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DEL.ICIO.USMcKinney’s machine breaks down
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It was once thought she had an invincible political machine that could turn out the masses on command.
Late Tuesday night, that machine looked broken and her forces in disarray as six-term 4th District congresswoman and perennial firebrand Cynthia McKinney was soundly defeated by former DeKalb County Commissioner Hank Johnson.
Political analysts said it could spell the end of a political era for McKinney in the DeKalb-centered district that includes portions of Rockdale and Gwinnett counties.
“It’s the end of her political career,” University of Georgia political scientist Charles Bullock said. “I can’t think of anyone who’s come back from two primary defeats. It’s done some real damage to the notion that she’s got this loyal electorate that she can snap her fingers and mobilize.”
The defeat means McKinney will carry a double-loser label — she was beaten by fellow Democrat Denise Majette in 2002 — a fact that is likely to make it difficult for her to raise money for future races. Johnson, meanwhile, will be in prime position to consolidate his power and broaden his political base on what McKinney considered her home turf.
In the end, McKinney’s headline-producing actions — suggesting President Bush had advance knowledge of the Sept. 11 attacks and being accused of hitting a Capitol Hill cop at a security checkpoint — apparently exacted a toll. Her alienation of metro Atlanta’s politically active Jewish community only added to her woes.
In 2002, her father, former state Rep. Billy McKinney, blamed “J-E-W-S” for her loss to Majette. That incident, coupled with the congresswoman’s pro-Palestinian politics, led many in the Jewish community to back Johnson.
DeKalb County resident Lonnie Smith, 49, helped propel Johnson to victory Tuesday night.
“Cynthia McKinney doesn’t need to win,” said Smith, a businesswoman who voted for Johnson at Avondale Middle School. “She is an embarrassment to the law, an embarrassment to being female, an embarrassment to being black and an embarrassment to being a Christian. She’s loud and obnoxious and exhibits no sense of class.”
McKinney, however, toned down her image after being forced into a runoff, personally reaching out to voters in her district and changing tactics to make herself available for media interviews and a series of debates with Johnson.
But McKinney’s legendary talent for turning out grass-roots support failed this time. Long-time friends and supporters such as state Rep. Tyrone Brooks (D-Atlanta) criss-crossed DeKalb County on her behalf over the weekend. McKinney also hit the pavement, showing up at churches and community forums, on street corners and in live television and radio debates. But her machine had run out of gas.
Johnson gained momentum by casting himself as the moderate alternative to McKinney’s outspoken political style, which had turned off north DeKalb voters years ago and also seemed to be wearing thin with some of her core supporters in south DeKalb.
An analysis of primary voting by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution suggested that McKinney’s strength was waning even in parts of DeKalb where she had been strong before.
Runoffs are usually lightly attended, but Gwinnett and Rockdale voters came to the polls in surprising numbers, another fact that helped Johnson. In the July 18 primary, 2,054 Democrats voted in the 4th District primary in Gwinnett County, and 4,623 in Rockdale County. However, in Tuesday’s runoff, more than 2,100 Gwinnett voters cast ballots in Democratic race, and more than 5,600 voted in the district’s Rockdale County precincts. Both counties went 3-to-1 for Johnson, helping him build a substantial lead even before officials began counting the DeKalb County ballots.
McKinney’s campaign manager, John Evans, admitted the obvious to reporters about 11:15 p.m. as he waited for McKinney to arrive and concede the race.
“It’s over,” he said. “They just beat us. He got a lot of white votes, a lot of Republican votes, and he took some of our votes where she has been stable.”
Johnson was referring to south DeKalb where McKinney counted on a strong turnout to beat back Johnson’s strength in north DeKalb and Gwinnett and Rockdale.
“If Johnson was able to pick up 10 to 15 percent in what were considered McKinney strongholds, it would indicate the district has changed,” said William Boone, a political scientist at Clark Atlanta University. “It shows a determined opposition can accomplish a lot.”
Evans said the “Capitol Hill incident” was especially damaging to McKinney. The avalanche of publicity surrounding it could have kept some McKinney backers from the polls, he said.
“I think there’s a lot of ABC involved — Anybody But Cynthia,” he said.
McKinney had hoped to overcome the bad press with loyal voters like Kim Stevens, 41, a Lithonia day-care center operator who mourned the congresswoman’s defeat Tuesday night.
“She put up a good fight,” Stevens said. “I think people have a fear of those who are outspoken. She is our voice. Sometimes she will speak about things other people won’t. Just because she hasn’t won the seat doesn’t mean she won’t be on the forefront fighting for the people of District 4.”
Robert Thomas of Lithonia voted for McKinney in previous elections but said he made a different choice in Tuesday’s runoff.
“We’re due for a change in the 4th District,” said the 56-year-old real estate agent. “Time will tell whether it’s a good change or a bad change.”
Staff writers James Salzer, Ernie Suggs and database editor David Milliron contributed to this article.
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