tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30844290129723939472024-03-06T03:45:02.184-05:00Peanut PoliticsA Rural Blog that provides views & insights from a Conservative Georgia DemocratKeithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899457461643850804noreply@blogger.comBlogger1948125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084429012972393947.post-45719062947100402382024-01-02T10:34:00.004-05:002024-01-02T10:34:56.954-05:00The Rural Wall has helped Georgia Republicans dominate statewide elections for years. For Dems, it’s time to change that.<p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 20px auto; max-width: 700px;">Democrats don’t get elected in places like ruby red Atkinson County for example. It’s important to show that yes democrats are there, they are present, and they ain’t scared of no one. It's time to start chipping away at that red wall in rural Georgia that’s holding them back right now. As they begin their 2024, and then 2026 campaigns for state offices from governor to Labor Commissioner, Democrats know they can count on support in Georgia's fast-growing cities. They see increasing their share of votes in rural counties, which have long titled heavily Republican going back to the early 2000s, as a key part of their strategy to win statewide office for the first time in two decades.</p><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 20px auto; max-width: 700px;">Yeah I know places like Dodge County ain’t gonna turn blue any time soon, but if they can even get their Democratic base out 5 more percent and this is true for every rural county, if rural counties went 5 more percent towards any Democrat running for office, that’s really gonna help out, and that’s what’s going to push us over the edge, say in 2026.</p><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 20px auto; max-width: 700px;">Statewide leaders here in Georgia, both parties, tend to focus only on five or six big counties because you do the math and you think that’s where all the votes are. But I just don’t think that’s right.</p><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 20px auto; max-width: 700px;">We all know how big of a state Georgia is, and I know there was no question that running more than once was absolutely essential to success, however courting rural voters is not something the state Democratic Party has embraced in the past decade. </p><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 20px auto; max-width: 700px;">There’s a big difference between losing a rural county 70-30 and losing it 55-45, and that’s completely acceptable. But you just can’t keep getting creamed in the rural counties and expect you’re going to win anything statewide. They’re going to have to put a lot more energy and time into figuring out how to talk to those voters in such a way they can hear them.</p><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 20px auto; max-width: 700px;">One thing Democrats need to realize....There’s a pretty good bullsh** detector out in the rural areas and they’ll see through that if you’re not genuine to yourself. Just putting on your cowboy boots and coming out here once or twice is not going to get you the kind of votes you need. The thing I think that makes the difference is it’s not just showing up at campaign time; it’s showing up year after year after year and maintaining those relationships.</p>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899457461643850804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084429012972393947.post-24306340471936777512024-01-01T07:48:00.001-05:002024-01-01T07:48:50.326-05:00These Democratic Women Are Rising Stars and Their Futures are Bright<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLk4NbdFY81Yeg5uXuKhgoDd-ZQvSo7N_jdqMZnlwXZw1x57Cux0mXHNlMxRmJfK25yvKBOHHQ7T3p0smyNYMICk_xeT5XpJK5P3Uiy4pIFlCnykh80XjvuAi1_N_NDgqS1JH1oDttWCdVPaR6Ske4IpoUlJvwFRaApkvNlCfVTTSppHxKtpNltuSMyZ4G/s1920/jordan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLk4NbdFY81Yeg5uXuKhgoDd-ZQvSo7N_jdqMZnlwXZw1x57Cux0mXHNlMxRmJfK25yvKBOHHQ7T3p0smyNYMICk_xeT5XpJK5P3Uiy4pIFlCnykh80XjvuAi1_N_NDgqS1JH1oDttWCdVPaR6Ske4IpoUlJvwFRaApkvNlCfVTTSppHxKtpNltuSMyZ4G/s320/jordan.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Former State Senator and potential '26 gubernatorial candidate Jen Jordan</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht8Kz1hOLIr240W1fgHAO7bIlK1tQjmmQC8myOuv5mNjy_YJdQRg22T4MDqk7cyjMHMcNY5Ob-7iTHlwfQQvHDJyC3Rq_wfJRLCer3ULMLN30nGmKXha3mE0itq6mPJJPbKaJCQ5yfu7tRiqlTmGZrba-s7m8LX88Jl3ez9issMaupWYsfAsZqNjkKtsSP/s640/TiftonCEO-02-24-20-McKinnon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht8Kz1hOLIr240W1fgHAO7bIlK1tQjmmQC8myOuv5mNjy_YJdQRg22T4MDqk7cyjMHMcNY5Ob-7iTHlwfQQvHDJyC3Rq_wfJRLCer3ULMLN30nGmKXha3mE0itq6mPJJPbKaJCQ5yfu7tRiqlTmGZrba-s7m8LX88Jl3ez9issMaupWYsfAsZqNjkKtsSP/s320/TiftonCEO-02-24-20-McKinnon.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tift County Board of Education member Pat McKinnon</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid2Pi33VfNs0H22EYp3apR1Jt4_efwwgCWmmUesJsz2YJKpHkTxTtZwaCNDdYLJjGrOt-ayHuVWYgY8jciz9PeBv_7bSa5XSd8Gx7u-ld1m5kqytgI7jg5NF-UWD2JJemy9noJJy7LFVufo2Dst_8D5ySLpxucHXW-rMc2BNqLZ3Nccd5g37ZShKtTTJq9/s350/AA-headshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid2Pi33VfNs0H22EYp3apR1Jt4_efwwgCWmmUesJsz2YJKpHkTxTtZwaCNDdYLJjGrOt-ayHuVWYgY8jciz9PeBv_7bSa5XSd8Gx7u-ld1m5kqytgI7jg5NF-UWD2JJemy9noJJy7LFVufo2Dst_8D5ySLpxucHXW-rMc2BNqLZ3Nccd5g37ZShKtTTJq9/s320/AA-headshot.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">State Representative Anne Allen-Westbrook</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOKq9TsznsJ95eRTlAwvbp6hXbh3wjv6kMhKTg8vtYH7YSE6DDsmj3lUJTuJFWtyEquldmI_DabVnyJgZx3m4oLbzm2nKoYuz-CSMseoH32xfSiZgiCvRr3lKDd973_jK6iDHS5rvY68I6Y3IbnqN-MmhUpKjCXlWmE6hNO7UcZ7d2j-PUgWMMq-QDq4zL/s3307/Jordan,%20Leigh%202023-106%20sq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3306" data-original-width="3307" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOKq9TsznsJ95eRTlAwvbp6hXbh3wjv6kMhKTg8vtYH7YSE6DDsmj3lUJTuJFWtyEquldmI_DabVnyJgZx3m4oLbzm2nKoYuz-CSMseoH32xfSiZgiCvRr3lKDd973_jK6iDHS5rvY68I6Y3IbnqN-MmhUpKjCXlWmE6hNO7UcZ7d2j-PUgWMMq-QDq4zL/s320/Jordan,%20Leigh%202023-106%20sq.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leigh Jordan, Washington County Board of Education</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicMU4SuOFwYSHAH6wzhyCuc_NLxN_eYKw4DYOjjdFQzqefJD4KCDlh96m_H0h2JozOj9YLQgn8WPGNiVJm-h9AzKJan2UXkXNyCf29CroTT7qyj7nwnkfs_g2qd4B_cw1uH-GM9hArypaWN5oO9Y4wTJPsb0aQB5N9XYP0tkwO7XvsvJ7P05fXkCToepz_/s828/FB_IMG_1704109527162.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="828" data-original-width="828" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicMU4SuOFwYSHAH6wzhyCuc_NLxN_eYKw4DYOjjdFQzqefJD4KCDlh96m_H0h2JozOj9YLQgn8WPGNiVJm-h9AzKJan2UXkXNyCf29CroTT7qyj7nwnkfs_g2qd4B_cw1uH-GM9hArypaWN5oO9Y4wTJPsb0aQB5N9XYP0tkwO7XvsvJ7P05fXkCToepz_/s320/FB_IMG_1704109527162.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kristi Jenkins, Washington County Board of Education</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7U1ZXbZQXcDA2FDgQBuKZNJ6xmBs7Vh1oR8xQrZ5h-tkquSgKPWmwHj4fH_EWZMxF4xb68BLxo5-v3i5GEtSDgE_LdWwp0FTt5e3_UZYTb9bGzo2rYRfcesPaTWMBdt_eS6JvVJ7SVslVViLQUKAYrHGUtJqc6szbmxtbZRj85Gu2CZl9vgNNRuChwnXy/s578/tia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="578" data-original-width="474" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7U1ZXbZQXcDA2FDgQBuKZNJ6xmBs7Vh1oR8xQrZ5h-tkquSgKPWmwHj4fH_EWZMxF4xb68BLxo5-v3i5GEtSDgE_LdWwp0FTt5e3_UZYTb9bGzo2rYRfcesPaTWMBdt_eS6JvVJ7SVslVViLQUKAYrHGUtJqc6szbmxtbZRj85Gu2CZl9vgNNRuChwnXy/s320/tia.jpg" width="262" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tia McWilliams, Taliaferro County Sheriff and the first black female sheriff to be elected in rural Georgia</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY4WoaTDj4Jcxze0XrAAfLkelzN67Gf_XrGBlZo-ywsaYjmZbQ-FKIw1TCiAODQephYeBR55r0BjhHxl8HqQwzn0iiQyIMqZHdAxkZ7b1O8q-8HlKS9LXKUps_zJr50sdy7Xlj9rAZ95L1Fg_ZTYHsKoSko0etMBH_4cxNiZ_s2FJ_2BPoFC3IY5QTnVzG/s620/teresa-tomlinson-2420838c-8682-43c8-a618-841beae0818-resize-750.