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Thursday, June 26, 2008
Plouffe: Georgia ‘very competitive’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
David Plouffe, Barack Obama’s national campaign manager, just told reporters on a conference call that the Democratic presidential candidate plans to fight for Georgia’s 15 electoral votes.
Georgia, Plouffe said, is “a big state with a lot of electoral votes,” and one that he said is in play.
“We think Georgia is very competitive,” Plouffe said.
He specifically disputed the notion that Obama will make a show of competing in red states like Georgia just to force Republican John McCain to spend money defending what normally is safe turf.
“There is not a head fake in any of these states,” Plouffe said. “There is a path to victory in each of these states. We’re playing aggressively in states we think we can win.”
Obama last week launched the first television ads of the general election here when went up on the air in Georgia and 17 other states.
Plouffe referenced a poll released last week by Atlanta-based Insider Advantage that showed Obama and McCain essentially tied, as McCain’s 1-point lead fell within the margin of error.
That poll, Plouffe said, reflected their own belief on the state of the race here. “That’s where we think it is,” he said.
No Democrat has carried the state in a presidential election since 1992 and the state hasn’t been competitive since 1996.
— Aaron Gould Sheinin
Jim Galloway is on vacation. If you’ve got news, pop an e-mail to our political team: editor Susan Abramson at sabramson@ajc.com; staffers Aaron Sheinin at asheinin@ajc.com; James Salzer at jsalzer@ajc.com; Ben Smith at bsmith@ajc.com; and Jim Tharpe at jtharpe@ajc.com.
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Franklin eager for convention
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
She’s yet to learn exactly what her duties will be, but Shirley Franklin’s role at the Democratic National Convention will likely be high-profile.
The Atlanta mayor is one of three co-chairs of the convention, to be held in late August in Denver. U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is the chairwoman, and joining Franklin as co-chairs are Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius and Texas state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte.
In an interview Thursday, Frankin said she’ll be supporting Pelosi in “whatever role is required.”
“I’m more excited about the convention and the nominee than I am about myself,” Franklin said. “I want to be focused on winning an election.”
Franklin will also be an Obama-voting delegate to the convention after she the state party chose her for one of 11 slots designated for party leaders and elected officials. Franklin said she doesn’t know if she’ll have a speaking role at the convention, but said it hardly matters.
“I have offered to the DNC to serve in any role they would like,” she said.
— Aaron Gould Sheinin
Jim Galloway is on vacation. If you’ve got news, pop an e-mail to our political team: editor Susan Abramson at sabramson@ajc.com; staffers Aaron Sheinin at asheinin@ajc.com; James Salzer at jsalzer@ajc.com; Ben Smith at bsmith@ajc.com; and Jim Tharpe at jtharpe@ajc.com.
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Barr on the ballot
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Bob Barr is now officially a presidential candidate in Georgia.
The former Republican congressman, now Libertarian Party candidate for president, filed paperwork with the Secretary of State’s office on Thursday to add his name to the slate of candidates in November.
While the Libertarian Party gets automatic ballot access here, just like the Democrats and Republicans, the law requires an official statement of candidacy to be filed.
Barr completed that task surrounded by about two dozen supporters in Secretary Karen Handel’s office.
Barr did not have to do it in person, but given that it’s his home state, and a state where he could have the greatest impact, it makes sense.
And, by the way, in case you’re wondering: Barack Obama and John McCain have not yet filed the same paperwork, because they’re not officially their parties’ nominees yet. That won’t happen until after the conventions in August and September, respectively. Barr won the Libertarian nomination at his party’s convention in May.
—Aaron Gould Sheinin
Jim Galloway is on vacation. If you’ve got news, pop an e-mail to our political team: editor Susan Abramson at sabramson@ajc.com; staffers Aaron Sheinin at asheinin@ajc.com; James Salzer at jsalzer@ajc.com; Ben Smith at bsmith@ajc.com; and Jim Tharpe at jtharpe@ajc.com.
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More on that Obama trip
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
We’ve just received a copy of an e-mail that’s making its way around Atlanta’s Democratic circles that seconds those rumors of a pending visit from Barack Obama.
Regular readers know that talk of a trip here from the Democratic presidential nominee-in-waiting has been circulating for a few weeks. On Tuesday we were told a date: July 7. Now, according to the new e-mail, we have a time: 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
We still don’t know a location. But this e-mail repeats the Tuesday tip that Obama’s trip is primarily going to be about raising money.
Obama’s campaign has yet to confirm that the candidate will be visiting.
— Aaron Gould Sheinin
Jim Galloway is on vacation. If you’ve got news, pop an e-mail to our political team: editor Susan Abramson at sabramson@ajc.com; staffers Aaron Sheinin at asheinin@ajc.com; James Salzer at jsalzer@ajc.com; Ben Smith at bsmith@ajc.com; and Jim Tharpe at jtharpe@ajc.com.
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‘Cooter’ at Manuel’s tonight
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ben Jones, the former congressman, perhaps better known as “Cooter” on the “Dukes of Hazzard,” will be at Manuel’s Tavern tonight signing copies of his new book.
Jones, who represented Georgia’s 4th District, will sign copies of “Redneck Boy in the Promised Land,” at the popular hangout for journalists and politicians. It’s at 602 N. Highland Ave. NE.
It doesn’t cost anything to get in, and they’ll be selling copies of the book.
As Cooter might have said, “Y’all come.”
— Aaron Gould Sheinin
Jim Galloway is on vacation. If you’ve got news, pop an e-mail to our political team: editor Susan Abramson at sabramson@ajc.com; staffers Aaron Sheinin at asheinin@ajc.com; James Salzer at jsalzer@ajc.com; Ben Smith at bsmith@ajc.com; and Jim Tharpe at jtharpe@ajc.com.
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Georgia Democrats have a minor gender issue
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Democratic National Committee has found Georgia to be one of nine states that is out of compliance with party rules on the demographic make-up of its delegation to the national convention.
The party has complicated goals states should meet to ensure diversity in the delegations. But there are also hard rules that say the three standing committees to the national convention have equal number of men and women. And that’s where Georgia’s issue is.
The state party has four seats on each of the three standing committees, which are Rules, Platform and Credentials. Martin Matheny, spokesman for the Georgia Democratic Party, said the problem appears to be that there are three women and one man from Georgia on the Rules Committee, and three men and one woman on Credentials.
The issue, Matheny said, came about because the Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton campaigns dictated who they wanted on which committee. So, Matheny said, the party is working with the campaigns to get one woman and one man switched before the convention in August.
— Aaron Gould Sheinin
Jim Galloway is on vacation. If you’ve got news, pop an e-mail to our political team: editor Susan Abramson at sabramson@ajc.com; staffers Aaron Sheinin at asheinin@ajc.com; James Salzer at jsalzer@ajc.com; Ben Smith at bsmith@ajc.com; and Jim Tharpe at jtharpe@ajc.com.
