Democrats Enjoy Success Nationally, Democrats in Georgia continue to Suffer

Last Night we saw the re-election of President Obama to a second term as leader of the free world. Despite a sagging economy, the President managed to get re-elected with 50% of the popular vote to Romney/s 49%, a razor thin margin. The president got 45% of the vote here in Georgia, which tells you that either in 2016 or 2020, Georgia will become a purple state. In addition Democrats won seats in red states such as Indiana, Missouri, North Dakota & Montana, but lost more seats in Congress.

Here in Georgia, Blue Dog Democrat John Barrow won re-election as representative for the 12th Congressional District, despite losing his democratic stronghold of Chatham County. Barrow garnered 54% of the vote to Lee Anderson, who was a relatively weak candidate. Barrow may have written the playbook on how democrats can win again not only here in Georgia, but in conservative-leaning regions.

On the state level, not a good night for Georgia Democrats as Barbara Massey Reece lost her bid for another term & Rick Crawford who said he would switch parties if he was re-elected both lost to republican challengers. Democrats picked up ZERO seats in the State House & State Senate, which again highlights the glaring problem for the party. This is the 4th election cycle that democrats have failed to pickup any seats against the GOP who are one seat away from a Supermajority (Rusty Kidd, Independent who beat back a challenge from Quentin Howell is said to be in talks to switch to the GOP, which will give them their Supermajority. I think its a foregone conclusion that he joins the GOP.

The Democratic Party of Georgia, the House & Senate Democratic Leadership  really need to do some serious soul searching. Way too many seats went unchallenged this election cycle, weak infrastructure & organization continue to plague the party & the disconnect with Rural Georgia has gotten wider.

Two years from now, all statewide offices will be up for election. As I mentioned before, President got 45% of the vote, down from 48% in 2008, but Democratic Candidates here in a off election year only manages to top out at 40-42% & that comes from Urban Centers such as Macon, Savannah, Metro Atlanta, etc. The challenge for the party is to find a John Barrow style Democrat who can appeal to Independent-Conservative leaning voters, while holding on to the party base, which is a difficult thing to do, but Barrow proved that it can be done. But are there any John Barrow type Democrats left in Georgia?

But things have gotten so bad here in Georgia for the Democrats on the Legislative Level that I would advise any Democrat who's thinking about running for legislative office to run as a Independent or Libertarian.  Running as a Democrat in Rural Georgia means you will run alone, with no assistance from party leadership who pick & choose which candidates best fit their left- wing ideology. It would not surprise me that some Georgia GOP Statewide Officials go unopposed in 2014, like what happened in Louisiana last year.

Note: Congrats to Scott Holcomb for winning re-election to his House Seat. The party could use more Centrist like Holcome in its ranks

What A Obama Re-Election Would Mean for Sanford Bishop?

If President Obama is re-elected, what will mean for Congressman Sanford Bishop, who let's not forget was the co-chair for Obama's Campaign here in Georgia back in 2008. In addition Bishop has voted in favor of key domestic policies from President Barack Obama. For example, he voted in favor of the 2009 approximately $800 billion economic stimulus package & the hotly debated Healthcare Legislation, which caused him to sweat it out during his 2010 re-election bid which many, including me thought he had lost, only to wake up the next morning to find he squeaked out a victory.

Bishop is heavily favored to defeat John House, republican out of Muscogee County in the newly redrawn 2nd Congressional district which now includes the majority of Bibb County.

If President Obama wins re-election,  Bishop should be in line to become the next Secretary of Agriculture during a Obama second term..PERIOD! One of the knocks on Bishop back in 2008 when Obama was searching for a Ag Secretary was that he wasn't on record with a agricultural vision that addresses the production, trade and sustainability issues of the 21st century. I don't if that's true or not, but I don't buy it.

Bishop currently sits on the subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, as well as the powerful Appropriations Committee & one of the leading voices on Agriculture in Congress.

If not Secretary of Agriculture, then U.S. Ambassador to Cuba would be another option for President Obama. Why? The loosening of trade sanctions against the communist country will make it easier for America’s farmers and ranchers to sell their high-quality products.The political relationship between the United States and Cuba has been tense over the last 50 years. Yet, expanded efforts by both governments over the last decade suggest that U.S. farm exports could increase to the Caribbean island. The U.S. exported $4 billion in farm products, mostly feed stuffs, to Cuba from 2002 to 2008. About 95 percent of the total included corn, wheat, soybeans and soybean meal. The largest U.S. value-added product exported to Cuba is poultry......guess what? Bishop hails from one of, or if not the leading state in terms of Poultry Production, Georgia.

