Ballot Blogs

By Richard

November 8, 2006 9:33 AM | Link to this

I think former Secretary of State Cathy Cox will run for Gov. and she will win.

By Democratic Plan

November 8, 2006 9:43 AM | Link to this

The election cycles of 2008, 2010, and 2012 must now be the Democrats’ singular focus.

Georgia Democrats must zero in on winning the first US Senate seat to be lost to a Republican: Saxby Chambliss. This seat is up for grabs in 2008.

Democrats MUST find a suitable candidate and groom him or her. They also must begin NOW to raise a war chest that can compete with their opponents.

This will NOT be a time for symbolic and unseasoned candidates like Denise Majette, who had a Congressional seat given to her. Only to abandon it after one term and now has become a professional ‘losing’ candidate.

The Republicans like Perdue and Cagle in the old South would have been Dixiecrats and their politics is testimony to this. Progressives must begin now to strategize and get the funding to make Georgia competitive again for Democrats.

There is no where for Democrats to go, but up!

By Dennis

November 8, 2006 9:53 AM | Link to this

A Black Democrat won a statewide election during a Republican sweep. This demonstrates that in Georgia it is not party affiliation nor race that decides the issue, but the quality of the candidated.

If we can get people of Thurbert Baker’s quality to run for office, any office, I and other Georgians will vote for them be they Libertarian, Socialist, Democrat, Republican or Independent.

By Cakey

November 8, 2006 10:00 AM | Link to this

Taylor’s campaign obviously ticked off Cox and her supporters because she never threw her support behind Taylor. JMO but that hurt Taylor more than anything else.

By Arthur

November 8, 2006 10:42 AM | Link to this

Mark Taylor ran without a doubt one of the worst campaigns in Georgia History. Explain to me how a man who was twice elected Lt. Governor cn not get at least 40% of the vote against a very bland Sonny Perdue.

By Caramel

November 8, 2006 10:51 AM | Link to this

I believe that Thurbert Baker should be the Democrats choice for gubernatorial candidate in 2010. He transcends racial, gender, and political boundaries because he is an effective leader which is what ALL Georgians want. If the Democrats want to win in 2010, Thurbert Baker should be their candidate.

By Trey Lyle

November 8, 2006 11:00 AM | Link to this

First, don’t use the primaries to expose every possible skeleton like Cox/Taylor did a few months ago. They gift-wrapped the election for Perdue. The Democrats need to decide how to use their 3 best assets over the next 2-4 years, Cox, Baker and Shirley Franklin. I know that Atlanta-based candidates have previously failed in state-wide elections. But Shirley is not an elitist like others who have tried before. She is an earnest, hard-working, trust-worthy leader who should be able to win votes from Toccoa to Cairo. I’d like to see Baker & Cox take a shot at the US Senate with Franklin running for Governor. And yes, start building the war chest NOW.

By Jessica

November 8, 2006 11:03 AM | Link to this

I think that many people crossed party lines in this election. The greatest votes came from people who were well informed on the candidates and the quality of work they have done and will continue to do. Fortunately, their votes were not based on the horrible campaign ads. I am very happy with the outcome of the election. Go THURBERT BAKER!

By John

November 8, 2006 11:15 AM | Link to this

I think Cathy Cox should be banned from the Democratic party. He lack of loyalty to the party, killed the Taylor campaign after the primary. Why should the party unite behind her in the future, if she couldn’t unite with the party now?

By spp

November 8, 2006 11:19 AM | Link to this

In my opinion Shirley Franklin ought to be considered the Democratic Party leader because of her political skills. Baker is certainly up there too but as Attorney General his role is not quite as politically oriented most of the time. Franklin’s list of real achievements dwarfs the rest of the Democrats in the state. Plus she’s not by nature partisan and knows how to get people on her side. However, being the mayor of Atlanta won’t help her popularity in much of the state.

By dbsmith

November 8, 2006 11:26 AM | Link to this

Thurbert Baker is a great Attorney General, and it’s time that he get the recognition that he deserves as a politician. I’ve always been impressed with him, and always wondered why more Democrats didn’t promote him as a candidate for higher office. I personally hope that he’s the Democrats’ candidate for Governor in 2010. I think he’d kill Casey Cagle or anyone else the Republicans put up.