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="585" data-original-width="620" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY4WoaTDj4Jcxze0XrAAfLkelzN67Gf_XrGBlZo-ywsaYjmZbQ-FKIw1TCiAODQephYeBR55r0BjhHxl8HqQwzn0iiQyIMqZHdAxkZ7b1O8q-8HlKS9LXKUps_zJr50sdy7Xlj9rAZ95L1Fg_ZTYHsKoSko0etMBH_4cxNiZ_s2FJ_2BPoFC3IY5QTnVzG/s320/teresa-tomlinson-2420838c-8682-43c8-a618-841beae0818-resize-750.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teresa Tomlinson, former Mayor of Columbus</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcNRwpCXT0GVv1KavfcneaRFV_04TTgAJy-sosD3i2QMXuLW44g0UqpcIgZD2trmJrs4La-tItBZkK8elzljBlJNLmcFZsPO7p6JTb8mH1L1eSIqnVHtVG6cwaBXDbbzPkYjHPSCrR84ETyBHcelR9Ej3FCN0OcVQYxkCoqAOkw7GCpQZ1Tm_SlbbpSAgY/s217/j.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="217" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcNRwpCXT0GVv1KavfcneaRFV_04TTgAJy-sosD3i2QMXuLW44g0UqpcIgZD2trmJrs4La-tItBZkK8elzljBlJNLmcFZsPO7p6JTb8mH1L1eSIqnVHtVG6cwaBXDbbzPkYjHPSCrR84ETyBHcelR9Ej3FCN0OcVQYxkCoqAOkw7GCpQZ1Tm_SlbbpSAgY/s1600/j.jpg" width="217" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jerica Richardson, Cobb County Commissioner.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgec1PoWhTUG8mAdSUmxFiT-N96nGtqvtGu83mpvjSD2_l0wg8iCAhrjMiHLo5sPc2PhcI6gj3PrjjCxP908jKjMN0s8ZsCkUaa6ggIQYYy2xj6ihpegFZ9gras4bpKWbpcuUh9PCiBaRjK07EOaYQgBDBgED6YxuIuP8xxxujBkmuBEEqI-o_lRMLrzOxc/s650/Keisha-Lance-Bottoms-speak-GettyImages-650x611.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="650" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgec1PoWhTUG8mAdSUmxFiT-N96nGtqvtGu83mpvjSD2_l0wg8iCAhrjMiHLo5sPc2PhcI6gj3PrjjCxP908jKjMN0s8ZsCkUaa6ggIQYYy2xj6ihpegFZ9gras4bpKWbpcuUh9PCiBaRjK07EOaYQgBDBgED6YxuIuP8xxxujBkmuBEEqI-o_lRMLrzOxc/s320/Keisha-Lance-Bottoms-speak-GettyImages-650x611.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keisha L. Bottoms, Former Mayor of Atlanta</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2QWO8Ks3mG56e44fU3pVKYOWkY866jpPvbmNO9QctZB0J2RlexOEQYYK2m2tXpruNHOui9mgry_V-t1epj0NwlQbuZtH12upu6rW_LkSy6sK2vM3XSqxh3fOeq141ZUa4IkgmeJucOT1-dVOz_N0yxUS-R09bsnb2Ph5631kwlKZ5BaVaoUvSrO49TSXn/s750/teri.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2QWO8Ks3mG56e44fU3pVKYOWkY866jpPvbmNO9QctZB0J2RlexOEQYYK2m2tXpruNHOui9mgry_V-t1epj0NwlQbuZtH12upu6rW_LkSy6sK2vM3XSqxh3fOeq141ZUa4IkgmeJucOT1-dVOz_N0yxUS-R09bsnb2Ph5631kwlKZ5BaVaoUvSrO49TSXn/s320/teri.webp" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teri Anulewicz, Cobb County State Representative </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899457461643850804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084429012972393947.post-61990045891328499342023-12-31T17:46:00.000-05:002023-12-31T17:46:08.230-05:00Democrats lose about 94% of Rural Georgia Counties...Wanna Know Why?<p>Because they run weak candidates who simply do not align with the culture, values, hopes, aspirations, concerns and worries of rural folks. The messaging and policies for urban and suburban areas are not tailored to rural communities. Democrats simply dismiss those people as politically expedient at best, or a lost cause at worst. Now if you go back to the 2020 election and 2021 runoffs, both Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock put in a lot of time and effort in rural Georgia, especially the black belt areas/ That effort was critical in both winning their races in which gave Georgia two Democratic Senators for the first time since 1986.</p><p>At this point in time, there is very little evidence that the Democratic establishment understands these failures. Politicos endorsing fellow politicos, party elites tipping the scales, political hacks who are ahead of their time, none of this mess works for rural Georgians. The Dems failure to appeal to rural voters has consequences. One, extreme polarization, caused by partisan gerrymandering and the huge urban-rural divide. </p><p>Working class, rural communities in Southwest, central and eastern Georgia are marginalized due to the consolidation of economic and political power inside I-285. Georgia needs the Democrats to be competitive in rural communities, just like we need republicans to be competitive in big cities/ Let me tell you what rural folks want...they want to be valued and heard on their own terms, they want their children to have opportunities at home, etc. Democrats can deliver economic opportunities, but it will require Democrats competing in local elections by charting an independent path forward. </p>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899457461643850804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084429012972393947.post-80893808523335586982023-12-31T17:13:00.000-05:002023-12-31T17:13:02.581-05:00Are Georgia Democrats concerned about a possible extinction in Rural Georgia because the brand is so toxic?<p>Tattnall County Ga- Some Democrats here whether its in the black belt, the wiregrass region are afraid to tell you they're Democrats. The Party brand is so bad in small town Georgia that some who lean liberal have refused to acknowledge their affiliation publicly. Democrats here are used to being outnumbered, but as their numbers continue to drop, the few remaining are more isolated.</p><p>The hatred for Democrats is just crazy, said a longtime democratic resident of Tattnall County who told his daughter to get rid of a pro-Biden bumper sticker back in 2020. Democrats have been ostracized from many parts of rural Georgia, leaving party leaders (who are clueless when it comes to rural Georgia) few options to reverse a cultural trend while continuing to devote the majority of its resources to voters in more populated urban and suburban areas of the state.</p><p>Past candidates like William Boddie who ran for Labor Commissioner in 2022 know his party can no longer afford to ignore rural voters. Boddie is a Democrat and a possible gubernatorial candidate in 2026 is someone who I would describe as someone who is a champion for the forgotten, the marginalized and the left behind places is the type of candidate who gets it. The Democratic Party struggles in rural Georgia has been building since the early 2000s and it show no signs of getting better.</p>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899457461643850804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084429012972393947.post-71658534927670927282022-06-19T11:34:00.000-04:002022-06-19T11:34:48.512-04:00It's Charlie Bailey Time!<p><span>On Tuesday, voter will return to the polls to vote in a pair of runoff elections to determine who will go on to the General Election.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVlSYRBT6IZ-5yh964lwBqvevaAIMYMvfF15tUwKkGNMrpiNUaaltZXAaW55_LAI5uwzTq26pEjlktJp5KjJAEQpejItA82iwUCFPq7GDs6tEzxp64svhr3qcZPaJ3fYPE2fBVqV-DCmcjNvSUGzQwFjBaOQHEtjBUnuQV-wExlg4TO3gQvFsnhuXaGw/s300/bailey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVlSYRBT6IZ-5yh964lwBqvevaAIMYMvfF15tUwKkGNMrpiNUaaltZXAaW55_LAI5uwzTq26pEjlktJp5KjJAEQpejItA82iwUCFPq7GDs6tEzxp64svhr3qcZPaJ3fYPE2fBVqV-DCmcjNvSUGzQwFjBaOQHEtjBUnuQV-wExlg4TO3gQvFsnhuXaGw/s1600/bailey.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>One such race is for Lt. Governor where Charlie Bailey who was a 2018 candidate for Attorney General will face off against Kwanza Hall, who is a former Atlanta City Councilman and Congressman.