal’s departure seemed natural or organic for a person from his conservative district.

Congressmen walk a thin line between party loyalty and independence but when the GOP needs their members, those members are there.  Why can’t President Obama have that same loyalty on historic votes?  Loyal Democrats are catching “hot heat” for the healthcare reform vote while others are chilling in the shade.  The same Blue Dogs who ran campaign ads featuring their support of a GOP president will be slamming Obama and congressional Democrats on the air this fall.  These members are tossing fellow Blue Dogs under the bus.

4. Are some Republicans uncomfortable with non-GOP supporters?

Have you ever seen a candidate who doesn’t want public support?  To be honest, some Black activists took a backseat during the Obama campaign so the effort did not seem like a Black v. White situation (which it wasn’t.)  In a similar situation, some GOP candidates seem to downplay their supporters who are Democrats because their base might feel they are slipping to the left.  Say What? 

I think most candidates enjoy any sincere support, but the campaign staff often comes from the red meat selection of their party.  When the campaign event comes on the local news, I want to see a crowd that looks like Georgia.  We must highlight Georgia’s history of peaceful living as an economic development tool. Companies don’t want to bring jobs to a region if they think employees will be fight a mini Civil War in the break room.  In the era of the angry mob, GOP candidates with a range of supporters deserve respect. 

5. Are Fox News and MSNBC putting political agendas over journalism?

I love CNN because the reporting is balanced—literally.  This Georgia based operation puts pundits from the left, right and center on the stage at the same time.  Fox News and MSNBC seem to execute a political agenda that flexes the traditional rules of journalism. While I watch these channels for diversity reasons, I can’t help but think that the slant is blatantly obvious to some and not to others.  Glenn Beck was correct when he said that his job is entertainment—not running the nation.  I hope other Americans know that.

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Young, Black & Republican: documentary

Posted in African Americans, politics, Republican, tagged , , , on August 18, 2010| 5 Comments »

I am a moderate Democrat but a young conservative brother from Atlanta who works for a South Carolina GOP member of congress sent me the short documentary “Young, Black & Republican.”  As a kid reading Black Enterprise magazine and watching Tony Brown’s Journal on PBS, I remember this pro-business, self-determination type African-American Republican.  Hell, every striding Black family could be considered conservative because “if you wait for the government to do for you, you will be waiting awhile” was the mindset.

The 2010 election season will be wild and as twisted as a mile of bad road—brace yourself for some ugliness.  The fellow in this video who loves his party’s positions but questions the tone had me saying amen to the computer. Since the best documentary series follow-up with the subjects later, we should hope that the “tone” of the Far Right doesn’t push these outstanding young people out of a major political party before Thanksgiving.  (That would be similar to moderates bailing out on the Dem Team over government spending.)

Keith with Peanut Politics blog is a young conservative Democrat who thinks the Black exodus from the GOP started in the primary and that it will kick into overdrive from the campaign rhetoric this fall. They might take my Blue Dog pin for saying this but stand your ground in the red team—be logical and cool when presenting a healthier “tone” option.

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Murphy, Honeycutt, and Scott On Trail In Georgia

Posted in Georgia, politics, tagged , , , , , , on July 7, 2010| Leave a Comment »

The 13th District congressional race in Georgia is interesting because Dr. Deborah Honeycutt is again facing Democrat Rep. David Scott.  Former Honeycutt campaign manager Michael Murphy is also in the race but as a Democrat.

When Murphy decided to move from the GOP to the Democrats, I was surprised and disappointed that a comfortable place did not exist for someone like him in that party.  As a Democrat with many conservative friends, I like options and choices for southern voters and don’t get me started about putting all of our eggs in one basket. 

Some observers think that the move farther Right signaled moderates and centrists toward the GOP exit door—let’s hope not.  But, my conversations with Murphy in the past have centered on a lack of an urban agenda in the GOP; which is sad because the party of Jack Kemp shouldn’t be that way.

