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November 2006
Georgia blogs on the election
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Peach Pundit was feeling bittersweet on Wednesday: Bitter about the national results; sweet about the state.
Over at Georgia Unfiltered, the mood was depression, describing the election as probably the lowest point in the history of the state Democratic Party.
Libertarian Jason Pye offered an equal opportunity roundup of opinions at his blog
Round up the bloggers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
After a late night, the blogosphere was back in business Wednesday morning. Here’s a sample of what political bloggers are blathering about:
Crazy Politico’s Rantings included eating crow for his predictions. But he was giving no ground on this point: “All the folks on the left claiming GWB and Co. had “stolen America” now own America an apology. The Republic still function.”
University of Tennessee law professor Glenn Reynolds, the instapundit, weighed in on S. Dakota abortion ban and Blue Dog Dems at instapundit.
Jane Fonda’s ex, Tom Hayden, offered his opinion that Iraq won the election at the Huffington Post.
Conservative and Bush critic Andrew Sullivan offered up an Abraham Lincoln quote as his thought for the day
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Why did Georgia run against the tide?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
So did Georgia swim against the national tide because more residents lean Republican or because the Democratic field was weak? Or were there other reasons?
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Future of Georgia Dems rest on Baker?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
So who’s now the leader of the Georgia Democratic Party? Thurbert Baker, who won re-election as attorney general? And since it’s never too early to start talking about the next election, who do you think will be the candidates for the big offices — governor, senator?
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Setting a new House agenda
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With Democrats taking control of the U.S. House of Representatives, what do you think will be at the top of their agenda? What do you think should be on the agenda?
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Where do Georgia Dems go from here?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“Clearly the Democrats are going to have to regroup,” said Michael Thurmond, a Democrat who was relected as Labor Commissioner. That made him one of only three Democrats to win statewide races in Georgia Tuesday.
Who do you think can or should lead the rebuilding of the Georgia Democratic party, and how would you suggest they go about it?
New media, old media, dizzy media
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Your election night blogger has been surveying the media scene for you. Feel free to check it out on your own. But, frankly, we’d prefer your eyeballs stayed glued this spot. Here’s what we can report:
Fox News moved at such a dizzying pace and pattern —states tumbling back and forth on the screen — that we headed for the medicine cabinet for a hit of dramamine. Maybe it was the drugs, but we couldn’t comprehend what the graphics were trying to tell us.
CNN produced another form of overload — an assemblage of bloggers in one room that spanned the political spectrum with enough blogosphere star power to keep California lit.
Let me be clear: We are not afraid of blog competition. But the effect of that many bloggers in one place is having the same effect on us as Fox — wooziness.
We think this entry from Wonkette gives a pretty good description of the scene.
And we certainly second its closing statement: “Hooray for the marriage between old and new media! Cyborg Lawyer Glenn Reynolds agrees: blogs, not children, are the future!”
Permalink | | Categories: Election results
Georgia bucking the trend?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Early returns show Democrats picking up seats in the U.S. House and Senate. But it appears Georgians are on their way to putting even more Republicans in state office - for the first time adding the lieutenant governorship to the “R” column.
Why do you think this is happening? Are there specific reasons the state’s voters appear to bucking the trend?
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Perdue leads GOP fly-around
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Fresh off his final confrontation with Mark Taylor, a Sunday night debate, Gov. Sonny Perdue took his re-election campaign to major cities across the state.
Flying out of Epps Aviation at Peachtree-DeKalb Airport off Clairmont Road in DeKalb County, Perdue led a slate of statewide candidates and trailing media. In all, they took three airplanes, with the governor in the lead plane, the statewide GOP candidates on a second plane and media trailing on a third.
Before the day is over the trip will make stops in Macon, Savannah, Augusta, Dalton, Albany and Columbus. The long day ends in Atlanta back at Peachtree-DeKalb for one final rally before voting begins on Tuesday.
The statewide fly-around ends a trip that has taken Perdue over the past two weeks to nearly three dozen communities across Georgia.
In most of his stops, Perdue has drawn between 100 and 200 local residents who’ve heard the governor speak about family, faith, values, integrity and his desire to “leave Georgia better than I found it.”
Perdue said the trip across Georgia has given him insights that he will take with him into a second term - if he’s re-elected as most polls indicate he will be.
Governing Georgia’s 9 million-plus residents has been “an awesome responsibility,” Perdue has repeatedly told Georgians throughout the tour.
He’s seen prosperous, growing communities and others struggling just to stay afloat. He’s gone through rural, farming communities and urban centers.
Perdue said he tries to look past the competing, local issues to themes that resonate across dividing lines.
“They all would have some local concerns,” Perdue said. “But they have some similar concerns, too.” He noted healthcare, children, schools, jobs and economic prosperity.
And, while Perdue isn’t spending more than 30 minutes or so at any of the stops and just a few seconds with most voters, he said the experience is valuable.
“It helps you to have an appreciation and understanding to govern better,” Perdue said. “You see the pride, the passion people have for their home towns. It encourages you.”
Permalink | | Categories: Campaign trail diary: Perdue
Taylor ready to “shock the nation”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Twenty-three hours before the polls open on Tuesday, Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor boarded a private jet and headed to five cities across Georgia for a last day “flyover? looking to secure last minute votes.
At 8:01 a.m., a convoy of four planes, carrying the media as well as Democratic incumbents and hopefuls were scheduled to visit Columbus, Macon, Albany, Savannah and Augusta, before returning to Atlanta at 6:10 p.m.