<p></p><p>Voters should vote for Charlie Bailey next Tuesday. He will be a strong fighter for Rural Georgia whether you live in Charlton County, Montgomery County, Polk County or Union County.</p><p>Charlie will first address the symptoms of a over regulated, over taxed economic base and it effect on the taxpayer. Second, he understands and respect that Rural Georgia is Georgia too! (He is a native of Harris County in Western Georgia). Third he will ensure no more rural hospitals will close and to finally spearheard much needed medicaid expansion to rural areas of our state that are in desperate need of healthcare services. And finally, he will address and try to come up with solutions to the three f's.... Fuel, Food, and Fertilizer. Our Farmers and Agriculture Industry rely tremendously on diesel a<br />nd fertilizer, and voters feel the pinch in their wallet and pocketbooks when go to the store or put gas in their vehicles.</p><p>Kwanza Hall, his opponent is a nice guy with many accomplishments and if he wins, I'd take a long look at supporting him, but right now Georgians need a Charlie Bailey as Lt. Governor to bring all parties together to continue to move Georgia forward.</p><p>Charlie has been endorsed by former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, former Governor Roy Barnes, Lt. Governor Mark Taylor, Congressman Hank Johnson.<br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Vote Charlie Bailey for Lt. Governor on Tuesday June 21.</p>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899457461643850804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084429012972393947.post-25418812798386305192022-05-22T13:16:00.003-04:002022-05-23T16:49:56.533-04:00Two Dems, one a centrist, the other a progressive face off for Democratic Nomination in the Newly Drawn 6th CD<p>Up in the newly drawn 6th Congressional District Bob Christian (D-Dawsonville) and Wayne White (D-Cumming) will face off Tuesday to determine who will get the nomination to advance to the General Election in the 6th, once ocuppied by Lucy McBath who cut and ran from the district to the neighboring 7th Congressional district held by incumbent Carolyn Bordeaux.</p><p>Christian and White are both political newcomers and both present Democrats up in the area a chance of electing someone who can not only be competitive, but win in the district in November.</p><p>Bob Christian is a Iraq War Veteran who's Pro-2nd Amendment, Pro-Law Enforcement and Pro- Business, White is a Civil Engineer, served in the U.S. Peace Corps, who' want to eliminate voter suppression, protect access to reproductive healthcare and expand medicaid.</p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: white; font-family: Source Sans Pro, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #1c335d; font-size: 18px;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="color: white; font-family: Source Sans Pro, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #1c335d; font-size: 18px;"><br /></span></span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899457461643850804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084429012972393947.post-50961319187220801492022-05-12T14:57:00.005-04:002022-05-12T14:57:49.837-04:00Nadia Surrency for Georgia Labor Commissioner. Get Ready.<iframe width="480" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/1MKlUCiYYIA" frameborder="0"></iframe>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899457461643850804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084429012972393947.post-6543472473575593692022-05-12T14:48:00.005-04:002022-05-12T14:48:36.104-04:00Dodge County native Jen Jordan for Georgia Attorney General<iframe width="480" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/DR9SDeiTZak" frameborder="0"></iframe>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899457461643850804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084429012972393947.post-51294002891043996992022-05-11T17:21:00.000-04:002022-05-11T17:21:06.313-04:00Fixed Income Voters Matter Too!<p>Fixed Income voters, primarily retirees who are living solely on a fixed income are voters who are probably hurting the most from rising Gas prices, as well as grocery prices as well. </p><p>The rising cost of housing, food and other necessities are huge drivers of inflation and they fall especially hard on lower-income voters, like those who are living on fixed incomes as I mentioned before. So far no one has offered any proposals, Democrat nor Republican to address the hardships fixed income voter are facing right now. Food and gasoline as well as housing are a huge share of total spending for fixed income and low income voters than for higher-income households.</p><p>Instead of congress focusing on passing abortion rights legislation that would codify ROE v WADE, they should be focusing on bread and butter issues that majority of voters give a damn about!</p><p><br /></p>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899457461643850804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084429012972393947.post-75661119070883026902022-05-10T14:48:00.000-04:002022-05-10T14:48:23.875-04:00Same 'ol, Same 'ol.....Rural Voters and their disdain for the Democrat Party<p>R<span style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: "Georgia Pro", Georgia, "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 18px;">ural voters here in Georgia and across the country are voting their economic interests and have abandoned Democrats because they feel the party overlooks, ignores, and disrespects them.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: "Georgia Pro", Georgia, "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 18px;"> R</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: "Georgia Pro", Georgia, "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 18px;">ural voters don’t think that Democrats understand the economic realities of rural and small town life and have not focused attention on them. Instead, rural voters see leading Democrats like Stacey Abrams and Jon Ossoff as coming from and supporting urban concerns. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: "Georgia Pro", Georgia, "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 18px;">Rural folk also believe that Democrats ignore rural needs and that rural areas do not get their fair share of resources. For example, many rural areas like Eastman, Montezuma, Talbot</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkhJLEeeUg_MrLINIwWeqfmSkCXu6o5zta9P4C_AP2un6uxQ-K0rxFN6yRUygIAgawdVg7AZYKMYTPMtQtfkymTjLB--HezD9tGJU_-sRVv7Cq_Y7dGHLGLzK_H9KT76ueSBQx8V1Jhb9VMGooD8zhy74TWNDVFO97sAuN0gOwvipML0JEL1bv_k5rYA/s1200/trump.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="1200" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkhJLEeeUg_MrLINIwWeqfmSkCXu6o5zta9P4C_AP2un6uxQ-K0rxFN6yRUygIAgawdVg7AZYKMYTPMtQtfkymTjLB--HezD9tGJU_-sRVv7Cq_Y7dGHLGLzK_H9KT76ueSBQx8V1Jhb9VMGooD8zhy74TWNDVFO97sAuN0gOwvipML0JEL1bv_k5rYA/w200-h113/trump.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />ton, Statenville, Homerville, Folkston, have faced recession-like conditions for decades due to a decline in manufacturing and small farms struggling to compete with corporate farms.<p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: "Georgia Pro", Georgia, "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 18px;">Yet, national Democrats focus on the problems of minorities and rarely talk about the problems of rural voters. This fact is why identity politics backfires on Democrats. Understandably, Democrats support Black Lives Matter to rectify the historic injustices done to African-Americans. However, rural voters hear Democrats excluding them from help. When working class whites claim that “all lives matter,” they are not opposing helping African-Americans per se. Instead, they are claiming that working class whites need and want the help also. If Democrats could broaden their appeal beyond race, spend time in rural areas, and create policies to deliver benefits to these rural areas, Democrats could win more elections.