Dr. Honeycutt has always seems like a positive person and should she enter congress I don’t see her standing idly as ugly rhetoric becomes the foundation of the GOP agenda.  In that regard, I think all voters should keep a hopeful eye on GOP candidates who are about constructive policy-making and yes, there are several out there. 

In a recent T.V. news story, Scott, Murphy and Honeycutt pounding the pavement as the primary election approaches.  Like Barrack Obama and Hillary Clinton, a health competition keeps all involved sharp and keen.   

http://www.11alive.com/news/politics_govt/story.aspx?storyid=146049&catid=12&GID=8F2NzPXAx2JQvPfbdDgU6nR7C+hayMyaTYusKTUf6YI%3D

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The Political Slate

Posted in politics, tagged , , , on July 6, 2010| Leave a Comment »

While blogging has been interesting, the time has come to put political concepts in play or as my daddy use to say “take it out of the talking phase.”  Americans have been attentive to politics and policy continuously for the last few years and that is a good thing.

During this important election year, the collected knowledge of the voters could make this of the most informed elections in history.  The major political parties are in a state of flux so let’s hope this transition period will produce healthier, goal-oriented policy-making in which leaders consider the people and the future more than money and power.  Yea, right.

Moderates and centrists should hope for a reduction of the classic political party slate. Getting our whole community to blindly support every candidate in one party is insulting on some level; especially when we see that parties don’t always monitor the legislative activities of officeholders.  But if the candidate has a “D” or “R” on his or her jersey, we started with the assumptions.

I appreciate the Democrats who battle with the Far Left over wild spending and expanded size of government.  More Republicans should do the same with the Far Right when they generate rhetoric that fires voters’ blood dangerously.

The Slate is a relic that should be blown off in the general election; if you like a candidate from another party, you should vote for that person.  In a complex twist, we should stop hating the other guys for being so wrong and hope that a few of them add reason and logic into their debates, plans and discussions.  We shouldn’t think that voting for all Democrats is helping the Democrat Team and President Obama because some Ds are in it for themselves and a few better Republicans could look at the others sternly when they start with that crazy talk.

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Political Comfort Level

Posted in politics, tagged , , , , on July 2, 2010| 2 Comments »

When you grow up in the diverse South, you should learn to put yourself in the other guy’s shoes, walk in his moccasins or generally imagine life and government from his perspective.  No one wanted to be slaves, current senior citizens should be barricaded in their homes from fear of young thugs and American foreign policy should respect the cultural richness and history of others around the world.  If the Native Americans had a better immigration policy…..

To me, it’s all about political options and agendas.  Elections are for selecting the leaders who will govern in a reasonable manner but the cart is in front of the horse or the tail is wagging the dog.  Today, the campaign process and year-round activism are more lucrative than serving in office.  For example, Sarah Palin status in the game reaps millions more than being governor, vice-president or president and I can’t blame her for staying paid. 

My friends and I pragmatically thought our community should explore positive political options that reflect the sizable African-American demographic that is moderate to conservative.  Our agenda grows from concern that all of our political eggs are in one basket.  In reality, the aggressive agenda of those who love fear overshadows the few efforts toward governing with bridge building and understanding.  Their facts are sound but their methods are detrimental.

During this primary and general election season, southerners should ask themselves if candidates have a good comfort level with citizens across the political spectrum.  Do you see the candidates meeting and listening in areas where few votes can be found because the actions of people there create governmental spending for everyone?  In clearly liberal or conservative areas, the direction is obvious but swing areas or statewide is different. 

On election night in November, we shouldn’t learn that a new group of leaders will govern next year and we never talked with them.  A sad fact about southern living is that we have much in common with the other side of town but never had a conversation.  National groups that relish division and conflict between Americans should be ashamed because that energy and attention should be focused on supporting our troops in two major theaters of war and completing their missions safely—remember we have troops in the field.  