The first plane to take off carried Guy Drexinger, a candidate for insurance commissioner, and Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin, who is seeking his 10th term in office.
Drexinger jotted down notes on the plane. Irvin read the paper and took a nap.
“I do have a lot of experience,? Irvin said. “Nothing beats experience.
8:30 a.m. Columbus: Putting his Mark on the state
Taylor and the party got red carpet treatment when they arrived at their first stop – Columbus – where they were met by Ed Harbison (D-Columbus) and about 50 supporters in the hometown of the Little League World Champions.
“We are going to put a Mark on this state again,? Harbinson said, as Taylor walked into the airport with his wife, Sacha, on his arm.
Both shook hands and hugged nearly all of the supporters. Attorney General Thurbert Baker and Irvin, both seeking re-election, mingled with the crowd.
They were joined by Drexinger, secretary of state candidate Gail Buckner and PSC candidate Dawn Randolph.
“It is a great day to be a Georgia Democrat,? Taylor bellowed at the throng.
Robbie Evans, a member of IBEW drove from Atlanta to attend the airport rally, where Brian King, another union man, joined him.
“The Democrats work for the common man,? said King, of Local 613. We are construction workers and laborers and we have concerns about illegal immigration and outsourcing.?
During his speech, Taylor addressed labor and said that he will work to increase the state’s minimum wage, which Gov. Sonny Perdue has been reluctant to do.
“We need a living wage, not a minimum wage,? Evans said. “I consider it an insult that Perdue wouldn’t even consider increasing it.?
Harbison said that Columbus is polling strong for Taylor and the Democrats, but stressed the importance of the party hitting the polls on Tuesday.
“I think we have a chance for a new direction,? Harbison said. “A change in direction that will put the emphasis back on serving the people of Georgia. I believe it is going to happen. When we wake up on Wednesday, it will be in place. Mark Taylor will be governor.?
10 a.m. Macon – Shocking the World
“Who do we want?? Lillie Gantt Evans asked.
“Mark Taylor,? screamed a chorus of 1st and 2nd graders from the M.A. Evans Grade School in Macon.
The children, dressed in blue uniforms, each held Mark Taylor signs.
One of the students, Zariya Williams, 6, addressed Taylor. Telling him that they needed dental care and healthcare.
“You are talking about PeachKids,? Taylor said, referring to one of his proposed programs to bring affordable healthcare to all of Georgia’s children.
“This is what we are fighting for,? said Sacha Taylor.
“We are fighting for the children like them. They need access to healthcare and a quality education. To do that, we have to restore funds to education and HOPE. So these folks can be the next HOPE scholars.?
The delegation was joined on the tour in Macon by DuBose Porter (D-Dublin), the Democratic leader in the House and Robert Brown (D-Macon) the Democratic leader in the Senate.
Porter told the crowd that the state needs to return to having a full-time governor, citing that Perdue spends more time with outside interests than he does doing state business.
“We need a full-time governor. Sonny doesn’t have a plan for Georgia,? Porter said. “Mark Taylor does. If we are going to continue move Georgia forward we need a Big Guy.?
All of the speakers stressed turnout.
“He will carry Macon and Bibb County,? Brown said. “It is going to be a close race, but if we can get our turnout, we can win it.?
Taylor said he was confident that the turnout would come.
“Tuesday will be the day Georgia shocks the nation and elects a new governor,? Taylor said.
Noon – Albany – Coming Home
On the plane to Albany, Taylor was still excited about the crowds he had seen and the fact that so many children were in attendance.
“It’s a challenge for these local parties to get a crowd out on a workday. But to have the school kids meet us here was great,? Taylor said. “Every election is about who shows up to vote. We feel good and the response over the last three weeks has been great.?
But the crowds in Macon and Columbus were only teasers to what he would see in Albany, Taylor’s hometown.
The biggest and most vocal crowd of the trip thus far, met Taylor and the delegation in front of his local campaign office. Each candidate walked through a line of cheering supporters as Congressman Sanford Bishop announced each one of them as if they were an athletic team.
“It is a great sign to see so many people here. To see such a massive turnout,? said William Dennis, second congressional district chair for the Democratic Party.
“Albany is where it started for Mark and where he is always at home. We need him. Four years of Republicanism is too much.?
Taylor told the crowd, which included his family, that his father moved to Albany in 1962 with $95 in his pocket.
“But now he is a successful businessman,? Taylor said.
“That is the kind of state we want Georgia to be. We believe that when you are in public office, you should help the people. Not help ourselves.?
The delegation was also joined in Albany by Lt. Governor candidate Jim Martin, who drove across the state on Monday.
“Everything goes through Albany,? Martin said. “This is where it started and this is where it will culminate into a great victory. A lot of people say the Democrats are out or down. But I don’t see that here. Taylor will be a helluva good governor. And Sanford Bishop sure can preach.?
Bishop, who is also seeking re-election, served as a masterful master of ceremony, riling up the crowd.
Relishing his introductions, including an introduction that moved Irvin to hug Bishop.
“I would not want to be agricultural commissioner if I didn’t carry Southwest Georgia,? Irvin said. “I look to carry Southwest Georgia by a large, large, margin.?
When Irvin finished talking, Bishop took the microphone and led the crowd in one more cheer.
“Rain, shine, sleet or snow,? he began. “Tomorrow to the polls, we must go.?
2:20 Savannah – A silent majority
In Savannah, which boasts some of Georgia’s best seafood, Taylor supporters smelled something fishy – namely Perdue’s controversial land deals.
“It just kind of smells,? said David Nagle, a Savannah attorney and member of the Chatham County Democratic Committee. “It doesn’t pass the sniff test.?