<br /></span></p>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899457461643850804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084429012972393947.post-79063937842998805382022-05-10T14:12:00.002-04:002022-05-10T14:12:40.040-04:00Fundraiser for Winfred Dukes slated for tomorrow in Atlanta<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm6YNXHysPqg5d8k88RMtOppZFYN8AWH73fEhZhr1Q8dJw92xN5F2drgp81s5rR8yBOoXAgrvle_g4DtP5qjR8nPyFrF8dCmlMn7wouoKqM8nm-erKkwr3cKbTlstJyAEsqzLWPqY3oE1xrQfbUkIKgFqP-VLEGrRlBhHuzsQQK3cS-poSq-VRaSoxWw/s1920/dukkes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm6YNXHysPqg5d8k88RMtOppZFYN8AWH73fEhZhr1Q8dJw92xN5F2drgp81s5rR8yBOoXAgrvle_g4DtP5qjR8nPyFrF8dCmlMn7wouoKqM8nm-erKkwr3cKbTlstJyAEsqzLWPqY3oE1xrQfbUkIKgFqP-VLEGrRlBhHuzsQQK3cS-poSq-VRaSoxWw/w640-h360/dukkes.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Tomorrow in Atlanta, Agriculture Commission candidate Winfred Dukes (D-Albany) will be the recipient of a high dollar fundraiser that will feature Roy Barnes, Mark Taylor, Charles Walker, Keith Mason, Shirley Franklin, and Bobby Kahn among others, Dukes is running to replace Gary Black who is running for the U.S. Senate. Tyler Harper is the only republican who's running for Ag Commissioner. Other Democrats in the race include Nakita Hemingway and Fred Swann. <p></p><p>Dukes, a south Georgia Democrat is one of three democrats running statewide who hails fron outside of Atlanta, (Floyd Griffin of Milledgeville and Lester Jackson of Savannah)</p>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899457461643850804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084429012972393947.post-28326035892777792212022-05-09T16:12:00.000-04:002022-05-09T16:12:09.133-04:00Conservative Democrat Mike Ford awaits the winner of the Republican Primary for Ga-9th CD<p>Up in deeply conservative 9th Congressional District, Mike Ford, a Conservative Democrat is the lone democrat in the May 24th primary and awaits the winner of the GOP primary.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF3C4nqe6_dKEQhmE7IhGwB4BOvAk6QXqs5v26DGQ296W9DKWboM9P-Qv2Ve4MF53YIUcSKarJXUgY0TnWte22SGL8ymhuDd4X1OA4PU6GXFRrI1m1Bw4mGxPA3NfjX8mdANKKPxcFDhZfwhznHORf6rJrdyDXsFtIfCZp5Lc9sy2tr1L75ofnp-rTbg/s2048/mike%20ford.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF3C4nqe6_dKEQhmE7IhGwB4BOvAk6QXqs5v26DGQ296W9DKWboM9P-Qv2Ve4MF53YIUcSKarJXUgY0TnWte22SGL8ymhuDd4X1OA4PU6GXFRrI1m1Bw4mGxPA3NfjX8mdANKKPxcFDhZfwhznHORf6rJrdyDXsFtIfCZp5Lc9sy2tr1L75ofnp-rTbg/w150-h200/mike%20ford.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>Ford, a native of Macon, Ga is a Vietnam War Veteran where he was awarded the Air Metal with Six Oak Leaf Clusters, National Defense Service medal, the Vietnam Service medal and Republic of Vietnam Campaign medal.<p></p><p>He is also a member of the NRA, and the Georgia Sport Shooting Association.</p><p>He is a democrat in the mold of former 8th Congressional District Jim Marshall and Charles Jenkins who once represented the 9th Congressional District in the 80s and early 90s.<br /></p><p>Ford is a retiring attorney who has practiced law at the State Court, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, etc.</p><p><br /></p><p>For more on Mike Ford go to his website at <a href="https://mike4georgia.com/" target="_blank">https://mike4georgia.com/</a></p>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899457461643850804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084429012972393947.post-56991098848029168742022-05-09T08:40:00.001-04:002022-05-09T08:40:06.200-04:00Floyd L. Griffin Campaign Video<iframe width="480" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/y61_9OXNZPs" frameborder="0"></iframe>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899457461643850804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084429012972393947.post-56548623812367483622022-05-06T16:31:00.000-04:002022-05-06T16:31:21.514-04:00Michael Owens Endorsements for Secretary of State<p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "PT Serif", Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 17.008px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Here is the list of elected officials who have given Owens their endorsement</p><ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "PT Serif", Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 17.008px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: square; margin: 0px 0px 1.875rem 2.5rem; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><li style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Gov. Roy Barnes, eightieth governor of Georgia</li><li style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sen. Michael Rhett, Georgia State Senate, District 33</li><li style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Gail Hambrick, Clayton County Commissioner</li><li style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Monique Sheffield, Cobb County Commissioner</li><li style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Kelly Robinson, Douglas County Commissioner</li><li style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Jessie Goree, Clayton County School Board Chair</li><li style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Dee Haney, Clayton County School Board Member</li><li style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Tre Hutchens, Cobb County School Board Member</li><li style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Devetrion Caldwell, Douglas County School Board Member</li><li style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Rita Fasina-Thomas, Douglas County School Board Member</li><li style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Makenzie McDaniel, Henry County School Board Member</li><li style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sandra Vincent, McDonough Mayor</li><li style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Anthony Ford, Stockbridge Mayor</li><li style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Carlos Greer, Locust Grove Mayor Pro-Tem</li><li style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Devon Myrick, Austell City Councilman</li><li style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Valerie Anderson, Austell City Councilwoman</li><li style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Connie Alsobrook, Conyers City Councilwoman</li><li style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lance Robertson, East Point City Councilman</li><li style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Devlin Cleveland, Hampton City Councilman</li><li style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Erroll Mitchell, former Hampton City Councilman</li><li style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Alfred Dixon, former Jonesboro City Councilman</li><li style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Antonio Jones, Kennesaw City Councilman</li><li style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Maryline Blackburn, former Smyrna City Councilwoman</li><li style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">LaKeisha Gantt, Stockbridge City Councilwoman</li><li style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Yolanda Barber, Stockbridge City Councilwoman</li><li style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Larry Curtis, Warner Robins City Councilma</li></ul>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899457461643850804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084429012972393947.post-86558652978954796192022-05-06T16:18:00.002-04:002022-05-06T16:18:12.457-04:00Former Lt. Governor Mark Taylor Endorses Floyd Griffin for Secretary of State<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqfMDvhyccvfkdukQtuEqSCgp7WonGLEeRe2npvoHwHvdTgfAza9HvVfWtRMXrAH07Y1ojEPKRwQ_u4igmejG1YXPGTAbaDZazr64K4hM6_Q0Ayn0fUwx2x2TzJl0ArQ3lDOWd17qAbJMONDsaRxFLV4KTNic8TyfnO09YY9GZKoEHkh09TthsWAcEyA/s1458/mark.