While the far-left and far-right are vocal, the sensible center is larger and sways elections.  I want to see Blue Dog Democrats continue listening to conservatives in their areas and Republican challengers who are comfortable explaining their positions to centrists, moderates and even liberals.  Centrists outnumber extremists from both sides overwhelmingly.

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Southern Politics: The Audacity of Scope

Posted in Conservative, Georgia, politics, tagged , , , , , on May 4, 2010| 2 Comments »

The dictionary defines scope as the range of one’s perceptions, thoughts or actions.  A second definition is “the area covered by a given activity or subject.”  President Obama outlined his vision for a better America in his book the Audacity of Hope.  However, the hard part is implementing ideas into policy in a partisan nation where many of those who need improving don’t or won’t know it.

In the South, we need leaders with wider worldviews who can appreciate the salient points from the loyal opposition.  We need members of congress with scope.  The Republicans came to power in 1994 and the Democrats responded by accepting the moderate Blue Dogs subdivision in their party.  After the recent success of the Democrats, a similar subdivision on the Right seemed obvious.  Instead, we see a narrowing in the scope of southern Republicans and a national purification process in their ranks. 

The global economy is in flux and the South is competing with everyone for new job growth.  Companies might be reluctant to locate in what seems like a hostile environment.  Of course, people should stand firm in their believes but understand that in a democratic society other opinions should be respected. 

As a good southerner and proud American, I will discuss issues and solutions with a range of people and final actions could reflect a cross-section of views.  The “winner take all” mentality is sophomoric and reckless.  In military or political wars, you pray that you are strong and keen while also praying that diplomacy and common sense will avoid the need for conflict.  Some in the arena cherish conflict because division and fear are vital to their personal prosperity.  They should be ashamed of their ill-gotten gains. 

My friends on both sides want their political opposition to fail but will always discuss their rationale with others in hope that their views will improve.  We want other’s scope to widen.  In a more direct statement, the Right should seek counsel with the center in a manner similar to the Blue Dogs.  Most indications are that this won’t be happening.  We can call that the Audacity of Nope and it is unhealthy because leaders must dialog with a range of people to address problems and improve situations. 

My favorite politicians have always been those who constantly sought debate with everyone.  The better elements of the Right’s arguments rarely reach the correct ears—they are preaching to the choir.  When those elements are presented in wider circles, they come from the Blue Dogs who understand the diversity of our South.

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Southern Politics and Faith: Covenants, Oaths, and Pledges

Posted in African Americans, Georgia, politics, tagged , , , , on April 21, 2010| Leave a Comment »

In elementary school, my classmates who attended the Kingdom Hall made me proud when they stood by their faith by not standing and pledging alliance to the flag.  I love the flag and the republic “for which it stands” but I also learned tolerance, diversity and understanding from watching and appreciating others.  At the Methodist church, we studied Moses and his brother Aaron, the goldsmith who fashioned the golden calf while Moses was away receiving the Ten Commandments.

“You shall not make for yourself an idol…”

“You shall not bow down to them or worship them for I the Lord your God am a jealous God.”

“Take care not to make covenant with the inhabitants of the land to which you are going.”

Covenants, oaths, and pledges have always created fuzzy areas.  In college, some students were uncomfortable bowing and pledging their loyalty to fraternal organizations in ceremonies that seems religious or sacrilegious because they were based on ancient cultures.  Others saw swearing membership as joining the most noble knights or groups that defended the Christian faith like the Crusaders and the Knights Templar who secured the holy relics—I watch too much History Channel.

Ray Boyd, a candidate for Georgia Governor, recently declined taking a short loyal oath to the Republican Party–Democrats don’t have a similar oath.  The discussion with my friends quickly turned to what is higher in a person’s commitment: God, family, state, nation, political party, race, gender, Georgia Bulldogs.  Don’t answer that. 

