Georgia's Rural Black Belt Counties may hold the Key to Democratic Success in the Fall

Georgia's Black Belt Counties are counties located in Rural Georgia that consist of high unemployment rates, face acute poverty, rural exodus, inadequate education programs, low educational attainment, poor health care, substandard housing, and high levels of crime and unemployment. As of today, the Black Belt is still home to persistent poverty, poor employment, low incomes, low education, poor health, high infant mortality and dependence.

This region of Georgia also hold the key for Democrats this November if they want to win several statewide seats.

It consist of all of SW Georgia 2nd District: (except Lee County), South Central Georgia Counties of the 8th District: Tift, Worth, Turner, Irwin, Ben Hill, Wilcox, Crisp, Colquitt, Cook Counties, Middle Ga Counties of Laurens, Dodge, Telfair, Montgomery, Treutlen, Pulaski, Macon, Taylor, Peach, Twiggs. And it consist of all of the 12th District:, except Chathamm, Effingham, Bryan, Richmond, Glascock.

These are places where the black population is as low as 20% to as high as 70% of the county's population. This is where democrats in their attempt to win votes here in rural Georgia have to make a great showing if they want to be successful on Nov 2.

As democrats should know, attracting the rural white vote has been a troublesome for democrats for sometime now, but the way the Ga GOP has led the state since its complete takeover in 2005, they have left plenty of material for democrats to run with, but that is "IF" democrats don't mess it up.

The economy has hit everyone hard in Georgia, but it has hit rural black voters the hardest. Where educational is low, economic opportunities are scarce, high crimes & substandard housing conditions are the weakest & unemployment is among the highest in the state, the Black Belt Region should be a area where democrats should make their biggest gains. But the history of Black Voters is that they do not turn out for mid-term elections, which is true. Another logic is that Black voters need to have a reason to get out to vote. That is also true!

But of all the years not to get out to vote, this is the year that Black voters need to get to the polls. Just like everyone else, they are affected by the economy, education, crime, the lack of job opportunities. With Obama not on the ballot, no way they are going to get out to the polls to vote. Having black candidates running for office along is not enough for black voters to get out to the polls. Democrats have to go to some of these Black Belt Counties like Calhoun, Peach, Turner, Meriwheter, Troup, Greene, Burke, Clinch, Worth Counties & make their case that better days are ahead & that the current policies hasn't had any positive effect on them, That goes for White Voters who live in the Black Belt as well.

Despite what is going on Nationally with democrats, here in Georgia, things have gotten bad under a republican controlled state government & just like Roy Barnes is doing, if democrats running in Senate & House races, as well as other statewide offices (Labor, Lt Governor, for example) make that argument, it will be a successful 2010 for Georgia Democrats. Like I've been saying, it will come down for rural Georgia for Democrats.