By dbsmith

November 8, 2006 11:32 AM | Link to this

And I forgot to mention - I voted for Cox in the Democratic primary this year, but I was disgusted by her behavior after the primary. That appearance with Perdue did it for me.

Anybody who’s that selfish and that much of a sore loser that she’ll try to damage her own party because she lost a primary shouldn’t be trusted to be the Governor, or in any other office, for that matter.

By snd

November 8, 2006 12:09 PM | Link to this

Focus should be two pronged. Baker for Senate and start targeting state house and state senate seats to regain the majoirty at the GA level.

By TrueDawg

November 8, 2006 12:16 PM | Link to this

Anybody who wants to blame Cox for failing to unite the party should get a reality check. It was Taylor, who should have united the party.

Within one week of the primary, Perdue wrote a letter to all Cox contributors stating that she ran a heckuva campaign and was a tremendous public servant. He then asked for their support.

Did Taylor write a similar letter to Cox supporters? No. He assumed that everyone would get in line behind him and forget the slash and burn politics that he’s perfected over the years.

Politics is tough. He plays hard and dirty. The price to be paid for that when you beat up on someone in your own party that badly, is that he/she may not want to smile and say nice things about you.

All that being said, anyone who thinks Cox is the reason Taylor lost needs a further reality check. He lost by almost 20%. That’s not just ticked women and Cox supporters. Its also blacks who were turned off due to his extreme tough on crime stances and taking them for granted as well. It was failure to make inroads in rural areas of the state.

By Darrel

November 8, 2006 12:24 PM | Link to this

You can forget Shirley Franklin for state-wide office: she’s too much of a racist! Just review the ad she was in with John Lewis and Andrew Young. That will not be forgotten for years to come!

By sm

November 8, 2006 12:29 PM | Link to this

Taylor’s strategy was to reach for the middle and pick up votes there. He could have run a more liberal campaign and matched the vote of Martin, but that was a sure way to lose. He took a gamble and went for it all. Unfortunately it alientated too much of the base and did not get enough of the middle. So, he lost. I will say, that if cathy had actively supported Taylor it would have helped with both the base and the middle, especially women. I thought Cox’s actions after the primary were classless. Do i credit her with Taylor’s loss, No, but it could have been a lot more competitive.

Thurbert Baker is going to run for higher office. He is a great leader, has an impressive resume of public service (better than any other georgia politician), and has done an exemplary job as AG. He has just been biding his time and waiting for the right race to jump into. I would look for him to run for Senate in 08 against chambliss. But if the political winds are not blowing that way right then, i could see him waiting for 2010’s gubernatorial.

By Bubba

November 8, 2006 12:39 PM | Link to this

I like Thurbert Baker, voted for him, and even attended his victory party last night. Certainly he is a capable Attorney General, and is not vulnerable to the kind of personal attacks that probably affected the chances of Harold Ford, Jr. in Tennessee. So far as I knkow, he is a family man, not a playboy, and not tied to an allegedly corrupt family political machine.

Georgia voters are no longer as prejudiced as in the past, but nothing can be taken for granted.

Attorney General Baker is a realist. As such, he needs to make his own clear-eyed assessment of where and how he can best serve, as well as the feasibility and timing of any bid for higher office. If he does set higher goals, he must take great pains to cast a broad net to include and appeal to culturally conservative white voters.

By Steph

November 8, 2006 12:44 PM | Link to this

The comments John Lewis made in the John Eaves ad were right on target. A Republican led state and a Republican led Fulton County would have been bad for African-Americans in Atlanta and Georgia. His comments were harsh, but they come from a man who lived the civil rights movement from inception. This is a man who has a steel plate in his head from being attacked by racists. Imagine how those memories would influence your life today. Since the Republicans took over Georgia in 2002, they have constantly tried to depress the minority vote in the state through their baseless Photo ID legislation. If they took control of Fulton County who knows what they would have in store for the City of Atlanta and its African-American residents.