On matters of governance, GOP members puts party higher that the less-ridged Dems.  The Red Team is always leery of anyone who hasn’t taken a blood oath in the basement of their meeting hall or a purity test.  These tests are good news for the political middle because people push or prodded out are welcomed in the center and bring a fiscal fitness element to every discussion.    

In the South, one of the most famous personal allegiance battles was General Robert E. Lee decision to turndown the command of the Army of the Potomac and side with his beloved Virginia.  As a kid, I wondered how Black Vietnam vets must have felt when they returned to hometowns where their mothers could not drink from certain public water fountains and their kids could not swim in public pools.  “My country tis of thee…Sweet land of liberty.”  In my community, we favor the federal government over the state government for obvious historic reasons and angry talks of states’ right is naturally unsettling. 

How far does one take a political party oath?  If the members of the other party have valid legislative initiates, do you fight each and every provision for party sake or be fair for country sake? 

In Israel earlier this year, it was clear that their faith was priority one and the same could be said for members of their faith living around the world.  With Jewish history, that is understandable.  How do people in America reconcile the mandates of their faith with the broader views of our nation?  When followers of Islam attempt to create Muslim-based theocracy in the Middle East, we in the West get nervous but what happens when members of my faith attempt to do the same thing here.  Those founding fathers could have made life easier by declaring a national religion.

And if you join a new political party, there will be a 12 month waiting period to ensure that you are not a mole, plant or spy.  When I worked on Capitol Hill, we did not view Republicans as those who should be converted to our party.  We respected their points of view because they represented a segment of our state.  On the other hand, many on the Right govern by ignoring every other standpoint.  That’s not cool or healthy.

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Back Stabbers: Obama, Republican Leadership and the Blue Dogs

Posted in Conservative, Georgia, politics, tagged , , , on February 26, 2010| Leave a Comment »

I think the congressional Republican leadership team has been reading this old blog in the cloakroom because they recently did exactly what I have been recommending to my Black GOP friends for years.  At the health care summit, they tried like crazy to be nice and smile while seriously expressing their concerns.  “And the Best Actor Oscar goes to…..” 

On the other hand, my man President Obama was killing me with the whole using first names thing.  Members of Congress were saying “Mr. President” and while he was saying John and Mitch.  Joe Sixpack is at home in his Lazyboy talking about uppity this and arrogant that.  It is all part of a diabolical plan and the White House doesn’t see it coming.

Old school folks know what time it is and I would strongly recommend that the first couple retire to the executive quarters, dig in their stacks of vinyl and play the O’Jays hit “Back Stabbers.”  The lyrics apply to the Right, those on the far Left and some in the center.  On the other hand, the Blue Dogs in the South might be humming the same tune when thinking about the WH and their party’s leadership.  I can’t call it.  The other O’Jays song that applies to politics is of course “For the Love of Money.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzjziKqVp6k&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCkLEo-DT1Q&feature=channel

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Southern Politics, Signs and the Big Chill

Posted in politics, tagged , , , , , , on February 11, 2010| 1 Comment »

As southerners, my friends and I seem to spend “plenty time” watching for signs regarding this or that.  The signs could actually be our better judgment kicking in or guardian angels (dead relatives) whispering in our ears.  The continued bickering in American politics disenchants me—it is not supposed to be this way.  President Obama was right to reference the MLK adage “you can disagree without being disagreeable.”  What he doesn’t know is that fussing and creating mess is what some folks do on the left and right.

The Rolling Stones’ classic “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” has been in my head all week when thinking about those in the political/policy arena.  Senator Scott Brown’s win in Massachusetts was a wake-up call for both political sides.  The Left should learn to take it easy on the center because not all of America is like New York City and L.A.  The Right should learn that I was correct for years: if they produce less bicker candidates in certain situations, they could get more of what they want done.  “You find sometimes…you get what you need.”