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1458" data-original-width="1200" height="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqfMDvhyccvfkdukQtuEqSCgp7WonGLEeRe2npvoHwHvdTgfAza9HvVfWtRMXrAH07Y1ojEPKRwQ_u4igmejG1YXPGTAbaDZazr64K4hM6_Q0Ayn0fUwx2x2TzJl0ArQ3lDOWd17qAbJMONDsaRxFLV4KTNic8TyfnO09YY9GZKoEHkh09TthsWAcEyA/w387-h383/mark.png" width="387" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899457461643850804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084429012972393947.post-67046534664360923702022-05-06T16:11:00.002-04:002022-05-06T16:11:39.343-04:00#1 Rated Business Show talks with Former State Senator and Secretary of State Candidate Floyd Griffin<iframe style="background-image:url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9QSFlyMqQxY/hqdefault.jpg)" width="480" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/9QSFlyMqQxY" frameborder="0"></iframe>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899457461643850804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084429012972393947.post-23787229931953857312022-05-04T15:55:00.003-04:002022-05-04T15:55:35.301-04:00Jessica Fore for GA-10 U.S. House of Representatives<iframe width="480" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/tUwcxpNGNKk" frameborder="0"></iframe>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899457461643850804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084429012972393947.post-15503505477988846182022-05-01T16:10:00.001-04:002022-05-02T10:43:03.220-04:00Can Winfred Dukes put a "W" in the win column for State Democrats?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhePANi2s3Pa3I2mdBWZ_qw_UtyBleHYEg2X9zS8J9nC5jJTnS2vnAWwi-FuHzZhYSFT268gTihXuCGf1DEsu_J2vFDDFBl2fsK5aRNT_CA9rs9SiE1Xrov7hTxbXuVx-ETsozb5ou-MKbpC5ReZBXJ93BL1PhU5rK1IORoO6w9HgmflpgIak50FlYd4g/s720/ab.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="404" data-original-width="720" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhePANi2s3Pa3I2mdBWZ_qw_UtyBleHYEg2X9zS8J9nC5jJTnS2vnAWwi-FuHzZhYSFT268gTihXuCGf1DEsu_J2vFDDFBl2fsK5aRNT_CA9rs9SiE1Xrov7hTxbXuVx-ETsozb5ou-MKbpC5ReZBXJ93BL1PhU5rK1IORoO6w9HgmflpgIak50FlYd4g/s320/ab.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span><b style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Droid Serif"; font-size: 20px;">It's no secret that the Democratic Party has been bleeding voters</span><span style="font-family: "Droid Serif"; font-size: 20px;"> over the past decade in rural Georgia. In 2010 Georgia voters elected Republican, now Senate candidate Gary Black over then State Senator J.B. Powell, another Conservative Democrat to succeed longtime Agriculture Commissioner, the late Tommy Irvin, a Conservative Democrat from Northeast Georgia who was appointed by then Governor Lester Maddox in 1969 who Tom Baxter coined as the last Democrat out the door following his retirement in 2010. Irvin's grandson Chris Irvin ran in 2014, losing to Gary Black.</span></b></span><p></p><h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Droid Serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px;"><span><b>Now comes Winfred Dukes, a centrist Democratic State Representative from Southwest Georgia (Albany), the heart of Georgia Agriculture. He served over two decades in the Georgia house. He gives the Democrats best chance at winning this crucial post. But he must get past the Democratic primary where two other candidate are vying for the nomination. Dukes comes from the Roy Barnes-Mark Taylor-Michael Thirmond wing of the Democratic party that still carry some influence despite the new, progressive wing led by Stacey Abrams.</b></span></span></span><b style="font-family: "Droid Serif"; font-size: 20px;">In many states, the position carries significant authority. In 40 states, according to the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, agriculture departments oversee the animal industry; in about half of states, they oversee food safety and meat inspection. In 48 states, they determine what qualifies as "organic," while in 43 states they regulate pesticides. </b><b style="font-family: "Droid Serif"; font-size: 20px;">Over the past decade, growing Republican strength further down the ballot here in Georgia, combined with attrition among long-serving, conservative Democrats incumbents has helped the GOP win lower state offices and increased opportunities for the types of rural Republicans who can seriously contest the position of agriculture commissioner.</b></span></h1><p><span style="font-family: "Droid Serif"; font-size: 20px;"><span><b style="background-color: white;">The GOP has also focused more attention on agriculture offices, partnering with the Republican Agriculture Commissioners Committee and Ag America, a group that works to elect qualified Republican candidates to the position.</b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Droid Serif"; font-size: 20px;"><span><b style="background-color: white;">What's more, Democratic electoral and bench strength here in Georgia is concentrated in cities and suburbs, where it’s hard to become a credible candidate for agriculture commissioner. Two Democrats running for Ag Commissioner, Nakita Hemingway and Fred Swann hail from the metro Atlanta area. Besides, rural voters feel they have more at stake in voting for agriculture commissioner than urban voters do ans that my friends is a fact!</b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Droid Serif"; font-size: 20px;"><span><b style="background-color: white;">These days the GOP has no shortage of qualified candidates here in Georgia with agricultural backgrounds, while Democrats have tapped a mix of farmers, agriculture policy experts, civil servants and the occasional rural lawmaker for the post. Can Dukes break the Democratic drought? </b></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Droid Serif"; font-size: 20px;"><br /></span></p>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899457461643850804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084429012972393947.post-84408422492786744212022-05-01T14:11:00.002-04:002022-05-02T10:42:05.466-04:00Floyd Griffin, not Bee Nguyen can win in the General Election. <p><br />Over in Baldwin County, Retired Colonel, former State Senator and Mayor Floyd Griffin is one of only three Democrats who hail from outside of Metro Atlanta. Griffin is running to secure the Demoocratic nomination in hopes of becoming Georgia's next Secretary of State in a race that features Bee Nguyen who is the party's favorite, despite not having accomplished much during her time in the Legislature.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwHxT9tzEbzXmouUDC4YJ0doPVsXo5w2qtDfkCKkF623nI30YuYDnYt19cxNmqfGWuclDUJGhPorBBOTRFy-eGjLKo_YP30tSNcy-1huYxcn-J_Z_-IUISLaPS-y1Y7HTHs4jEF6Gm1-jdBwYBCNdBC39A_flWL7qH8h48XAdLa06iH6ZblfOmFnhPQ/s640/griffin%201.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="640" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwHxT9tzEbzXmouUDC4YJ0doPVsXo5w2qtDfkCKkF623nI30YuYDnYt19cxNmqfGWuclDUJGhPorBBOTRFy-eGjLKo_YP30tSNcy-1huYxcn-J_Z_-IUISLaPS-y1Y7HTHs4jEF6Gm1-jdBwYBCNdBC39A_flWL7qH8h48XAdLa06iH6ZblfOmFnhPQ/w200-h146/griffin%201.