Is the Handwriting on the Wall for Black Conservatives in the Georgia GOP?

That's the question that needs to be asked after the defeat of Melvin Everson for Labor Commissioner, Corey Ruth for 4th Congressional District, Deborah Honeycutt for the 13th District.

All have different cases, Everson was running his first ever statewide race, Ruth his first congressional race & Honeycutt, a perennial candidate for the 13th district.

But the big one here is Melvin Everson who was seen by many as a rising star in Georgia GOP circles. Only the second Black Republican elected to the General Assembly since Reconstruction. But in the General Election he lost to a weak candidate in Mark Butler in a route despite having the majority of the GOP house caucus behind his candidacy. Everson traveled to every corner of the state getting his message out only to be turned away in favor of a candidate who raised eyebrows when he was involved in a relationship with a lobbyist, who was also his girlfriend & made threats to a University of West Georgia Official.

Honeycutt was running her third race for the 13th district, but in this case, republican voters probably grew tired of nominating someone who despite the ability to raise huge sums of cash could not get over 30% of the General Election Vote.

And last Corey Ruth was a impressive young Black Republican running in the 4th District, but he lost to favorite Liz Carter, who is a nice lady with a good looking background, but in my opinion, the hype surrounding her candidacy is way overblown. Se may surprise us all by winning in the democratic stronghold of the 4th District, but if she does, that'll be the day Eugene Talmadge rises from the dead & run for governor in 2014.

So the question needs to be asked: What should Black Republicans do? Should they remain in a party that only have at the moment one Black Republican (Willie Talton of Warner Robins), who may well lose his seat in November? Should they remain in a party where it maybe difficult for a African-American Republican to appeal to hardcore conservatives, some who may not be so open in electing a African-American Republican to a statewide office? Or should they switch parties & become conservative democrats & improve their prospects of winning down the line?

These are just some questions that need to be answered. Good men like Melvin Everson need to be in office, not on the sidelines playing the role of a cheerleader. Herman Cain, who conservative republicans are very high on could mount a run for president in 2012 is a prime example. He ran for the open senate seat in 2004. To me he was by far the better candidate than Mac Collins & Johnny Isakson (who is now the senator) in that race. But because he wasn't apart of the establishment, he was unsuccessful in winning that race. Black Republicans here need to take a long look at their standing in the Georgia GOP & ask themselves is it worth it? What is our role in the Party? Can we get elected Statewide as a Black Republican? Only time will tell.

Time for the Georgia GOP to walk the walk when it comes to supporting Black GOP Candidates for Office

Up in Metro Atlanta, there is a hotly contested race in both parties. On the democratic side, you have Incumbent Hank Johnson, Former DeKalb CO CEO & U.S. Senate Candidate Vernon Jones & Commissioner Connie Stokes & on the republican side you have Gulf War Veteran Victor Armedariz, Consultant Corey Ruth, a Black Republican & Liz Carter.

Much of the hype & buzz has surrounded Carter in her Bid to win the GOP nomination as well as the 4th Congressional Seat in Congress.

Here's a look at Carter:

She is a small business owner, started her career in real estate and through hard work and perseverance worked her way to executive level management positions at major high tech and financial corporations & is the daughter of a World War 2 veteran.

Her key issues include: The Fair Tax, Illegal Immigration & Healthcare.

Liz Carter for Congress Endorsements include:

DeKalb Fraternal Order of Police
Republicans at Morehouse College
RedState
Mayor Bucky Johnson of Norcross
Gwinnett County Sheriff Butch Conway
Rep. Mike Jacobs, & Bob Smith, Georgia House of Representatives
Log Cabin Republicans

So I ask the Question: What has she done to be getting so much hype?

Cory Ruth, on the other hand may have just as good of a shot of winning that seat than Carter.

His proposal for Healthcare Reform reads like this:

I propose that the federal government encourage states to develop health care systems of their own – uniquely designed to care for the health concerns of their citizens. The seniors in Florida are not best cared for with the same health care plan as the coal miners of West Virginia. Or, states can decide to rely on a free market solution for health care that lowers cost and increases consumer choices by allowing consumers to purchase health insurance nationwide, across state lines. Also that the federal government introduce smart legislation that reduces unnecessary impediments to access to health care, provide more security and stability to those who have health insurance and slow the growth of health care costs. And finally capitalize the modernization of the health care system for greater efficiency and cost savings.

Ruth is the second oldest of six children and his son Josiah is nine. He studied Biblical Studies at Carver Bible College and Theology in Seminary. He was a Hearst Scholar at Oglethorpe University where he studied History and Politics and taught American Conversational Culture in Germany at the Universität Dortmund as a Halle Scholar. He has published several political articles as the political analyst for a Philadelphia-based think tank and is a regular columnist with the Atlanta Christian Family Magazine & as a ordained minister, Cory has helped plant seven churches


In addition he is a successful business professional who has been entrusted by some of the nation’s most respected corporations to provide strategic consultation and to manage multi-large, complex enterprise wide projects. He is currently managing information security standards and technical compliance across 44 business units for a fortune 500 firm.

Now both Ruth & Carter hold similar positions on Immigration to the Fair Tax, (although Ruth also favors some kind of form of a Flat Tax)

It seems the GOP has hand picked their nominee to take on either Johnson or one of the new democratic nominees.

My thinking that with the majority of voters in the district are democratic voters & with the high number of African-American voters in the district, Ruth may have more of chance of winning that seat in November than Liz Carter. I'm just sayin' but if the Georgia GOP want to have more diversity in their ranks, they need to get behind candidates like Ruth instead of offering lip service.

Remember how Dylan Glenn was treated in his race against Lynn Westmoreland in 2003, or Herman Cain, who has better conservative credentials that Johnny Isakson in 2004 when the establishment got behind Isakson over Cain. But for all of their talk, the Georgia GOP do not walk the walk when it comes to supporting African-American Conservative Republicans. Yes Willie Talton was elected from Warner Robins in 2004, but he had no opposition, & Melvin Emerson was elected, but it took a runoff for the Georgia GOP to get behind Emerson.

I'm tired of republicans hyping up black republican candidates, only not to throw their full support behind the candidate. Let's see will they get behind Cory Ruth for the 4th District. Time to walk the walk & enough of the talk when it comes to black republican candidates.