Nagle was one of about 120 supporters from the Savannah area, who attended the rally at the local airport.
“The thing that distinguishes Mark is that he is concerned with the people. Perdue is concerned with money,? said Nagle, who attended the rally with his wife, Mary. “Money is important, but if it doesn’t serve the people, you are not doing much with it. Mark’s heart is with the people.?
Rep. Al Williams (D-Midway) said the Taylor’s focus on Perdue’s land purchases have started to create an increasingly louder buzz across the state.
“I’ve seen a real surge in the last two days in Southeast Georgia,? Williams said. “Mark has a presence and his positions are strong. And clearly, [charges of Perdue] corruption has taken root. There is a great silent majority for Mark Taylor that belies the polls.?
4:05 p.m. - Augusta –
When the wings touched down at Augusta’s Daniel Field, Taylor’s communications director Rick Dent reacted in mock shock when he saw the huge crowd gathered on the tarmac.
“Is that for us?? Dent asked. “Augusta is usually tough.?
“Not today,? replied Sacha Taylor.
The Augusta meeting was the only rally to be actually held outside at one of the airports. It was also the only rally where Taylor didn’t have a podium or a microphone.
But that seemed to free Taylor to deliver perhaps his most passionate and animated speech of the day, as he shouted and pumped his fist for emphasis, while whipping up the already anxious crowd.
“On my worst day, I will be a better governor that Sonny Perdue,? Taylor said. “On my worst day, I will help more people than Sonny Perdue. On my worst day, I will never use the office to benefit myself and my family, financially. I am working for you.”
As with each of the stops, local officials counted the ways that their city and county could sway Tuesday’s election. Lowell Greenbaum, the chairman of the Richmond County Party, noted how the area elected Democrat John Barrow to congress two years ago. Barrow was one of only a handful of Democrats to beat an incumbent Republican congressmen in 2004.
“This election will be critical for John and Mark,? Greenbaum said. “But we are a strong Democratic Party and a strong Democratic city.?
Greenbaum said the party has knocked on 20,000 doors, sent out 8,000 letters and made 4,000 phone calls to potential voters, prompting Taylor to say that if “Augusta and Richmond County voted Democrat we would never lose an election.?
6 p.m. - Fired Up
Mark Taylor’s 600-mile jaunt across the state ended Monday night where it began – at Peachtree DeKalb Airport. Taylor and the Democratic delegation were greeted like heroes by a huge crowd at the airport when they arrived back in Atlanta after touring the state.
“Let’s get ready to rumble,? shouted Labor Secretary Michael Thurmond, who joined the delegation on the final leg and served as the evening’s host.
“We are going to march together. Black and white. Rural and country. Tall and short,? Thurmond said.
“And when we march, the pitter-patter of our feet are gonna sound like the thunderous hordes of Joshua’s army and we are gonna take Georgia back.?
From 8 a.m. until 6:30, the delegation met with hundreds of supporters across the state, urging them to come out to the polls on Tuesday. They stressed the importance of voting and turnout. They repeated the need to turn the Republicans out of office. They harped on Sonny’s land deal.
And in the end, they sang a spiritual.
“Give us that Old Taylor Spirit,? sang Jasper Williams, pastor of Salem Bible Church, as he finished his prayer at the closing the day’s final rally.
“I am fired up about today. We had consistently strong crowds and I really do feel good about our organization across the state.?
Taylor said he will do television and radio interviews the remainder of Monday, before he and his wife get up early Tuesday to fly back to Albany to vote.
Permalink | | Categories: Campaign trail diary: Taylor
Perdue’s final push is city-bound
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Fresh off his final confrontation with Mark Taylor, Gov. Sonny Perdue took his re-election campaign to major cities across the state.
Flying out of Epps Aviation at Peachtree-DeKalb Airport off Clairmont Road in DeKalb County, Perdue’s led a slate of statewide candidates and trailing media. In all, they took three airplanes, with the governor leading, the statewide GOP candidates on a second plane and media trailing on a third.
Before the day is over the trip will make stops in Macon, Savannah, Augusta, Dalton, Albany and Columbus. The long day ends in Atlanta back at Peachtree-DeKalb for one final rally before voting begins on Tuesday.
The statewide fly around ends a trip that has taken Perdue over the past two weeks to nearly three dozen communities all across Georgia.
In most of his stops, Perdue has drawn between 100 and 200 local residents who’ve heard the governor speak about family, faith, values, integrity and his desire to “leave Georgia better than I found it.”
Perdue said the trip across Georgia has given him insights that he will take with him into a second term - if he’s re-elected as most polls show he should be.
Governing Georgia’s 9 million-plus residents has been “an awesome responsibility,” Perdue has repeatedly told Georgians throughout the tour.
He’s seen prosperous, growing communities and others struggling just to stay afloat. He’s gone through rural, farming communities and urban centers. Perdue said he tries to look past the competing, local issues to themes that resonate across dividing lines.
“They all would have some local concerns,” Perdue said. “But they have some similar concerns, too.” He noted healthcare, children, schools, jobs and economic prosperity.
And, while Perdue isn’t spending more than 30 minutes or so at any of the stops and just a few seconds with most voters, he said the experience is valuable.
“It helps you to have an appreciation and understanding to govern better,” Perdue said. “You see the pride, the passion people have for their home towns. It encourages you.”
Permalink | | Categories: Campaign trail diary: Perdue
Taylor makes whirlwind tour among 4 churches
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mark Taylor spent the last Sunday before Tuesday’s general election for governor in church - or make that several.