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span face="Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white;"><span>Right now according to a recent poll more than 60% of Democrats are undecided in the race in the race for Secretary of State</span><span>.</span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #444444; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tMeMXQ9IKeE" width="320" youtube-src-id="tMeMXQ9IKeE"></iframe></div><br /></span><p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidYhn31DoazF0vkYNeqYzmtxEm94IIRSnxgO1zYhD7yaDR0oRV1oYK5BSISW9R8kccm9_kLzc65G2mVQCYxlAEQOt2nBa9CFg2QsFdg0OkP27bZsFdn8aTeQIidZAyNpnlh81fv8b1lBavgOGXfl3QzdW6wj_HmX8LSy2a1Ayak1R8h7L873y6VpEAEA/s3928/griffin2.jpg" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3928" data-original-width="3064" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidYhn31DoazF0vkYNeqYzmtxEm94IIRSnxgO1zYhD7yaDR0oRV1oYK5BSISW9R8kccm9_kLzc65G2mVQCYxlAEQOt2nBa9CFg2QsFdg0OkP27bZsFdn8aTeQIidZAyNpnlh81fv8b1lBavgOGXfl3QzdW6wj_HmX8LSy2a1Ayak1R8h7L873y6VpEAEA/w156-h200/griffin2.jpg" width="156" /></a><span face="Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white;">Griffin joined the U.S. Army in 1967 and gradueted from the Army Command and General Staff College as well as the National War College.</span></span></p><p><span face="Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span face="Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white;">This isn't Griffin first time running for a Statewide office. in 1998 he ran for Lt. Governor, losing to eventual winner Mark Taylor, who has endorsed Griffin's bid for Secretary of State. Before than, Griffin ran for the State Senate 25th District where he became the first black candidate to win a majority white district since reconstruction.</span></span></p><p><span face="Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span face="Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span><span style="background-color: white;">For Democrats, they need to focus on who can WIN in the General Election, not who can win solely in metro Atlanta. Right now Democrats in the metro Atlanta region refuse to look beyond their metro area base when it comes to supporting democratic candidates.Bee Nguyen is the Georgia Democratic Party's preferred favorite (even thought they pretend they don't endorse candidates in the General Election). She is also the favorite of left wing supporters and groups on the west and east coast and up north as well. But in a primary that will be dominated by black voters who make up more than 2/3rds of the primary vote, its very likely the democratic nominee will be a black candidate and it just might me <a href="https://floydforgeorgia.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Floyd Griffin</a> or any other candidate in the race like Michael Owens or Dee Haigler.<br /></span><br /></span></span></p>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899457461643850804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084429012972393947.post-77908384068922547512021-06-06T17:26:00.000-04:002021-06-06T17:26:22.295-04:00Brown, Dollison and the 2022 Georgia Agriculture Commissioner race<p><span></span>Gary Black, Georgia's current Agriculture Commissioner announced this week that he will enter the U.S. Senate race for a chance to take on incumbent Senator Raphael Warnock in 2022. Black was elected State Agriculture Commissioner in 2010 after longtime Agriculture Commissioner, (the late) Tommy Irvin retired after serving 41 years at the helm.</p><p>With Black now seeking higher office, the question now is who will run for the post. The rce for State Agriculture is typically a lower profile race but not anymore. There's a bevy of potential candidates on the Republican side who could run from State Senator Tyler Harper to State Representative Robert Dickey, but what about the Democratic side?</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidxtvIt6tVHCPdv_IBndHUQ-olVKAWZ3yPXrxtlLTN64jv80mBquLqROM6nI007AebGNuYx9UkZGx-XuSvCv8k3EOz2PJTweD0k-BDHGEbpXpI8Z2wWXdhhb9CXSj2XU34PyRgT7WKIBCU/s1080/IMG_20210606_170512+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="724" data-original-width="1080" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidxtvIt6tVHCPdv_IBndHUQ-olVKAWZ3yPXrxtlLTN64jv80mBquLqROM6nI007AebGNuYx9UkZGx-XuSvCv8k3EOz2PJTweD0k-BDHGEbpXpI8Z2wWXdhhb9CXSj2XU34PyRgT7WKIBCU/w200-h134/IMG_20210606_170512+%25281%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>LeMario Brown, 34 who's currently serving as City Councilman for the city of Fort Valley is a Pecan Farmer out of Peach County. He's a graduate of Fort Valley State University, later studied at Columbia Southern University interned at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Brown. Brown has the ability to appeal to younger voters and also stem the loss of youth in the agriculture industry. <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJxk6NY7pi4updTLXGRoABRekm6xdYtFsFtskLPLiGheKsZbr5UcvFx_uPTkm8TVACnlyYrsZJ4RhHbOYDumAKzFKqlXUJL8c3Cfgnj87zwjgUr2ryVEiPeF6b0mFIT4-irpNp7nRStaXK/s960/FB_IMG_1623013239630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJxk6NY7pi4updTLXGRoABRekm6xdYtFsFtskLPLiGheKsZbr5UcvFx_uPTkm8TVACnlyYrsZJ4RhHbOYDumAKzFKqlXUJL8c3Cfgnj87zwjgUr2ryVEiPeF6b0mFIT4-irpNp7nRStaXK/w200-h150/FB_IMG_1623013239630.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Ricky Dollison Sr. a 1978 graduate of Worth County High School is a 4th Generation Farmer and owner and operator of Warrior Creek Premium Meats. The Tifton resident farm over in nearby Worth County and also the former High School Football All American was featured in one of Sen. Warnock's digital ads during the 2020 campaign season. He created Ag First Community Cooperative.<p></p><p>Given how hard its been for Democrats to find a strong candidate with a strong Agricultuel background, either of these two upstanding gentlemen would move Georgia Ag industry into a new era and would be a strong advocates for small family farms. <br /><br /> <br /></p>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899457461643850804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084429012972393947.post-75285697257930577982021-05-27T20:17:00.000-04:002021-05-27T20:17:35.887-04:00The REAL Reason Rural Voters Continue to Vote Republican<p class="gnt_ar_b_p">Why do rural, working class whites vote
Republican? Well based on conversations I've had throughout the last few years, many have told me that they are
voting their economic interests and decided to leave the Democrats because
they feel the party overlooks, ignores, and disrespects them. </p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">Look, rural voters doesn't think that Democrats understand the
economic realities of rural and small town life and have not focused
attention on them. Instead, rural voters see Democrats as coming
from and supporting urban concerns like Stacey Abrams for example who's probably going to run for Governor in 2022. Rural folks also believe that Democrats ignore rural needs and that rural
areas do not get their fair share of resources. For example, many rural
areas have faced recession-like conditions for decades due to a decline
in manufacturing and small farms struggling to compete with corporate
farms.</p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">Here's a fact: National Democrats focus on the problems of minorities and rarely
talk about the problems of rural voters. This fact is why identity
politics backfires on Democrats. Understandably, Democrats support Black
Lives Matter to rectify the historic injustices done to Black folks. However, rural voters hear Democrats excluding them
from help. When working class whites claim that “all lives matter,” they
