Who's the best candiate for democrats & Rural Georgia in 2010?

David Poythress a Macon native who is the only democrat to have announced so far to run for governor. Pros: He is lone-time Army Veteran serving over 40+ years serving our country. He also served as State Labor Commissioner, Secretary of State & ran for Gov. in 1998. He has appeal to military vets that makeup a huge voting bloc in the state, especially here in rural georgia & military families. Has a clean slate & can position himself to the right on many issues. Cons: He is relatively unknown Statewide, doesn't have a base of support yet & does he have staying. He got 5% of the vote in the '98 democratic primary.

DuBose Porter, a resident of Dublin is a potential candidate for governor as well. He is a strong advocate for public education. He is currently the minority leader in the General Assembly & is well positioned to run for governor if he so chooses. Pros: A rural democrat, he knows how to appeal to those pro-gun conservative democrats in rural georgia, he has strong support from Teacher's Unions in the state, a strong democratic ally here in georgia, can raise money necessary to mount a challenge for governor, & can relate farmers. His is very visible in middle georgia because of the local T.V. station near Laurens County (WMAZ-Macon) & he owns the Dublin-Courier. Cons: Not well known in the Metro Atlanta area where I admit a dem need to win in order to win the nomination. Can his moderate to consevative views appeal to voters in Dekalb, Fulton, Clayton Counties?

Roy Barnes, a Cobb County Democrat who is the big fish for the democrats. He has the profile, name recognition & money to run again in 2010. He lost in an upset to Sonny Perdue in 2002 because of the opposition to flaggers, educators & in due part to the anger the nation was in after the 9/11 attacks in whcich dems were deem unpatriotic. Pros: He can raise the money, probably as much as $5 to $10 million dollars for the governor's race, knows how to run a statewide race, name i.d., has a built in base of support across Georgia & is a populist & most surely will be the favorite for the democrats. Cons: Can he win the flaggers who was upset over the removal of the confederate flag? Will the voters re-elect someone who lost in 2002 to a fringe republican candidate, & does he REALLY want to run again?

Thurbert Baker, a resident of Stone Mountain who is the State's Attorney General. He trounced his republican opponent who had the backing of the governor, house speaker garnering 58% of the vote, the most of any democrat during the 2006 elections. Baker is a consevative democrat who as Zell Miller's floor leader passed the strict 2 strikes you're out law. As a African-American he would have the advantage with the crucial voting block that is esential to demcorats winning the nomination. Plus with his appeal to conservative white male voters & strong support from the law-enforcement community, he would be in my opinion the toughest opponent for the republicans for governor. Pros: Has crossover appeal statewide, a conservative he is the mainstream of most Georgians on guns, abortion, taxes, could galvanize the african-american voters in a non-election year & could garner the endorsement of Zell Miller who baker has a close relationship with. Cons: Does he want to leave his safe seat to jump into the spotlight? If he runs & become governor he will be on the short list of presidential candiates in 2016.

Jim Marshall, a resident of Macon, who is the congressman of the 8th district. Marshall is a old school democrat in the mold of Sam Nunn & Zell Miller. Marshall, a pro-gun, low-tax, fiscal conservative along with Thurbert Baker would be the strongest democrat to run against the republicans. He knows the republican playbook as better that any democrat n the state. His credentials as Vietnam War Vet ( inducted into Army Ranger Hall of Fame in 2006 ), former mayor, college professor & working class roots make him a dream candidate for state democrats. Pros: Conservative, probably would have the endorsenents of Zell Miller & Sam Nunn, gets alot of conservative republican votes in his district, a staunch supporter of the military & veterans & have executive experience being a former mayor. Cons: Will have trouble in the primary in the liberal counties of DeKalb. Fulton, Clayton. If he were to run & win the dem primary & the general election, he will be a potential candidate for president in 2016 when he will be 68 years old.

The son and grandson of army generals, Jim spent his formative years moving from one army post to another. After graduating from high school in 1966 in Mobile, Alabama, Jim attended Princeton University and was a University Scholar. Compelled by a sense of duty and fairness, Jim left Princeton in 1968 to enlist in the Army and volunteer for infantry combat in Vietnam, where he served as an Airborne-Ranger reconnaissance platoon sergeant, and was wounded and decorated "for heroism in ground combat." He received numerous military awards, including two Bronze Stars and the Purple Heart. Jim is also a member of the U.S. Army Ranger Hall of Fame.