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Tuesday, October 17, 2006
As the worm turns, part one
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Last Friday, in a press conference announcing the latest polling evidence of a Republican debacle, Democratic strategist James Carville advised his party to, in effect, swing for the bleachers.
Support for Republican congressional incumbents has fallen so dramatically in the 49 competitive, Republican-held U.S. House districts surveyed in the latest Democracy Corps poll, Carville said, that there must be other winnable districts out there where Democrats never dreamed they had a chance. To cash in on what he described as a historic opportunity, Bill Clinton’s former campaign manager advised state parties to borrow money to pump into congressional races.
The Republicans’ ability to pull a rabbit out of the hat in the past few elections, and the fact that the same polls which show the Republicans in free fall don’t register any great enthusiasm for Democrats either, should be enough to inject a little skepticism into these heady reports.
But it does make you wonder, if Georgia Democrats swung for the bleachers, what would they swing at? As a young activist commented this week, Georgia Democrats have run away from their national party so long, they wouldn’t know how to run with it.
You can judge the truth of that comment from Rep. John Barrow’s ad in which he attacks challenger Max Burns for his support of a national sales tax, which the administration also opposes.
“I agree with George Bush on that one,� the Democrat Barrow says.
National Journal has moved the Barrow-Burns race and the Jim Marshall-Mac Collins downward on their list of competitive House races – but on the other hand, the list of competitive races has grown longer. No targeted incumbents, even Democrats, can rest entirely easy this year – hence Barrow’s effort to deflect Bush’s campaign stop for his opponent last month.
Despite some spirited Democratic opposition, none of Georgia’s Republican House members are on anybody’s list of vulnerable seats, but this election might still be a life-changing experience for them. We will return to that subject shortly.
One of the few people eligible to joke about missing fingers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Former U.S. senator Max Cleland is in Montana, campaigning for Democrat Jon Tester, who’s running against GOP incumbent U.S. Sen. Conrad Burns. This in today’s Billings Gazette:
“During his speech, Cleland made light of his own amputations by grabbing Tester’s left hand, which is missing three fingers lost in a meat grinder.
“‘At least he won’t be putting his hand in the till like someone we know,’ Cleland said, referring to Burns’ campaign donations of about $150,000 from Jack Abramoff, his clients and associates.”
Christian Coalition of Georgia becomes the Georgia Christian Alliance
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Just in time for her voter guides, Sadie Fields has unveiled the name of her new group, formerly known as the Christian Coalition of Georgia.
It will be the Georgia Christian Alliance, as many predicted. Christian Coalition chapters in Alabama, Iowa, and Ohio have re-titled themselves similarly, lending strength to the supposition that — at some point — they’ll make a go at a national organization to rival the once powerful Christian Coalition.
We predict a confederacy rather than a federation.
The national Christian Coalition is currently remaking itself — a process that had Fields and leaders of Christian Coalition chapters in other states accusing its leader, Roberta Combs, of leftward drift.
But if there is to be a national Christian Alliance, it will need a national leader with experience in the field. Who’s great on TV and capable of raising money. There’s got to be someone who fits that profile.