(Here’s the creepy sign part) So, I go over to you tube to hear the Stones tune and remember that it was on the soundtrack of the 1983 film The Big Chill—what a movie.  A useless fact is that Kevin Costner was the dead friend Alex in that movie but his flashback scenes were cut.  Can we flashback to the 90s when people could have a civil discussion on issues before voting no. In route to the cemetery, a friend says that her last talk with Alex was about him wasting his life—kind of like blogging.

 

I have a friend who could be deep in Georgia politics but is busy with a real professional and family life; I say help fix the nation for your children’s future.  For the years, we debated politics and policy in the cafeterias in the Congress and since then over the phone.  She is the reason I know that some people on the Right are actually well-intended but she could do more to improve their methods and techniques. (No reference here to “As Nasty As They Want To Be” by the Too Live Crew.)

 

In the Big Chill, JoBeth Williams’ character steps up to play the Stones tune on the organ at their friend’s funeral and her character’s name was Karen Bowens.  Oh my goodness, that name is a few letters off from my congressional friend Karen Bogans who should be back in the arena in some capacity.  It’s a sign I tell you. 

 

I created this seldom-read blog to share the Blue side of our debates and hope that she will share her views from the Right in summary or something.  This blog has a southern bridge on the front page to symbolize the bridge from our southern past to a brighter future. On the Big Chill part with the Stones song, the funeral procession goes over a bridge near Beaufort, South Carolina—thirty-nine miles from the Savannah, Georgia home of my old congressional staffing friend.  That’s deep. 

 

During the presidential election, I voted for change but fully realized that President Obama would need some people on the Right who would offer constructive criticism in the same manner they did during Clinton presidency and the way the Blue Dogs talked with both Presidents Bush.  During Clinton years, that opposition also helped chill the fiery elements on the far Left.  While I trend toward centrists, our community could use a little political diversity in the form of reasonable people like our Georgia Senators or we might wake up one day and find that the really radical elements of the Right are running things.

 

The Big Chill was all about old friends remembering what they planned and getting on the productive path.  Let’s bury some of this ugliness like they buried Kevin Costner and move forward.  

 

Big Chill Soundtrack–music clips

http://www.amazon.com/Big-Chill-Deluxe-Various-Artists/dp/B0001JXQCE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1265915656&sr=1-2

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Black Republicans and The Fox News Article: The Plot Thickens

Posted in politics, tagged , , , , , , , on October 15, 2009| 6 Comments »

After the interesting Fox News article about Black GOP candidates, conservative political consultant Raynard Jackson wrote a column that goes into details regarding his concerns.   

Black Republicans Running >From Race

Raynard Jackson 

Black Republicans running for various offices this election cycle seem to be running from race while running their race.  This is one of the most asinine things I have every seen, but not unexpected.  This is why Black Republicans have no credibility within their own community. 

Just wondering because I know they all claim to be candidates of great principles and I know they would stand up for right because they are the voice of the people, right? 

Finally, can you tell me if you have any Blacks on your paid campaign staffs with hiring or decision making authority?  Are you spending any campaign money with Black vendors (office supplies, computer services, restaurants, caterers, etc)?  Are there any Black banks in your area that you are utilizing?

I would be stunned if any of the campaigns could answer yes to these questions.  But, this is my offer to them.  I am offering 30 minutes of air time on my radios how (www.ustalknetwork.com) to each candidate to address these issues and talk about their campaigns.

So, while you are running your race, please don’t continue to forget your race!

Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a D.C.-based political consulting/government affairs firm.   You can listen to his radio show every Saturday evening from 7-9:00 p.m.  Go to www.ustalknetwork.com to register and then click on host, and then click on his photo to join his group. 

Last week I was interviewed by Kelley Beaucar Vlahos of  FOXNews.com.  The story was published this past Monday (http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/10/12/carter-obama-allen-west-race-card/).   