Starting at 9 a.m., Taylor hit four metro-area churches, asking members to pray for him and of course vote for him in his quest to unseat Gov. Sonny Perdue.
“I ask for your prayers. I know that the Lord will do his will on Tuesday,? Taylor said several times on Sunday. “I only ask that you go to the polls prayerful with the conviction of Christ, that the Lord will have his hand in that election.”
Throughout the morning, pastors urged their members to go out and vote on Tuesday.
“One of the things I’ve learned as an adult, there are times in your life when you have to make choices,? said the Rev. Thomas L. Bess, pastor of St. Paul A.M.E. Church, where Taylor made his first stop. “I am a registered and voting Democrat. I voted in every election Democratic and I don’t plan on changing.?
Taylor’s whirlwind trip through the churches – all black – came days after he received a major endorsement from the religious community. A group calling themselves Ministers for Mark Taylor placed ads in several newspapers and handed out color fliers with their photos on them, supporting Taylor.
The list of ministers includes Bishop Eddie Long, the Rev. Timothy McDonald, the Rev. Gerald Durley, Bishop Wiley Jackson and the Rev. Walter Kimbrough.
“We had a big luncheon on the 26th with the ministers, we have visited all of their churches and they have shown their support,? said LaSalle Smith, Taylor’s religious coordinator. “They are enthusiastic about Mark being their next governor.?
Taylor, who is a member of Porterfield United Methodist Church in Albany, said the church visits were a nice way to rejuvenate for the last few days of what has already been a grueling gubernatorial race.
At the services, Taylor sang. He tapped his feet. He prayed. He shook hands. He took pictures and on occasion, preached the word.
“It is extremely inspiring. The music. The spoken word. And I know that I have some of the same challenges personally that some in the congregations have,? Taylor said. “It is a reminder that all of the slings and arrows of a campaign are worth it. It keeps you in touch.?
Although he was only able to stay at each church briefly, Taylor was able to piece together the full black church experience.
At Tabernacle Baptist Church, the choir, led by Michael Meredith, sang, sweated and hollered for at least 30 minutes before Taylor spoke. At Covenant Ministries, Bishop Quincy LaVelle Carswell promised at least five times that he would finish in 10 minutes as he delivered a rousing sermon about overcoming adversity and searching for hope.
“They messed with your children. They messed with your reputation,? Carswell told Taylor. “But I know above all else, that you are a good man.?
On each stop, Taylor carried his Bible with him. And when time allowed him — at the first two stops — he read from it.
At St. Paul he quoted from the Book of Mark, chapter 10, verses 43-45. “But it shall not be so among you, but whoever wants to become great among you shall be your servant.?
At Tabernacle, he used Matthew chapter 7, verse 20, to take a shot at Sonny Perdue’s record in office. “Therefore, by their fruits you will know them,? Taylor quoted.
“The words come mighty easy for a politician,? Taylor added. “They have pretty ads of you walking your dog and your wife talking for you. They come cheap. That is the word, but where is the work.?
Taylor tailored his standard stump speech at every stop.
He talked about health care when Bess told the congregation that since the state changed insurance carriers, he is now paying “mega-bucks? for his cancer medication.
At Tabernacle, he talked about HOPE and Pre-K education, after the minister’s wife, Lydia Meredith, talked about the church’s educational programming.
Taylor received standing ovations at each of the churches he spoke at Sunday. The Rev. Timothy McDonald, who stood by Taylor’s side as he spoke at First Iconium Baptist Church, said Taylor has long been a friend of the church.
“The reason I let Brother Taylor speak was this was not his first time here. Or his second, third or fourth. He has been coming here over the years,? McDonald said. “But, if Sonny Perdue had asked, I would have let him speak too. I’d say something after he spoke, but I’d let him speak.?
Permalink | | Categories: Campaign trail diary: Taylor
Perdue tours northern suburbs, strongholds
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
CUMMING — The final day of Sonny Perdue’s bus tour of Georgia dawned clear and cold. That may have held down the crowds who braced against the biting winds at the fairgrounds in downtown Cumming.
Forsyth, long known as one of Georgia’s most Republican counties, voted strongest for Perdue four years ago during his upset of then Gov. Roy Barnes.
“I haven’t forgotten that,” Perdue said. “We know it’s a committed Republican county. I know you are the faithful to come out on a Saturday morning like this.”
Saturday winds up in McDonough after stops in Lawrenceville, Kennesaw, Cumming and Alpharetta.
With polls showing Perdue’s re-election a near certainty, the trip through Republican strongholds in Atlanta’s suburbs is more about saying thanks and rallying support for down-ballot candidates.
The governor shared the stage with the usual candidates for labor commission, attorney general, secretary of state and agriculture commissioner. U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson also rejoined the tour on Saturday.
And, of course, he put his wife, Mary, out front even though she rarely speaks at such events.
“She had never really been a political wife,” Perdue explained. “She always kept the home fires burning.”
After his election four years ago, she was pressed into a more public role. Her television commercials have resonated with Georgians during the campaign so much that she often gets one of the most enthusiastic welcomes.
Permalink | | Categories: Campaign trail diary: Perdue
Gridiron campaigning
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For Mark Taylor, the last day of the work week found him at Friday Night Lights.
In the heart of Middle Georgia, in the heart of one of the biggest football rivalries in the area, Taylor campaigned at the Northside High School- Westside High School game in Macon.
He couldn’t have found a better one.
The game at the Bibb County Sports Complex pitted undefeated and nationally ranked Northside of Warner Robins against once beaten Westside.