are not opposing helping Black Americans per se. Instead, they are
claiming that working class whites need and want the help also. If
Democrats could broaden their appeal beyond race, spend time in rural
areas, and create policies to deliver benefits to these rural areas,
Democrats could win more elections. Take a look at Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, Georgia's two newest Senators. They know this and have been spending alot of time in rural parts of Georgia pushing policies that will help address some of Rural America's needs.</p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">Also you have to look at the continued support of Donald Trump by rural
working class voters can also be explained through this prism. Trump’s
trade policies were popular because even though it may hurt some rural
workers, they see Trump working to restore manufacturing plants lost
decades ago. Moreover, many rural voters see illegal immigrants as
competitors for their jobs who work for less and depress their wages
which makes “the wall” popular. <br /></p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">Finally,
Republicans have misread rural support for Republicans as support for
limited government. That is wrong. Rural voters are fine with higher
taxes (some of you may disagree with this) and more spending if they think it helps them. Their (republicans) current
anti-government views reflect a belief that most government aid goes to
urban areas. The challenge is that more government aid to rural areas and
the poor conflicts with conservative orthodoxy. However, a more
proactive approach to help the poor could help an older, white GOP
expand its support among minority voters. But they can't see that and Democrats have failed so far to capitalize on this opportunity by refusing to go in unfriendly territory<br /></p>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899457461643850804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084429012972393947.post-50061867814723739662021-05-27T04:45:00.001-04:002021-05-27T04:45:09.063-04:00Black Farmers have suffered long enough from the decimation of rural America and decades of systemic racism. Help from the USDA finally is long overdue. <p><br />You’ve probably heard that $5 billon dollars from President Biden’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue stimulus plan has been dedicated to farmers of color. </p>
<p>Specifically, that designation is for “socially disadvantaged farmers,”
which, according to the (USDA),
is anyone who has been subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice because
of their identity as members of a group. </p>
<p>You should also be aware that the Biden administration is being sued
by several white farmers for racial discrimination, not for the
government’s past actions against people of color, but because the
current administration is making an effort to address racism and the
historic inequalities inflicted on people of color by the USDA.</p><p>Let’s be honest for a minute, if those on the right really cared about agriculture
and rural communities, rather than targeting cash payments to
large-scale farmers and agribusiness firms as they chose to do these
past few years, policy makers would have dedicated adequate resources to
those truly in need and made a real attempt to reform the inflexible
and wasteful system that currently feeds us.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2aOs3yppUM0gmqiTo0pVPSD6LR2vQzvaOTpqQiLfRRMAYAJkOXMjhTqmMwpS4lQc_PSCVjrLF1a6wc6_iVvVxsNdpDKKMqS3ow9R3imA5fHqB6rnupLbT2H0VzLc_ogkKBkbUl8geTrL8/s655/rw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="655" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2aOs3yppUM0gmqiTo0pVPSD6LR2vQzvaOTpqQiLfRRMAYAJkOXMjhTqmMwpS4lQc_PSCVjrLF1a6wc6_iVvVxsNdpDKKMqS3ow9R3imA5fHqB6rnupLbT2H0VzLc_ogkKBkbUl8geTrL8/w400-h266/rw.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Senator Warnock in Byromville Georgia with group of black farmers<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>The lawsuit on behalf of a group of white farmers in Wisconsin,
launched by the right-wing Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, claims that dedicating resources to specific groups to which white farmers may not belong, is racist. </p>What such lawsuits really show is not a concern with agriculture, but
instead a shallow form of identity politics that is meant to rally
poor, rural white people to the political right.<p>Farmers of color, especially black producers have
suffered from both the decimation of rural America as well as decades of
systemic racism. </p>
<p>The USDA and federal government can begin to reverse the racism against Black farmers not only
through debt relief, but also the $1 billion in outreach and training
from the Biden stimulus bill which is necessary to ensure that current
and beginning farmers of color acquire the necessary tools to produce
food for themselves and their communities. </p>
<p>Most importantly, to address racism it must be confronted directly.
Lacking that specific intent, history has shown us that Black people are
always left behind. </p>
There is no anti-white racism involved here, only further attempts to
perpetuate decades of institutional racism against Black farmers.Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899457461643850804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084429012972393947.post-59428028091210690322021-05-26T13:57:00.000-04:002021-05-26T13:57:20.820-04:00It's Put Up Or Shut Up Time! Will Georgia Democrats Compete in Rural Areas, for Rural Legislative Seats in 2022?<p class="MsoNormal">I've always said that a Democratic vote in rural Mitchell, Marion, or Ware County counts just as
much as a vote in suburban Cobb County. It’s
important for Democrats to take stock of their efforts to turn out rural
voters in the same way they assess their tactics in other areas of the Peach State. The party was successful last year
because candidates Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock expanded the map beyond the Metro Atlanta area and didn't take any votes for granted. Last year Democrats made significant inroads in small towns and rural
areas down in central and south Georgia, and it’s crucial they keep up that effort going into the 2022 midterm elections.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpF6TsjVaEYKj8m2yE7kb3CeW1fjKf6pLvnOPn47UUdqMn3FdNJimGTDS8luMP_6qVm9a4pE8z7c6tjTsmKQu-P5WLvDTDLKHJ5F5bZInT6gIBMmRGW4s9v_3uNV4EImFXX2S5d-JFQsOc/s620/rural6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="620" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpF6TsjVaEYKj8m2yE7kb3CeW1fjKf6pLvnOPn47UUdqMn3FdNJimGTDS8luMP_6qVm9a4pE8z7c6tjTsmKQu-P5WLvDTDLKHJ5F5bZInT6gIBMmRGW4s9v_3uNV4EImFXX2S5d-JFQsOc/w400-h233/rural6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Democrats have to stay competitive in rural areas of the state and that starts with recruiting a legitimate, strong candidate to take on incumbents like Austin Scott in GA-8, Buddy Carter in GA-1, Drew Ferguson in GA-3 as well as candidates for the state legislature. It’s clear that
suburban and urban voters were a major driver of our victories, but they
can’t forgo small towns and rural counties. If Democrats want to get things done in Atlanta and at the local level and mount a strong challenge for control of the Georgia General Assembly next year, they have to win
outside of the suburbs.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Democrats can win these communities by showing up and passing policies
that directly benefit rural Georgians. That’s why newly elected Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff spent the
final week of his campaign on a tour through Southwest and Central Georgia.