I don't know if any of this will materialize under a Obama second term, but given how Congressman Bishop has supported the majority of the president's policies, even at the risk of losing his seat 2years ago, he should reward him with a post in his administration. It would be the icing on the cake for a what has been a good legislative career for Bishop


 

10 Reasons Obama Should Lose in November

At last check:

 

1. US sovereign debt downgrade-1st time in US history.

2. Federal spending 25% of GDP, highest since WW2.

3. Budget deficit 10% of GDP, highest since WW2.

4. Federal debt 67% of GDP, highest since just after WW2.

5. Employment just at 58.1%, lowest since 1983.

6. Long term unemployment 45.9% of total, highest since great depression.

7. Increase in non-farm payroll only 0.5%, slowest job growth 26 months after a severe recession since WW2.

8. Homeownership down to 59.7%, lowest since 1965.

9. Percentage of taxpayers paying income tax only 49%, lowest in modern era.

10. Government dependency (receiving 1 or more federal benefits) at 47%, highest in US history.


We are at equivalent spending equal to a WORLD WAR spending, and that is mind boggling.

Obviously, this is not working and is not going to be sustainable.

 

If he wins re-election & at this point its 50/50, it would be because of voters  mistrust of handing the GOP total control of all 3 branches of government or just flat-out mistrust of Mitt Romney

Anti-Obama Political Attacks Most Commonly Used by Opponents

These Commonly Used Attacks against President Obama shows the ugly side of our politics today

When Barack Obama became the first African American to be elected president on Nov. 4, 2008, the world largely viewed it as a boon to race relations. After all, if the country could transcend its ugly racial history to elect a biracial black man president, wasn’t it a sign that the U.S. had come full circle as far as race relations were concerned? While no one of sound mind argued that Obama’s historic election meant that racism had vanished in the U.S., many did regard it as a sign that strife between the nation’s racial groups had dissipated to such a degree that Americans were willing to cross the color line in the voting booth, a remarkable achievement considering that race has traditionally colored election outcomes.

Since President Obama has taken office, however, he’s been the target of racist illustrations, conspiracy theories and so forth. Can you name any of the tactics used to attack Obama on the basis of race? The list below outlines three of the most racist political attacks against President Obama.

The Birther Debate

Throughout his presidency, Barack Obama has been dogged by rumors that he’s not really an American by birth. Instead, the “birthers” as the people spreading this rumor are now known believe that the president was born in Kenya. This is presumably because, although Obama’s mother was a white American, his father was a black Kenyan national. His parents met and married in the United States, though. This is why the birther conspiracy is largely considered silly at best and racist at worst

That’s because so-called birthers have consistently neglected to accept as valid the documentation released by Obama that proves he was born in Hawaii.  The birther movement “has little to do with reality and everything to do with the strangeness of Obama’s background. When Donald Trump repeated the claims of birthers, the president responded by releasing his long form birth certificate.

Political Caricatures of Obama

Before and after his election to the presidency, Barack Obama has been painted time and time again as subhuman in graphics, email transmissions and posters used to undermine him. While it’s nothing new for politicians to be turned into caricatures, the ones used to criticize Obama frequently have racial overtones. The president has been portrayed as a shoeshine man, an Islamic terrorist and a chimp, to name a few. The image of his altered face has been shown on a product called Obama Waffles in the manner of Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben.

The depictions of Obama as ape-like have arguably sparked the most controversy, considering that blacks have been portrayed as monkey-like for centuries to suggest that they’re inferior to other groups. Still, remember when Marilyn Davenport, an elected official in the Republican Party of Orange County, Calif., circulated an email depicting Obama and his parents as chimps, she initially defended the image as political satire.

The “Obama Is Muslim” Conspiracy

Much like the birther debate, the debate over whether Obama is a practicing Muslim appears to be racially tinged. While the president did spend some of his youth in the predominantly Muslim country of Indonesia, there’s no evidence that he himself has practiced Islam. In fact, Obama has said that neither his mother nor his father were particularly religious. In his 1995 memoir Dreams From My Father, Obama describes his decision to become a Christian during his time as a political organizer on Chicago’s South Side. He penned the memoir long before he landed onto the national political scene and the 9/11 terrorist attacks, giving him little reason to declare himself a Christian if he were really a Muslim.

Like the birther movement, the Muslim conspiracy movement against Obama highlights the fact that the president’s different. He has a “funny name,” a so-called exotic upbringing and Kenyan heritage. Rather than point out their distaste for these differences, some members of the public find it convenient to label Obama a Muslim, which serves to marginalize him and undermine his fitness to lead the nation.