Unlike other events during Taylor’s final week on the campaign trail, his trip to the game was more informal. Football weather forced Taylor into a trench coat as he walked through the crowds and concession area greeting supporters.
“I’m Mark Taylor. I need your support,” he told them.
“We need a new governor.”
One group of Westside girls screamed when Taylor shook their hands.
“They are treating him like a rock star,” said Terry Tripp, a member of the Bibb County School Board and vice president of the Democratic Women of Bibb County.
“Middle Georgia loves Mark Taylor. He can never lose coming here.”
At the end of half time, with Northside leading 13-7 and with the bands ending their shows, Taylor walked on to the field and waved, receiving polite applause.
“It is good for the people to see him out here. I am voting for him,” said Will Mitchell, 50, of Warner Robins. “Because we need him and it is time for a change and time for Sonny to go.”
Roslyn Moore, 42, was also a supporter. She took at least two pictures with the lieutenant governor on her camera phone.
“That’s my vote and it had nothing to do with him coming here tonight,” Moore said. “I like what he is saying about the HOPE Scholarships and education. He’s true and for us.”
Although few were thinking about reading and writing in the middle of a football game, Lynn Farmer, another member of the school board, said that Taylor’s coming to Middle Georgia to attend a football game was a significant event that spoke to his commitment to education.
“It is important for him to come out here and talk to parents who happen to be at the game,” Farmer said.
“His educational plan is right on target for us. He understands that pre-K is important. He understands the need for early intervention. He is a big supporter of teachers.”
Taylor left shortly after half time, stopped through First Friday in downtown Macon then flew back to Atlanta. He is set to begin a Metro-wide bus tour at 7:45 a.m. Saturday. The election is Tuesday.
“He seems like a realist,” said Mike Clemons, an airline pilot from Lizella. “He knows he is the underdog. It is tough to fight against Sonny’s money.”
Permalink | | Categories: Campaign trail diary: Taylor
Perdue caravan hits the mountains
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In Hollywood, actors often being upstaged by animals and children.
In politics, that same rule doesn’t apply to food. As long as folks attend, politicians are happy to share the spotlight with a good meal.
So, Gov. Sonny Perdue began Friday with a 8 a.m. event at the Dillard House, in Dillard, Ga. - an inn and restaurant famed for both the quanity and quality of its southern cooking.
The breakfast spread - or Perdue - drew a capacity crowd of more than 300 folks who filled up every seat and spilled into the hallways.
The breakfast spread dwarfed the stops Perdue made the entire week before. The group stuffed themselves on pastries - croissants, biscuits, cinnamon buns - scrambled eggs, sausage, toast, berries and fruit, pancakes as well as a southern staple that’s not always easy to find, grits with red eye gravy.
Perdue touched on familiar themes - family, the state’s booming economy and the need to elect a slate of Republicans to run the state.
His wife, Mary Perdue, spoke in Dillard - an unusual turn - and was well received.
She said her husband’s honesty and integrity attracted her 34 years ago and those qualities remain true today.
“He is still the same man,” the first lady said.
Charles Gergeni, an insurance agent from Clayton, said he was pleased with the job Perdue has done so far. Gergeni, who considers himself a conservative, but not necessarily a Republican, said he was especially pleased with the economy under Perdue.
His one request of the governor? “I’d be interested in seeing taxes come down a little bit,” Gergeni said.
HARTWELL
In Hartwell, Perdue made what may be his only stop at a private home - the Teasley home just off the downtown square.
Faire and Dean Teasley hosted more than 150 Republican faithful in a huge family room that Faire Teasley said could hold twice as many.
Dean Teasley was Hart County’s first elected Republican county surveyor.
The faithful Republicans’ home, a brick Victorian with elaborate woodwork and wide heart of pine plant floors, had previous lives as a funeral home and a church. Now only the Teasley’s use the 7-bedroom home.
Faire Teasley said she’s a big fan of the governor. “I love him. I support him 100 percent.”
The event gave the Teasley’s a chance to mix politics and business. The home is for sale - she said it’s worth $2 million, but would take $1.6 million.
The Hartwell event also stood out because a handful of supporters of Democratic Rep. Allan Powell, who represents the area, stood across the street. They also plastered a building across from the Teasley home with signs.
The opposition party has made no effort to disrupt or even appear at any other stops.
DANIELSVILLE
Where do Republicans go to eat in Danielsville?
Zebs, a small barbeque spot, about 5 miles from the downtown square.
With the governor gone to other events and the next gathering not until 5:30 in Gainesville, the down-ballot entourage took a detour for a long lunch and some relaxation.
SUVs filled the small parking lot.
Digging in were Karen Handel, secretary of state candidate; Brent Brown, labor commisisoner candidate; Michael Wiggins, who’s running for state supreme court; Chuck Eaton, who’s running for the public service commission, and Gary Black, candidate for agriculture commissioner.
The shocking revelation from lunch? Handel is a closet Trekkie.
She took serious ribbing for a Visa card with a Star Trek Voyager theme, arguably the worst series in the proud, long history of the sci-fi franchise.
Handel explained she only got the card because it came with a photo she wanted to give to her husband.
“It’s my emergency card. I never use it,? Handel explained.
Permalink | | Categories: Campaign trail diary: Perdue
Feeling the momentum
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
An hour before Mark Taylor was supposed to arrive at the Thomas Lay Community Center in Athens for a Democratic get-out-the-vote rally, Isaac Smith still did not know whether Taylor would get his vote for governor.
“I have to talk to the candidate. I have to look in their eyes,” said Smith, an 18-year-old from Snellville, who was in Athens working on a voter awareness project. “Talk to me after I see him.”
