Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Georgia Democrats & gubernatorial candidates need to meet to discuss 2010.

I call for the Georgia Democratic Delegation, the democratic house & senate caucus as well as announced candidates to meet to discuss the 2010 race for Governor, Lt. Governor, etc. Georgia Democrats cannot mess this up in 2010. It's best we avoid a brusing & battered primary in order to take back the governor's mansion as well retain our other constitutional offies as well.
There are too many rumors & lots of speculation going on with who is going to run for what or who may or may not run.
I'm going to call out Thurbert Baker because I have no idea what he is doing. You have Poythress, Porter out campaigning right now, Barnes is on his listening tour across the state, but Baker is doing neither. I haven't heard him attending a event, speaking to business leaders, traveling across the state, nothing. If Baker is going to run for governor, he has got to get out of his office to talk to people, listen to their concerns, offer his plans for the future of Georgia. If his mindset is that he is African-American & that every Black vote os going to vote for him because of skin color, he better think again.
The Black vote should not be taken for granted. Baker in my opnion maybe the best positioned to win back the governorship for dems, but I don't see the fire in the belly from him to run for governor. He has no website up for a run for governor, no email address, will not take phone calls. DuBose Porter, David Poythress are already burning rubber, going to two or three events in one day. A press release is not enough to get voters excited about his candidacy. Democrats need a candidate that is going to take the GOP to the woodshed in 2010. No weak minded, soft, patsy is not going to cut it for the democrats in 2010 & it looks like that's what baker is right now. Porter, Poythress are tough politicians who got the fire & heart to make this thing winnable for the dems in 2010 as well as Roy Barnes who more than likely will run for governor as well.
If Baker doesn't start to show sigsn of life for his campaign, then he need to leave the governor's race & run for Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, or the U.S Senate. His style maybe be better suited for the Senate that Governor.
We still have unresolved races for U.S. Senate, Lt. Gov, AG Commissioner, possibly Labor Commissioner.
For Lt. Governor, it should be either State Senator Tim Golden (D-Valdosta), Labor Comm. Michael Thurmond (D-Athens), or someone else like Michael Meyer von Bremen (D-Albany), (although he might run for mayor of Albany in 2010.)
AG Commissioner, its Terry Coleman (D-Eastman), Dr. James Sutton (D-Griffin), Assistant Commissioner, Plant Industry Division, or Oscar Garrison (D-Jackson County) Consumer Protection Division, Assistant Commissioner.
U.S. Senate: Don't have a clue right now. Maybe around June this picture will become clear.
  • For Governor, I prefer it be a two man race, but that's highly unlikely. If Barnes runs, then Baker should run for the Senate, Porter for Lt. Governor, If Barnes doesn't run, then Porter for Governor, Baker for Lt. Governor, or Porter for Governor, Thurmond for Lt. Governor, Baker for Senate.
    But based on past primaries in Georgia, which African-Americans comprises about 45% of the primary vote I would say right now (if barnes doesn't enter the race):
    Thurbert Baker, Governor
    Tim Golden or DuBose Porter Lt. Governor
    If Barnes enters the race, based on early polls:
    Roy Barnes, Governor
    Michael Thurmond Lt. Governor
    The rest of the races, I'll take a wait & see approach.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't have a favorite for Governor yet, but Baker did come over and speak to the Richmond County Democratic Party a week ago Saturday. I hadn't seen him in person before other than shaking his hand at a state JJ Dinner a couple years ago, but I have to say he did a great job. It was one of the better speeches I've seen by a Georgia candidate.

As for Barnes, if he's on a "listening tour," I haven't seen any evidence of it. Frankly if he and his sidekick Bobby Kahn were listening to anyone other than their big money Atlanta donors, it means they've had brain transplants.

Anonymous said...

The guy to beat is going to be David Poythress. He will have the money to be competitive and he is like the reincarnation of Joe Frank Harris. Lets face it, Poythress is the only candidate who can out Roy Barnes in terms of appealing both to suburban and rural voters.

Thurbert Baker is a non-starter. He is the Andy Young of 2010 without the drive that Young had.

DuBose Porter, seriously?

Poythress has won statewide and has a military background. He connects with the rural voters as well as African-American leadership.

Most of all, he has the infastructure to run and win.

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