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DEL.ICIO.USThe race for Democratic chairman breaks into the open
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Columbus attorney Jim Butler has churned out another letter on the race to replace Bobby Kahn as chairman of the state Democratic party.
Butler doesn’t name names, but it sounds like he’s dissing one of the candidates — Michael Berlon, the current chairman of the Gwinnett Democratic organization, who has the support of some of the state’s top labor leaders.
Go to the jump for the entire letter.
Subject: The main thing Georgia Democrats have to fear is … Georgia Democrats
Demographic and political trends strongly suggest that Democrats should be able to return to power by the 2010 elections, if not before.
Certainly it appears that Bushism may relegate the Republicans to Hoover days, and Americans’ revulsion about the Bushist mismanagement of foreign policy, domestic policy, fiscal policy, and trade policy will eventually percolate in to Georgians’ views.
Perdue’s legacy of inaction and negative actions won’t be much better, if any.
I can’t see much standing in the way of a brighter future for Democrats and all Georgia citizens other than Democrats’ own failure to seize the opportunities to broaden the appeal of the Georgia Democratic Party and its candidates.
One of the candidates for Party Chair has advocated separating the Party from elected Democratic officials. That’s very unwise and counter-productive, in my view.
It reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of past Democratic history in Georgia (when the relationship between the Party and elected officials was based upon the fact Democrats controlled the state and the fact there was no really organized Democratic party, nor much need for one).
It also reflects a failure to understand fundamental truths about fundraising. Such a Party organization will simply not be able to raise money effectively. Money isn’t everything in politics, as we all know and have been reminded in recent years, but it is nonetheless important.
In the first place, who knows more about how to get Democrats elected to office than someone who has managed to get elected to office in Georgia as a Democrat? Not many of the rest of us, that’s for sure.
More importantly, it is clear beyond doubt that most county party organizations need to be reconstituted, and the obvious most logical place to start is with elected Democratic officials in each county.
State Party officials should go to them and enlist their help in reconstituting the County party. The goal should be to make being a Democrat in that county socially acceptable to a broad cross section of the community.
What are we missing in most counties? Everyone knows the answer to that. Elected Sheriffs, County Commissioners, Tax Commissioners, and Clerks can, if they will, encourage and enlist local business folk and others widely respected in the community to become the local ‘face of the party’.
The experience of Democrats in western states should show us the way. Pick the target groups who have not been willing to consider voting for Democrats. Become acceptable to them, and you cobble together a majority of the votes.
In much of Georgia, many voters today will simply not even contemplate voting for someone with “Democrat” beside their name. THAT is the main issue. That is what Georgia Democrats must overcome. I hope the State Committee will elect as State Officers folks with whom a broader cross section of Georgians can readily identify.
Jim Butler
Columbus GA
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By Jerry
January 20, 2007 4:34 AM | Link to this
Georgia Democrats might as well go home and just look out the window cause they won’t see a ruling day in Georgia again for a long time. Their liberal policies will never work in this state again. This state has become the heart of true conservatism. Our Governor is doing a great job and should be considered as a possible running mate for the GOP ticket in 08. With the leadership in our state now we have the opportunity to set the trend for our conservative government will be ran. And the first place they could start is by passing the Fair Tax for the state of Georgia. All a Republican candidate has to do to prevent people from voting for a Democrat in this state is just tie the Democratic candidate they are facing to Ted Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, Cynthia McKinney, and Dick Durbin. And then say by being a Democrat they support these type of candidates. That should scare any voter in Georgia. Liberalism (Democratic Party) is near death in the state of Georgia.
By Melissa
January 20, 2007 11:33 AM | Link to this
Jim Butler is a little bit of a blow-hard, but he’s right about Mike Berlon being an idiot to say he’s going to separate the Democratic Party of Georgia from elected officials. Berlon is just a BAD candidate.
Remember how he ran for Congress back in 98 against Linder and never ONCE filed a financial disclosure report? Not even now, when he’s running for chair. Isn’t that a felony? Is that who we really want running our party?
By DemsForever
January 20, 2007 11:59 AM | Link to this
I had no idea so many people were running for DPG Party Chair.
And I had no idea that Michael Berlon had never filed required FEC paperwork. I tend to take blog info with a grain of salt, but after reading this post I just looked it up on the FEC website and Melissa is absolutely right.
That certainly puts a new spin on his candidacy for me. While I’m not on the state committee and can’t vote, I will certainly be encouraging my voting friends to look to other candidates. Maybe the Party’s first female Chair?? Hmmmm???
By RedStateRedMeat
January 20, 2007 12:02 PM | Link to this
The frontrunner for the democrats doesn’t know how to file paperwork for his own campaign? And he wants to run hundreds of campaigns across the state next year?
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!
By RedStateRedMeat
January 20, 2007 12:03 PM | Link to this
The frontrunner for the democrats doesn’t know how to file paperwork for his own campaign? And he wants to run hundreds of campaigns across the state next year?
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!