Not every attack against President Obama is racist, of course. Some of his detractors take issue with his policy alone and not with his skin color. When the president’s opponents use racial stereotypes to undermine him or suggest that he’s lying about his origins because he’s different, biracial, bred outside of the continental U.S. and born to a Kenyan father with a “strange name” an undercurrent of racism is often at play. As former President Jimmy Carter said in 2009: “When a radical fringe element of demonstrators begin to attack the president of the United States as an animal or as a reincarnation of Adolf Hitler, people who are guilty of that kind of personal attack against Obama have been influenced to a major degree by a belief that he should not be president because he happens to be African American.

Peanut Politics Saturday Edition: Will Republicans Put Country First instead of Party when it comes to a deal with the president?

Democrats were up in arms over President Obama's pan to cut $3-4 trillion dollars in spending which includes major cuts to entitlement spending, which are near & dear to the heart of the Democratic Party. Now if he's willing to go that far over on the GOP's turf in proposing such a plan that will give many liberal democrats heartburn, at least the republicans can do is to agree to raising of some taxes.

When the Republicans campaigned for the 2010 midterm elections, they promised voters that their Pledge to America included plans to create jobs and help the ailing economy. Despite refusing to elaborate on their plan to accomplish the campaign promises, voters swept Republicans into power in the House (+62) and many governor’s mansions and state legislatures across the country with high hopes the GOP was telling the truth and would begin serious legislation on the first day in session. After gaining power in the house in January 2011, Republicans in Congress have read the Constitution, proposed steep spending cuts for the poor and elderly, and voted to repeal the Affordable Health Act (which was just a symbolic gesture to voters). By now it is clear that Republicans had no plans or ideas to encourage job creation or to help the economy in spite of grandiose promises.

Instead of working to fulfill their campaign promises, Republicans have begun focusing on reducing the deficit by slashing programs that benefit the most vulnerable Americans, but have continued handing out ENTITLEMENTS to profitable corporations that pay little or no taxes. Although any respectable business would balance spending cuts with increased revenue to bring down deficits and balance a budget, Republicans refuse to entertain a balanced approach by increasing some taxes, along with spending cuts to generate much needed revenue regardless the dire shape the economy is in.

The tax cuts Republicans insist must stay in place are sure to be a major factor in the massive budget shortfalls projected over the next decade much like the unfunded Bush-era tax cuts that have played a major role in the current major economic downturn.

Nobody likes the idea of having to raise taxes, but now is not the time to worrying about political careers & future aspirations & what Conservative Radio Talk Show host will say about you, or whether or not you will get primaried in 2012. Its all about the future of the U.S. not about YOU! Both parties need to meet 50/50 on a deal to address the deficit & debt. The quicker they can do that, the quicker they can focus on addressing jobs & the saggibg economy

The GOP's best friend: Symbolism!

I’ve seen all sorts of strategies and tactics used by both political parties. Republicans certainly know how to gather support however they can and they understand and perpetuate the cynicism in politics. They don’t see any downside to being hypocritical. They divide and conquer, they pit one group against another….but they understand completely that when it comes down to election time, they can get all their people in line. Usually it entails sending out dog whistles, abortion, immigration, and they throw in a little socialism, fascism, communism and all those salivating dogs coming running home.

Like I said, both political parties use symbolic gestures just to give the impression that they are doing what they promised.

But the GOP are masters at doing such a thing.

Like for instance, the House of Representatives, as expected, voted to repeal the healthcare law which President Obama signed a year ago. This vote was a symbolic victory for Republicans, but not any sort of substantial change, another one is the GOP defunding of NPR over the Juan Williams episode, the defunding of Pro-choice Group Planned Parenthood, these are just puny gestures; or this symbolic stand by Speaker Boehner that in order for the debt limit to increase, the president will have to agree to cut $trillions in order for republicans to cooperate & you know as well as I do, the president is not going to agree to cut $trillions, $billions yes, but seriously $trillions?



All of these symbolic vote by the GOP means trying to create as many tough votes for the Democrats as possible, while simultaneously giving conservatives members of Congress as many good votes as possible to trumpet to skeptical activists back home like a Balanced Budget Constitutional Amendment, which was pushed by Sam Nunn back in the 1980s (now this is something that is long overdue).

Other symbolic gestures by republicans: ostentatiously reading each bill, fulfilling their (entirely symbolic and meaningless) pledge to insert a clause in bills saying why they're constitutional, investigations, real or imagined, in the Obama administration and among liberals generally.

