Home > Political Insider > Archives > 2007 > August > 12 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USVoting with their feet: Rivers of new people creating their own revolution
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Never mind what the civic do-gooders say. The most important political statement an individual makes doesn’t have to involve the mouth or the ballot.
For many, it’s all about the feet.
Numbers turned up last week showing metro Atlanta in the midst of a revolution by moving van. The city of Atlanta, from the spring of ‘06 to the spring of ‘07, gained 12,600 new residents — its largest spurt of growth in 30 years.
A good number of the Atlanta newbies are probably not African-American.
Another, separate set of numbers showed that, over the last six years, the Republican bastion of Gwinnett has edged closer to becoming a county in which a formula of black, Hispanic and Asian residents form the majority. Whites made up 67 percent of Gwinnett’s population in 2000, and as of 2006 comprised 52.5 percent.
The implications aren’t lost on anyone, whether Democrat or Republican, white, black or something else.
Last November, U.S. Rep. John Lewis, the civil rights icon, was easily elected to his 10th term in Congress. What many didn’t notice was the fact that white voters cast 51 percent of the ballots in the contest for the 5th District, which covers Atlanta, a bit of Clayton County and a slice of west DeKalb.
“It’s not spoken about much, but there are concerns that we will lose, as African-Americans, our political base, which has largely been the city of Atlanta for major leadership within the state,” Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin said this summer.
Many white Republicans feel Franklin’s pain, and struggle with it. And not just in suburban Gwinnett.
Woody Thompson is a quiet, blue-eyed real estate man of short and stocky build. Until 2004, he was a two-term Republican county commissioner representing the southwest corner of Cobb.
Thompson was defeated by Annette Kesting, an African-American and Democrat who tapped a growing number of black voters who have moved into an area once famous for its support of segregationist Gene Talmadge.
So you could call Thompson a casualty of the moving van revolution. But he’s not ready to be declared roadkill. He wants another go at Kesting. Last month, the lifelong, 60-year-old Republican joined the Democratic party. He’ll challenge her in the July primary.
“Obviously, the constituency out here has changed considerably,” Thompson said over coffee in a local shop. “I want to be able to identify with folks and get them to listen to me. I know what people are looking for. Basically, they’re looking for responsible leadership.”
Efforts to catch up with Kesting last week were unsuccessful. Let’s assume that she would call Thompson opportunistic.
But it is significant that Thompson was welcomed into the fold by David Wilkerson, the first African-American chairman of the Cobb County Democratic party.
While Mayor Franklin in Atlanta worries about the future of her city, it has fallen to Wilkerson, a 38-year-old certified public accountant, to prepare his party to take control of once thoroughly Republican Cobb County. Not next week, not next year, but soon.
By the numbers, Cobb is now 40 percent Democrat. Democrats won a second district seat on the seven-member county school board last year. Wilkerson wants to add a third next year.
By 2012, a presidential cycle away, Wilkerson thinks Democrats will be ready to compete countywide.
People ebb and people flow, and power follows them. Metro Atlanta has broken away from the black urban/white suburban political structure that defined it for so long. But this is still the South. And if the geographic boundaries are fading away, others remain.
“You can’t avoid the race issue. It’s not good or bad, it’s just the way things are. It’s fact,” said Woody Thompson, the new Democrat. “Sure, some people are going to get a vote because they’re one color or the other. It’s just an issue I’m going to have to deal with.”
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By Nick
August 13, 2007 3:38 AM | Link to this
“Numbers turned up last week showing metro Atlanta in the midst of a revolution by moving van. The city of Atlanta, from the spring of ‘07 to the spring of ‘08, gained 12,600 new residents — its largest spurt of growth in 30 years.”
How can the results of a study ending in spring of 2008 be released in summer of 2007?
By South Cobb Activist
August 13, 2007 10:01 AM | Link to this
So many questions… We all knew Woody was a democrat. Amazingly, no one has criticized him for his party switching and leaving his principles of the GOP at the door step. His move to become a dem outweighed his beliefs as a republican. Political expediency to win at its best. Sadly, Sam Olens and other commissioners will probably support him against a republican challenger. And the fix is in, that no one will try to recruit a republican to run in the general for this race.
By Polly Ester Cotton
August 13, 2007 10:20 AM | Link to this
Road to Damascus? Almost anybody can right their wrong ways…
By South Cobb Activist
August 13, 2007 12:15 PM | Link to this
Since Woody is so fixated on “race” in this race, a good question to ask him is why in his 2004 defeat did he not spend any money on going after the black vote. Not a cent. He wrote the black vote off then, but feels they will vote for him now since he is dem. Amazing.
By Terry Lawler
August 13, 2007 1:38 PM | Link to this
I have known Woody for over 25 years when we had competing businesses. He is neither a democrat or a republican: he is someone concerned with the future of his community.
The fact is, if you want to serve your community you have to win the election. That doesn’t mean you leave your principles on the doorstep.
My grandfather taught me long ago that principles don’t have a D or R after them. You are either principled or you are not.
I have always known Woody to be both principled and hard working and hope the citizens of south Cobb County will continue to recognize that fact too. I’m just sorry I don’t still live there and can offer him my support and vote to him.
By South Cobb Activist
August 13, 2007 2:14 PM | Link to this
Terry-
Principles of democrats are different than principles of republicans. Two different methods of governing. What kind of principle is it for Woody to write off the black vote in 2004, switch parties in 2007, thinking that his feelings towards blacks will entice them to vote for him in 2008? Woody is hoping for a coalition of Republicans to support him as a democrat in the primary as well as entice white democrats to vote for him. Heck, maybe Woody’s previous votes on zoning should be analyzed. Higher density has turned south Cobb more democrat.