Popular Democratic priorities like Medicaid expansion, which helps fund
rural hospitals and extending broadband infrastructure see some of
their biggest benefits in rural communities, and it’s important that they
keep working hard to support these policies.</p><p class="MsoNormal">It will be tempting for democrats to look at the results of last year’s
elections and conclude that Democrats here need only win votes in
suburban and urban areas to be successful. That would be a mistake. As the party has grown stronger over the past few years, they've expanded their
presence across the Peach State. </p><p class="MsoNormal">There have been a lot of great candidates that did not make it to the Gold Dome and me over the years like Marc Arnett of HD 138 <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNsJxYbJURu-578TgxWAzWsxyhfeATFYjgfw_mrR9szvVqIVorrFGFXxpTA10Ok4nquuFh6ftZq0ZiC_wy0RAH2joPPA3JBMyQ14quYDgzZ9DPA8HNn2dEZoimJDQegZ9Tp6BV1tVrcEFu/s300/arnett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="222" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNsJxYbJURu-578TgxWAzWsxyhfeATFYjgfw_mrR9szvVqIVorrFGFXxpTA10Ok4nquuFh6ftZq0ZiC_wy0RAH2joPPA3JBMyQ14quYDgzZ9DPA8HNn2dEZoimJDQegZ9Tp6BV1tVrcEFu/w148-h200/arnett.jpg" width="148" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marc Arnett<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>who came up short of unseating Mike Cheokas, or Jack Lance who ran back in 2010 for HD 8 along with the endorsement of late Governor Zell Miller but I would not consider those campaigns to be losses. It will take time to flip some of these rural areas. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9It3AmaBU9Uq47CVt6p7y1vklaJPN7fVv9M1XDcR1XjLB-kh2UsFhWnIlbvMxR8tYrMlpBBbpdUlMapkup_hz2rVtllukGbYlrhOAw9NtjbbDaI9z8xRALEaP-Zk-jdxRJVsvClDk2Mo/s1024/lance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="823" data-original-width="1024" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9It3AmaBU9Uq47CVt6p7y1vklaJPN7fVv9M1XDcR1XjLB-kh2UsFhWnIlbvMxR8tYrMlpBBbpdUlMapkup_hz2rVtllukGbYlrhOAw9NtjbbDaI9z8xRALEaP-Zk-jdxRJVsvClDk2Mo/w200-h161/lance.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack Lance with Zell Miller<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Democrats can absolutely be competitive in rural Georgia. They just have to get back to basics, and
that will start with real conversations about community issues. I am a
big advocate for localized messaging and community-based organizing. Democrats love to hire people who are out of state and expect them to
know how to communicate in their new turf. That doesn’t work, especially
not in rural Georgia. Rural Georgians can smell an out-of-towner from
miles away. They need people who live there to have these conversations.
Local people are experts in their communities and should be the ones to
drive the conversation.</p><p class="MsoNormal">There are some people that will not be receptive to having a
conversation because they disagree on wedge issues, and that’s fine. We
are all entitled to our opinions. We all have limited time and
resources. It is a much better use of time to talk with someone who is
willing to have a productive conversation than someone who is committed
to arguing. <br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899457461643850804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084429012972393947.post-90309336039837964292021-05-25T16:14:00.004-04:002021-05-25T16:17:24.175-04:00Could Marjorie Taylor Greene Be The Gift Democrats Need in 2022?<p>14th Congressional District Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s rhetoric is offensive, harmful, and
dangerous. We’d all be better off if she were gone from politics. But
since the House Republicans refuse to expel her, the democrats at least
use her to win the midterms.</p>
<p>Don’t you see? Greene is a huge gift in my opinion to the democrats. All they have to do is use
her extremism, her outside of the mainstream views against every House Republican who’s running for
re-election in a moderate district in 2022. Greene has three centrist </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl9QIVvvv2zC06bEzm1Yn_3bKuoA4V8lQSgqhLVtu5_TjaOPpm8hnWRpoYjabw15vRXaNM6eqq8Zw_sNYA3msQ5oTTKFNFz8Xj1v3Q4zECXAEMoqoWdpRilTm4MoZ4b8odWeT6hqcNi2ZO/s960/greene.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl9QIVvvv2zC06bEzm1Yn_3bKuoA4V8lQSgqhLVtu5_TjaOPpm8hnWRpoYjabw15vRXaNM6eqq8Zw_sNYA3msQ5oTTKFNFz8Xj1v3Q4zECXAEMoqoWdpRilTm4MoZ4b8odWeT6hqcNi2ZO/w320-h277/greene.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />democratic challengers in Holly McCormick (D-Ringgold), Marcus Flowers (D-Bremen) and Lateefah Connor (D-Dallas)<br /><p></p>
<p>The media keeps spinning Greene as spelling doom for the Democrats,
but they can never say why. That’s because it’s not true. In every
district where Greene helps the republicans in 2022, they were going to
win anyway. Greene hurts the republicans in numerous moderate/swing districts.</p>
<p>Greene is probably good for handing five to eight moderate House
districts to the Democrats in 2022. That could decide majority control
right there. Throw in the upcoming indictment of fringe Congressman Matt Gaetz, and it potentially could be Christmas morning for the Democrats.</p>
<p>The
republicans just got done proving this strategy works, when they used
fictionalized exaggerated versions of The Squad to win moderate House
districts. In 2022 the Democrats just have to use the real versions of
Greene and Gaetz to win moderate House districts. But democrats don't know how to fight fire with fire. We'll see next year.<br /></p><p> </p>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899457461643850804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3084429012972393947.post-90065471439231675572019-10-16T12:20:00.000-04:002019-10-16T12:20:30.857-04:00The Weight of the letter "D" in Rural Georgia<div style="border: 0px; font-family: "PT Serif", sans-serif; font-size: 1.1rem; line-height: 1.55; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong class="teaser" style="background-color: black; border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: orange;">Democrats are losing rural votes not because of what they propose but because rural voters identify more with the Republican Party. “Democratic” ballot initiatives do well in rural, but Democratic candidates don’t.</span></strong></div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: "PT Serif", sans-serif; font-size: 1.1rem; line-height: 1.55; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: orange;">In politics these days, it’s not as much what is said as who says it. <span style="font-size: 1.1rem;">Urban voters are getting more Democratic and rural voters more Republican.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: "PT Serif", sans-serif; font-size: 1.1rem; line-height: 1.55; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: orange;">What we can see now, however, is that Democratic candidates are paying an “identity penalty” in rural counties, they are losing votes not because of what they propose but because of the “D” that sits beside their name on the ballot.</span></span></div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: "PT Serif", sans-serif; font-size: 1.1rem; line-height: 1.55; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: 17.6px;">Party is largely about identification these days, not policy. Okay, here's an example...</span><span style="font-size: 1.1rem;">Imagine walking down a hall of a large building. There are gatherings happening in two separate rooms. You can look through a door and see the people in each group. You size them up, seeing what kind of clothes they wear and imagining whether they would be the kind of folks you’d want to spend time with or have your children visit. You make a judgment, pick a room and go in. You join a team.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: "PT Serif", sans-serif; font-size: 1.1rem; line-height: 1.55; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: orange;">That’s how political parties are chosen. It’s about identification and social solidarity, not issues. And that identity is strong and divided by geography. Rural residents went in one door and urbanites went in the other.</span></span></div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: "PT Serif", sans-serif; font-size: 1.1rem; line-height: 1.55; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: orange;">Identity is not something that people easily give up. (Have you ever convinced a sports fan to change his or her team?) Like someone asking me to switch being a Georgia Bulldogs fan to a Florida Gator fan. Not happening!</span></span></div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: "PT Serif", sans-serif; font-size: 1.1rem; line-height: 1.55; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-color: black; font-size: 1.1rem;"><span style="color: orange;">And so the “identity penalty” Democrats pay in extremely heavily Republican areas might be too great to overcome. Candidates might do better if they run as independents rather than as Democrats in particularly “red” states.</span></span></div>
Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07899457461643850804noreply@blogger.com0