These things are only to satisfy the Tea Party who rank & file republicans are afraid of. First, many Tea Party and other GOP activists want confrontation for its own sake. That may make the substantive stuff difficult, and may create huge problems for the GOP. Some republican members are going to find it very difficult to pass must-pass items, either because they honestly believe that lots of the normal things the federal government has done for decades are unconstitutional, or because they're terrified of primaries from half-crazed constituents who believe those things are unconstitutional.

So to Congressional republicans, get off your soapbox & stop all of the symbolic crap & roll up your sleeves & start help the president solve some of our most dire ills facing the nation. The games are over, its either put up or shut up!

President Obama: Drop Biden as running mate in 2012!

If Obama hopes to win key states again like he did in 2008, he ought to drop Biden as his running mate & go elsewhere.

President Obama will face a tough re-election in 2012 from whoever is the GOP nominee. States that he won in 2008 all of a sudden look as they might flip back to republican: North Carolina, Virginia, Florida, Ohio, Colorado, Nevada, etc.

So the question needs to be asked, will the president be better off with a new running mate for 2012 instead of Joseph Biden, who brought nothing to the ticket in 2008?

YES!

Obama problem will be with Bluecollar, as well as Independent Swing voters that hail from the states mentioned above. I think is safe to say that he'll have the hispanic vote in his corner come 2012, but will he have independents? Bluecollar, White Working Class Voters?

That's the $64,000 question.

Replacing Biden with a more moderate/conservative democrat may go a long way in persuading those voters in those states to give the president another term in addition helping the president pickup a state that he won in 2008, or picking off one that his people have their sights on such as a Arizona, Georgia, or Missouri.

The president haven't always been in the good graces of the liberals despite passing the healthcare Law among other things, but who cares? Poke 'em in the eye one more time! Its all about winning now, forget about how the base feels. He's positioned himself in the middle now & if he stays there, he will walk back into the White House for another term.

Here are some names who would fit the VP role perfectly in 2012:

Barron Hill (D-Indiana) Hill, A Methodist comes from a state where Obama performed strongly in 2008. He lost re-election in the GOP wave election. A Methodist & conservative democrat, he "COULD" help Obama do well again in Indiana, as well as Ohio, Wisconsin, Iowa & West Virginia.

John Barrow (D-Georgia). Don't Laugh! If the Obama campaign is dead serious about competing here in Georgia in 2012, then Barrow is the man you want to be your running mate. Barrow, a Baptist & graduate of UGA & Harvard University represents the 12th District in Eastern Georgia is very popular among his constituents with his annual "Barrow on the Corner" events which let citizens come out & talk & voice their opinions to the congressman. He is a moderately conservative democrat, being from a heavily rural district, he could help Obama here in Georgia as well as in Florida, North Carolina & in other states crucial to Obama

Health Shuler (D-North Carolina). Now Shuler is interesting. Only 40 Years old & a Southern Baptist he has made a name of himself already, by challenging Ultra-Liberal Nancy Pelosi for Minority Leader among other things. Shuler would no doubt boost Obama in the Tar Heel state, as well boost Obama in Virginia & other swing states.

Brian Schweitzer, Gov (D-Montana). A Catholic, moderate democrat, Schweitzer is the same as Georgia's John Barrow. Obama almost won Montana in 2008 & putting Schweitzer on the ticket with him will help Obama tremendously in the western states like Colorado, Nevada & upper midwest states like Wisconsin, Ohio & possibly in the southern states. He's pro-gun & enjoys favorability ratings in the 60% range.

Jim Marshall (D-Georgia). Boy, I can hear the liberals howl at the prospect of Jim Marshall as the running mate to Obama. Marshall lost last year in the wave election for his supposed 90% support of Nancy Pelosi which was a outright lie, but that's water under the bridge. Marshall is from the school of Sam Nunn & Zell Miller, which are rare in the democratic nowadays. Marshall, a conservative democrat hails from Macon, Ga & was congressman of the 8th district, as well as mayor of Macon. Marshall, a Catholic, is a Army Veteran, serving in Vietnam. Marshall brings both military & political expertise to the ticket & would probably be stronger than John Barrow in Georgia. He would boost Obama in the south, as well in the midwestern states like Ohio, Indiana as well as West Virginia. Marshall is a potential candidate for governor of Georgia in 2014.

These are some of the names that stood out, but there are others who would boost Obama's electability next year. Biden is a solid person, but doesn't bring enough to the table as far as appeal to help offset some of Obama's liberal stances & views