I was appalled at the comments of these Black office seekers and their obvious lack of understanding of how their words would be interpreted by those in the Black community.  Allen West, a retired Army colonel running against Democratic Congressman Ron Klein (FL-22nd), said, “Since (Democrats) have thrown out the race card, it has made me more appealing….because it shows the contrast of our principles—how different we are even though we both have permanent tans (referring to President Obama).”  West continued, “A lot of people who don’t want to be part of Obama’s policies are being called racist….Then they say, Hey, this guy, Colonel West—he’s Black and I support him…. It has nothing to do with race…People don’t care about your color, they care about your character.”   

But, Colonel West, WAIT!  You said it was not about race, then you say you’re Black, therefore people in your district are supporting you (because you are Black).  Which is it?  So, let me make sure I understand you.  White people are supporting you because you are Black so that you can speak out against the Black president, so the white people won’t have to (because they can’t call you a racist since you are Black).  Oh, I get it now.  You know we have a term for people like that and it begins with the word UNCLE!

Ryan Frazier is a 31 year old city councilman in Colorado and is running for the U.S. Senate in the Republican primary.  Frazier said that being Black is an asset.  So when he opposes the president’s policies, no one can call him a racist.  According to Frazier, “I don’t think they will be able to use that argument against me or engage in those tactics against me.”  So, let me interpret this.  Because of the skin color that you say doesn’t matter, you are able to criticize the president because of the very skin color that you say doesn’t matter?  Ok, now I understand. 

Michael Williams has served several terms as Texas Railroad Commissioner and is currently running for the U.S. Senate seat that current senator Kay Hutchinson is vacating to run for governor.  He states that his Blackness will be an asset.  According to the article, “one of the things it allows me to do….it allows me to speak very, very frankly about what I believe, and what I feel, and nobody is going to call me a racist.”  Again, I am confused.  His Blackness is only an asset when it comes to denigrating a Black president and his policies.  According to Williams, other than giving him cover in criticizing the president, his race doesn’t exist.  Wow, either he is color blind or just blind to people of color. 

Do these guys hear themselves and how ridiculous they sound?  Have you ever heard of a Jewish candidate denying or distancing themselves from their own heritage?  Or a Latino or Asian?  These groups use their ethnicity to endear themselves to voters from their group while at the same time building coalitions to expand their base of support

Can you be against the president’s policies and not be a racist?  Without question.  But, I challenge these candidates to answer a few questions for me.   

What does describing Obama as a Nazi have to do with healthcare?  What does calling him a liar during a joint session of Congress have to do with healthcare?  How does calling him a socialist, fascist, or communist, further the healthcare debate?  So, you would think that if this debate was about healthcare, the signs at town hall meetings and rallies would read, “how will you pay for your plan, Mr. President, how will it be implemented, or what if I don’t want your plan?”  Those would be legitimate questions.   

Another question for the candidates, are there any public statements by them speaking out against the actions of Congressman Joe Wilson during the president’s speech before a joint session of Congress? 

Are there any public statements by them chastising individuals and party officials for some of the incendiary rhetoric coming from Republicans (Barak the Magic Negro, calling Michelle Obama a monkey, or the celebration by many conservatives that Chicago was eliminated from Olympic consideration)?   

Just wondering because I know they all claim to be candidates of great principles and I know they would stand up for right because they are the voice of the people, right? 

Finally, can you tell me if you have any Blacks on your paid campaign staffs with hiring or decision making authority?  Are you spending any campaign money with Black vendors (office supplies, computer services, restaurants, caterers, etc)?  Are there any Black banks in your area that you are utilizing?

I would be stunned if any of the campaigns could answer yes to these questions.  But, this is my offer to them.  I am offering 30 minutes of air time on my radios how (www.ustalknetwork.com) to each candidate to address these issues and talk about their campaigns.

So, while you are running your race, please don’t continue to forget your race!

Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a D.C.-based political consulting/government affairs firm.   You can listen to his radio show every Saturday evening from 7-9:00 p.m.  Go to www.ustalknetwork.com to register and then click on host, and then click on his photo to join his group.

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