Two hours later Smith was sold.
“I’ll vote for him,” Smith said.
After Taylor spoke, Smith stole him away for a couple of minutes. The two talked politics and Taylor told him to establish himself as a community leader, if he was serious about pursuing politics.
“He seems pretty sincere,” Smith said. “I got to analyze his speech. Now I have to watch what he does. It is good to hear someone, but it is more important to see what he does afterwards. I will be watching him.” Taylor said he welcomed that and was heartened by Smith’s sudden support.
“This is what is so exciting. People, in their busy lives are starting to tune in to this election. I feel the momentum moving forward,” Taylor said. “They are seeing the difference.”
After focusing his efforts earlier in the week in metro Atlanta, Taylor took a big step outside Thursday night to campaign in Athens.
In the community center’s gymnasium, several candidates for local and state offices gave stump speeches as the crowd munched on pizza, potato chips and an orange sherbet drink. Sylvanus “Zeke” Turner, a local performer, serenaded between speeches, singing gospel music.
As the candidates spoke – championing the cause of the Democratic Party and promoting themselves – Taylor waded through the gymnasium’s bleachers, shaking almost every hand and looking into the eyes of the 200 or so party supporters.
“We are gonna have a great win for the people of Georgia on Nov. 7 because of your hard work,” Taylor said. “These races are not about the candidates. These races are about the people and the people need a new governor.”
The unofficial theme of Thursday’s event was hard work. Taylor told the group not to be outworked and urged them to phone and email friends, even knock on their doors to get them out to the polls.
Labor commissioner Michael Thurmond said that kind of work would be needed to defeat Republicans Tuesday.
“The Republican party has developed an aggressive and successful ground game,” Thurmond said. “In order for us to be successful, we as Democrats have to reach out to as many people as possible to get them to the polls. That includes getting independents, liberals and moderates as well.”
Taylor, who is winding down his bid to become Georgia’s next governor, told the Democrats that he was the candidate the state needed and that he and Sonny Perdue were political opposites.
“Go out and tell my story. Tell them the big difference between Mark Taylor and Sonny Perdue. Tell them that everything I am for, he is against,” said Taylor, adding that he will restore cuts made to public education, restore HOPE dollars and develop a low cost prescription drug plan.
“I come from across the state with good news. That a new, fresh wind is coming,” Thurmond said. “A wind that will take back the governor’s seat, the House and the Senate. We have to stick together. We have to live together. Work together. Pray together and on Nov. 7, go to the polls together.”
On Friday, Taylor is expected to attend a football game at Westside High School in Macon before visiting a First Friday mixer in downtown Macon.
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Perdue rolls north on RV tour of state
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
As Gov. Sonny Perdue’s election tour left South Georgia to head to the mountains, a fall chill overtook the air and the flat, green piney landscape gave way to bursts of orange and red.
Also, the crowds grew substantially.
By noon Thursday, Perdue had already seen more Georgians than he had on the entire day Wednesday.
The tour began Thursday in LaGrange. And, the days drive would eventually take the GOP bus tour as far north as Lafayette before turning east and running across the north of the state.
The governor added special guests for west Georgia - Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson and Congressman Phil Gingrey. They all rode with Perdue in his RV.
LAGRANGE - THE BEST WESTERN HOTEL
The early breakfast drew more than 175 well-wishers to a hilltop hotel in bustling LaGrange.
The stop was a challenge logistically for the campaigns because Wedneday’s efforts capped off in Waycross, some 400 plus miles away near the swamps of southeast Georgia.
Chambliss warmed the crowd with a joke that certainly hit home with the campaign staffers, “Is everybody here ready for this election to be over with? I can tell you everybody up front here is.”
The early start, typical of a tour with nearly four dozen starts, had one unusual happening. Secretary of State candidate Karen Handel and Gary Black, agriculture commissioner hopeful, were the first to arrive and work the crowd, a position normally held by Perry McGuire, who’s running for attorney general.
Jerry Rigby, 60, of LaGrange, called himself a lifelong Republican and early supporter of Perdue four years ago. The governor greeted him with a warm hug and handshake.
“I believe in what he’s said and what he’s done. He’s been great for this state,” Rigby said.
Rigby, a Georgia graduate like Perdue, runs a business which manufactures clothes for nearby Auburn University in Alabama.
“I tell people it took a Georgia grad to make money off of those Auburn people,” he joked.
DALLAS - DOWNTOWN SQUARE
Dallas greeted Perdue like a visiting head of state.
The police presence was so overwhelming that even campaign staffers couldn’t help but notice. Officers and deputies blocked streets and patrolled the courthouse lawn and snipers even took up positions in the old courthouse.
Even so, well wishers outnumber the uniformed and plainclothes police easily - with a crowd in excess of 250 souls.
Perdue shared the stage with Speaker of the House Glenn Richardson, who lives in nearby Hiram.
In Dallas, the East Paulding marching band pumped up the crowd. And, a color guard opened the ceremony.
Cathy Bailey, 45, of Dallas said she came hoping to get the governor’s attention for a program she’s working on to help at-risk youth.
“We need to do more with the middle school youth,” Bailey said. “That’s when they decide if they are going to drop out.”
She works for a non-profit group called the Giving Back Foundation in nearby Austell.
Perdue told Dallas he was excited by the crowd. “We won’t forget this kind of day,” Perdue said.
ROME
The Republican Party took over an old theater outside downtown Rome, and a standing room only crowd turned out.