By AndrewM
January 20, 2007 12:08 PM | Link to this
I didn’t ever bother to follow internal races like this because I didn’t think it mattered - but maybe now that the Dems have finally put an end to their downward slide in Georgia - they didn’t lose any legislative seats this year, and they actually picked up one (Kevin Levitas - good job!) it’s time to pay attention to positions like this. I’d like to see a chairman (or chairwoman, sorry ladies) with proven campaign experience - someone who has run successful campaigns in Georgia - someone who knows how to raise millions of dollars - has any of the candidates got experience raising money? Isn’t that one of Bobby Kahn’s biggest jobs, raising money? As former elected officials my guess is Jane Kid and Carol Jackson would have a leg up in that area.
By Iris
January 20, 2007 12:17 PM | Link to this
Democrats will not just go home and look at the window. What kind of numbskullery generates statements like that? How can you say our governor is doing a great job when he has done nothing about illegal immigration, nothing about low test scores in our schools, nothing about mental health, nothing about transportation?
The leadership now has set the trend all right, a trend where his deeds are specially exempted when he makes his land deals writes himself tax write-offs.
If the Unfair Tax is passed, which will not generate as much money as the current system, just how do you expect the government to continue to run? Explain how the Unfair Tax will solve all our problems.
Preventing people from voting Republican will not be too difficult; all people have to do is invoke the names of Scooter Libby, Mark Foley, Jack Abramoff, Ralph Reed, and Bob Ney and people will remember what they get when they vote Republican.
Merriam Webster defines liberalism as a movement in modern Protestantism emphasizing intellectual liberty and the spiritual and ethical content of Christianity or a theory in economics emphasizing individual freedom from restraint and usually based on free competition, the self-regulating market, and the gold standard or a political philosophy based on belief in progress, the essential goodness of the human race, and the autonomy of the individual and standing for the protection of political and civil liberties.
Those beliefs will never die.
By SylviaDelamare
January 20, 2007 12:41 PM | Link to this
The race for Party chairman is a critical step in reforming our state system.
We need to see a woman at the healm.
Jane Kidd would make a great chairperson.
By GwinnettDem
January 20, 2007 1:44 PM | Link to this
Look, I’ve known Michael Berlon for almost a decade. I’m a Democrat in Gwinnett, and while I like Mike and his lovely wife very much personally, ask anyone who has worked with him in Gwinnett the last six years what kind of job he did when he was head of the county party.
The man has no time for candidates or campaigns. He’s running a fulltime lawfirm. He doesn’t have time to go to his own Democratic meetings, for chrissakes.
And his fundraising record for his own candidates? Zero. Nada. Zilch. The Big Goose Egg.
So is Mike Berlon REALLY qualified to lead Democrats into the ‘08 elections?
I like Mike. We all do. But there are better options out there. So the answer has to be a big fat “No.”
By FultonDem
January 20, 2007 3:07 PM | Link to this
Did anyone go see the candidate forum for this position today?
I wanted to go but couldn’t make it, but I’d love to hear from someone who heard from all of the candidates.
By snd
January 20, 2007 7:37 PM | Link to this
Suckers. You are all being played. Berlon did not run in 98. Of course there are no records…DUH! Vince Littman ran agains Linder that year. Berlon ran a self finance campaign in 2002 and took on for the team.
There are ‘power players’ in the party who do not want to give up their throne. That is why they are attacking Berlon. Check out www.blogfordemocracy.org soon as they will have the video from the forum today. Berlon knocked it out of the park. Kidd was OK but nothing new. Carol Jackson did better than expected.
By Jerry
January 20, 2007 11:23 PM | Link to this
For your information Iris the Fair Tax is the best tax system. I would generate just as much if not more taxes than the current system. Everyone would pay, rich, illegals, anyone spending money. Now ya’ll like to say that corporations wouldn’t pay their fair share of taxes but what ya’ll forget is that corporate taxes are just passed on to the consumer in the price they pay. And as far as illegals go I would like something done about that like convincing your liberal friends to vote in Washington for a wall to be built. But at least with the Fair Tax illegals would pay their share of taxes on their income when they go to Walmart. Oh I’m sorry ya’ll liberals hate that company too cause it tries to provide a good product to the working families and provide a decent job for people. As far as the rich go they would most certainly pay more in taxes through the Fair Tax cause one thing is for sure the rich love to spend money. And as far as the people you named as Republicans only 2 held elected office and the one that was in the Bush administration was railroaded. He broke no laws and that will be proved in a court of law. And at least none of them killed a poor young lady on a bridge and covered it up.
By Hunter
January 21, 2007 8:50 AM | Link to this
Iris limited understanding of the FAIRTAX proposal is typical of the left…they dont want anything that will benefit America and they DO want some to pay more tax than others…FAIRTAX is the ONLY equitable method of tax collection for ALL, including ILLEGALS and foreign visitors!
Iris, STRIVE to be SMARTER than a DEMOCRACKKK !!!