Here's a campaign trail dispatch from our AJC colleague Nicholas Fouriezos:
MCDONOUGH -- Officially, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul’s purpose for visiting Henry County was to vaunt David Perdue in his effort against Democrat Michelle Nunn to join Paul in the legislature’s upper chamber. The Kentucky Republican played that part admirably Friday, trumpeting Perdue’s business record while drawing comparisons to his own medical career outside of politics.
“I have a good job and skills and I can go back to it any time I want, so I’m unafraid to do what’s right and I think David will be the same,” Paul said. “We’ve got plenty of lawyers (in the Senate) but I can think only of a few businessmen. It would be great to have someone with some common sense and business sense to create jobs.”
But for Paul, the sunny autumn day in McDonough Square served as more than stump support for a potential future colleague. With more than a hundred GOP supporters gathered amidst the festive decorations of scarecrows and picket signs, the appearance could also be interpreted as an advance scouting expedition for a possible presidential run in 2016.
While the question of his chief executive aspirations wasn’t uttered – Paul was only made available briefly after the public appearance, and insisted he had to go when a reporter went to ask – there seems to be proof that any presidential hopeful would do well to keep Georgia on their mind.
After all, the Peach State is being touted as a future battleground state come next election season, after a dozen years of tinting a solid GOP red. Three polls released today would seem to bolster that argument, as each one has the state’s top two tickets – for U.S. Senate and governor – still up for grabs by both parties, with less than two weeks left until Election Day.
If Paul’s visit was meant to test the water in true Georgia red clay, he likely left pleased with the welcome he received. The crowd of Republican politicians, candidates, organizers and supporters gave a sturdy applause at the sound of his name, enough for Georgia’s own U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson to take note.
“Judging from the applause, Rand Paul doesn’t need any introduction,” Isakson said at the rally. “In fact, I think he must have shipped part of his family here because I’ve never heard such applause for a visitor here in my life.”
Paul used the stage to bash what he called the United States’ “worst tax code in the world,” and reiterated Perdue’s theme that a vote for him was a vote to earn a Republican majority in the Senate against presiding Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and President Barack Obama.
“It’s going to be close. We can win,” Paul said. “David offers a vision for the country, good common sense and business acumen that we need.”
For his part, Perdue continued to blame congressional gridlock on Reid.
“He’s got hundreds of bills stuck on his desk,” Perdue said. “Some of those bills were actually originated by Democrats.”
The GOP gathering brought out a handful of party faithful, from Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black to Georgia first lady Sandra Deal. Also present were Georgia Republican Party chairman John Padgett and state Reps. Brian Strickland and Andy Welch, both from McDonough.
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Perdue also has put out a new ad today, in which his mother vouches for him.
But Democrats are drawing attention to a less wholesome video, first reported by Buzzfeed and from last evening's rally in Jonesboro, when Perdue appeared to sign a young woman's torso.
UPDATE 3:45 p.m. The Perdue campaign says the candidate was asked to sign the young woman's diabetic pump to help raise awareness about juvenile diabetes -- not any part of her body.
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