The governor, who’s been greeted at almost every stop by nursing home workers, found one of the largest groups yet in Rome.
The Rome event produced rare serial introductions: Cagle introduced Isakson, who introduced Chambliss, who introduced Perdue. And, during his remarks, Perdue introduced another 10 statewide GOP hopefuls and Gingrey.
“This is one of our biggest crowds yet, we are so proud of it,” said Casey Cagle, the party’s nominee for lt. governor.
Chambliss joked that he and Isakson were looking forward to Perdue cutting taxes on senior citizens so they could benefit from it.
Isakson spoke of his 44 year friendship with Chambliss.
Perdue told the Rome crowd he never forgets the responsibility he has as governor.
“It’s an awesome responsibility to govern 9 million people. But you do it one by one,” he said.
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Taylor preaches, asks for prayers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
On Wednesday night, Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor was where any good churchgoer should be – in Bible study.
Taylor, in his bid to become Georgia’s next governor, visited Ebenezer Baptist Church and Friendship Baptist Church, where he “preached” about healthcare, education and increasing programs for senior citizens and children.
He also sought prayer.
“I ask for your prayers,” Taylor told the group gathered at Friendship Baptist in South Fulton. “I ask for your traveling grace for me and all of the candidates as we criss cross Georgia on trains and planes. As we greet voters and ask for your support.”
As Taylor and Perdue enters the final days of the long gubernatorial campaign, group meetings become more important. Perhaps none more so that Georgia’s faith-based community.
LaSalle Smith, Taylor’s faith based coordinator, said that without a doubt, the church will play a huge roll in the outcome of Tuesday’s election.
“He is able to reach the masses of the people in the church,” Smith said of Taylor. “And pastors play a tremendous role in getting their members out to vote.”
Taylor, a member of Porterfield United Methodist Church in Albany, said he grew up in the Baptist Church, and had grown accustomed to “Wednesday supper and prayer meetings,” when he was growing up.
“He is a great man of God. He loves the church and the Lord and he wanted to make sure he could attend some Bible studies,” said Smith, adding that Taylor has visited some 200 pulpits during the campaign, average about three per Sunday.
Smith, the pastor of Bountiful Blessings Christian Ministries in Decatur, said there are tentative plans to meet at five churches this Sunday.
Friendship’s pastor Donald Earl Bryant Sr., said he has already voted for Taylor in early balloting and encouraged his parishioners to do the same. Many of them didn’t need much convincing.
“I was really happy to hear him talk about education,” said Annette Eubanks, who has a daughter who teaches. “He is going to work for the schools. I believe he is going to back us.”
As Taylor spoke, sporadic calls of “preach” and “speak on it,” were shouted.
When he finished speaking and taking questions, he received a standing ovation. Than he spent another 30 minutes shaking hands and talking.
“Mark Taylor is a friends of the community and we need to support him,” Bryant told the church. “We need to support the persons working for the good of Atlanta.”
Bryant said that had Taylor visited on Sunday, he would not have been allowed to talk, according to church policy.
“But tonight was not a worship service,” Bryant said.
Taylor is scheduled to campaign in Athens on Thursday.
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Wife stars in Perdue trek
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mary Perdue’s star turn through her husband’s re-election bid continued Wednesday as Georgia’s governor raced across South Georgia.
The bus tour that will eventually take Sonny Perdue to nearly four dozen small and mid-size communities went through Bainbridge, Thomasville and Fitzgerald.
Perdue repeatedly put his wife out front, praising her as a great wife, mother, grandmother and life partner.
“Mary is a wonderful asset to our campaign because of her genuiness of spirit,” the governor told about 100 folks gathered on the Fitzgerald square.
The events Wednesday took the governor to a cinderblock hotel in Bainbridge, a family restaurant in Thomasville and even a recreational vehicle assembly plant outside of Fitzgerald.
Along with praising his wife - who has starred in several homey television commercials - Perdue repeatedly stressed the same message: I am one of you.
“We are coming very respectfully, asking for your vote. We don’t take it for granted,” Perdue told Thomasville residents.
BAINBRIDGE - THE CHARTERHOUSE HOTEL
Wednesday’s early stop took Perdue and company to a two-story cinderblock hotel in Thomasville built around a rectangular pool.
The 7:30 a.m. crowd of about 55 was primarily political candidates, handlers and others somehow affiliated with the coming election.
State Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine and Georgia GOP party chair Alec Poitevint joined the tour Wednesday.
Perdue supporters gathered in a small meeting room behind the reception lobby.
Ryan Lee, 38, of Cairo, said he came Wednesday because he’s a Republican and knows local elected officials.
“The direction we’ve gone the past four years is the right direction for the state,” Lee said. “It reflects the values of South Georgia.”
Lawrence Jones, 44, brought his son, Joel, 12, to meet some of the folks he only sees on television or reads about in the papers.
The house painter said he’s a lifelong Republican.
Joel kept the meeting in perspective. “It was fun and interesting, and I enjoyed the food,” he said.
THOMASVILLE - THE PLAZA
About 100 supporters packed into a back room at the Plaza restaurant in downtown Thomasville to meet Perdue and the Republican team.
The governor hit on familiar themes - faith, family, values.
Outside, a handful of women wearing hospital scrubs lined the sidewalk leading to the restaurant. They carried signs saying, “Georgia Nursing Homes support Perdue.”
The industry has made similar showings at several stops on the tour. Why?
Patty Fowles, who works at Hospitality Care Center in Thomasville, said the industry needs Perdue’s support.
“We are really struggling,” Fowles said. “We are here to let him know we support him, so he will support us.”