By Ken Shigley

November 8, 2006 12:46 PM | Link to this

State Senator Michael Meyer von Bremen of Albany, if he’s willing, would be a great statewide candidate. See http://www.mvbsenate.org/

By Henry

November 8, 2006 12:48 PM | Link to this

I was not aware that Cathy Cox appeared with Perdue after her lost to the big fella. She is just like Zell Miller, Mike Bowers, and Perdue. They are all oppurtunist, they dont stand for anything, they move with the wind. I do not follow the politics that close, but if it is true she will never ever get my vote. She may now switch to the Republican Party like Sonny did in order to get into the mansion.

By Cakey

November 8, 2006 12:52 PM | Link to this

No reality check needed here; Cox abandoned Taylor. Being seen with Perdue right after she lost the primary was just like an endorsement although her camp was quick to say it wasn’t. I was a Cox supporter and expected her to do right by Taylor which would have made it easier for her to take the next election; instead she remained silent. Just like someone else posted..I’m thru with Cox.

By DE

November 8, 2006 1:12 PM | Link to this

After Shirley’s despicable race-baiting ad in Fulton County, she will never be able to win a race outside of Atlanta.

By ga voter

November 8, 2006 2:04 PM | Link to this

OMG, talk about a racist. Franklin sealed her fate before it could begin. Maybe, she can try reviving the radical islamic black panther party with Cynthia.

By TrueDawg

November 8, 2006 2:31 PM | Link to this

Let’s be clear on the facts. Cox appeared with Perdue in her capacity as Secretary of State opening a new exhibit at the Capitol. That is one of the duties of her office. In a question and answer session that was aired, I think on GPTV, she stated that she was simply there to open the exhibit and that all other legislators and leaders, including Taylor, had been invited. If he had wanted to be there and make sure that Perdue didn’t share the spotlight with her, he could have. He chose not to.

Regardless, it is a little deceptive to imply that her appearance with Perdue was an endorsement. It was her opening an exhibit at the Capitol, part of her job, with Perdue showing up because he is the Governor (and wanted to be seen with her).

By Jerrell

November 8, 2006 2:35 PM | Link to this

My goodness, some have to be better informed….Cathy Cox’s apppearance at the Capitol with Fat Sonny was as Sec. Of State! It had been planned months in advance… It was an unveiling ceremony to honor someone!!! 2. Harold Ford’s loss and the comments regarding Mayor Franklin shows how clueless many are in this matter. Please name one lie or mistruth that was spoken? You can’t… As much as I love GA, the South and my roots here, it is a damn hard environment to live in… It is OK for Sonny Perdue to pander in Churches and the Sons of the Confederacy (who by the way he lied to!), but a person of color speaks their mind and they are racist! Once again, you have to be willing to see truth where it exists.

The Democrats have candidates and the one you all overlook actually has the ability, Sanford Bishop…

By TrueDawg

November 8, 2006 3:00 PM | Link to this

As to the future of the Democratic party in Georgia, I would think that Democrats best bet would be to decide on their candidate early and throw all of their support behind him/her. Another bruising primary, will only make things easier for Republicans. I suspect there are 3-4 Republicans at the least who have their eye on the Governorship. Let them rip each other apart, and give the Democrat a fair chance to take on the winner of the Republican primary. Even then, it will be tough. The Democratic bench in Georgia is not as deep as it used to be.

By TrueDawg

November 8, 2006 3:04 PM | Link to this

As to the future of the Democratic party in Georgia, I would think that Democrats best bet would be to decide on their candidate early and throw all of their support behind him/her. Another bruising primary, will only make things easier for Republicans. I suspect there are 3-4 Republicans at the least who have their eye on the Governorship. Let them rip each other apart, and give the Democrat a fair chance to take on the winner of the Republican primary. Even then, it will be tough. The Democratic bench in Georgia is not as deep as it used to be.

By yo

November 8, 2006 3:30 PM | Link to this

Forget Baker for Senate, he could never beat SAXBY! Run Jim Marshall or John Barrow against SAXBY! and let Baker run for Gov in 2010