Perdue left the second breakfast with a police escort that blocked intersections and led the governor out of town followed by about a dozen other candidates getting similar star treatment.
The governor also got a similar escort along the way by local sheriff’s deputies which allowed Perdue’s motorcade to zip through small towns at breakneck speeds.
Nick Ayers, Perdue’s campaign manager, said the local escorts weren’t arranged by the campaign. The governor, Ayers said, waved off one enthusiastic deputy who led the parade of SUVs with blue lights.
“I’d like to say we control everything, but we don’t,” Ayers said.
FITZGERALD - TOWN SQUARE
Under clear blue skies and 80 degree heat, Fitzgerald residents blocked the cobblestone Main Street to meet Perdue and his GOP entourage.
Mac Collins, the former congressman seeking a return to office, joined on in the hope the governor’s coattails would help pull him through to victory.
Some 85 residents listened to Perdue and Cagle again made direct appeals for support.
Charles Burnham, 55, of Fitzgerald, sat against a brick fountain on the corner of Main Street.
A Democrat, and a rare non-white face at a tour stop, Burnham said he had no use for Perdue.
“I ain’t had any thought about Sonny,” Burnham said. “He’s a Republican. I’m a Democrat.”
FITZGERALD - COACHMAN TOUR
Just after 1 p.m,, the governor pulled into a recreational vehicle plant outside of Fitzgerald.
The governor, his support staff, and lt. governor hopeful Casey Cagle spent 30 minutes inside the 3-year-old facility.
The rest of the candidates had already run ahead to Waycross or skipped out altogether.
Lawton Tinsley, southeast vice-president, led the tour, showing Perdue every step of the process that takes a metal frame and turns it into a home on wheels.
The plant employs about 150 and normally cranks out about 10 RVs per week, or half as many if they are building the largest units.
The new plant allowed Coachman to expand from a facility a mile away that the company has had for 35 years.
Tinsley said a $605,000 One Georgia grant the firm got after Perdue took office helped the firm bring its lamination operation to Fitzgerald from Indiana.
The program, Lawton said “has helped the whole South Georgia area.”
Perdue and his handlers spent a fair amount of the tour fending off a persistent, ever-present horde of gnats by constantly waving at the flying pests.
They also found a disgruntled Fitzgerald woman who wanted to bend the governor’s ear.
Perdue passed her off to staffers who tried to placate her.
She said Republicans in Fitzgerald didn’t get enough contact with powerbrokers. She said she didn’t want to give her name.
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Taylor stops at Halloween bash
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
When you are 14 years old and throw parties for a living, having Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor crash one is a big deal. Just ask Keely Monge.
Keely, a freshman at Westlake High School and the owner of Kaffeti Event Planning, threw a Halloween party at her grandmother’s Regency Hills subdivision, a well-appointed neighborhood in South Fulton.
As part of his evening tour through Atlanta to meet potential voters, Taylor stopped by as a guest of Rep. Roger Bruce (D-Atlanta), who also lives in the subdivision.
“It is exciting that he came. I didn’t know he was coming,” said Keely. “It is a great opportunity for him to get more voters. I have been with Mark Taylor from the beginning.”
Keely’s Halloween party was the second of three stops that Taylor made Tuesday night at holiday gatherings.
“I think he has got an excellent chance of winning. To have a sitting governor with less than 50 percent in the polls is saying something,” said Bruce, citing recent poll numbers, which show Perdue leading the three-man race, but with only about 48 percent of the vote. “We are going to work like crazy for the next seven days.”
After Keely’s party – which Taylor said he didn’t want to leave because the music was so good – he visited a sick constituent, before heading to Greenbriar Mall, where he met with trick-or-treaters.
He met princesses.
He met several Supermans.
A couple of Spider-Mans, a few angels and a sprinkling of pirates.
Equally important however was meeting with the parents, who clamored to have their children photographed with the gubernatorial candidate.
Renee Anthony and Cotrina Jones said they had just been speaking about Taylor, when he walked past them.
“We were just talking about voting for him,” Anthony said. “Then we bump into him. That’s something.”
With that Jones gathered her daughter, Isley Millender, Anthony’s son, Reggie Anthony and little Kira Campbell for a picture.
The Big Guy with two princesses and a crying pirate.
“As a parent and a voter, I planned on voting for Mark Taylor,” Jones said. “And I wanted to get his picture with my daughter so that she can look at this when she gets older – and hopefully a responsible voter.”
Taylor’s first stop of the evening was as Cascade United Methodist Church, where he attended the church’s annual holiday gathering.
“To all the young people, all the trick or treaters, say thank you to whoever brought you to church tonight,” Taylor told them. “And study hard and be HOPE scholars. Everybody can dress like HOPE Scholars.”
Cascade’s pastor, the Rev. Marvin Moss, said it was important to have Taylor at the church to instill in his members the importance of voting.
On Wednesday, Taylor is scheduled to worship at Friendship Baptist Church and Ebenezer Baptist Church.
“We want to make sure that we provide the opportunity for all persons to be informed about the election process so they can make the best decision,” Moss said.
At Cascade, aside from the parents, Taylor found host of informed constituents – even those who couldn’t vote. Donavon Edwards, 9, recognized Taylor as soon as he walked into the party.
“Why do you have a Pinocchio nose on in that commercial,” Donavon said, talking about one of Perdue’s campaign ads were he paints Taylor as a liar.
“Because Sonny Perdue is trying to make me look like a bad guy,” Taylor responded. “But I am not.”
Donavon then put his hand on Taylor’s shoulder.
“I would vote for you,” he said.
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