69 Yr Old Treutlen County Resident & Self Described Reagan Democrat: "Democrats Don't Even Campaign Around Here"!

2012 HD 138 Candidate Kevin Brown (D-Buena Vista)

"With the exception of Congressman John Barrow, Democrats don't even campaign around this area, all you see is Republican signs. If they ran candidates here and statewide candidates expose themselves to the folks in these neck of the woods, they'd get more support" said 69 year old Treutlen County Resident & self described Reagan Democrat (who shall remain nameless) in email I received a month ago.

And I agree 1000% with that sentiment

Most Democrats here in Georgia often think too much about big problems that might or could happen. These potential problems always seem to be more important at the very moment that party leaders should be developing a truly statewide Democratic campaign infrastructure. That infrastructure is exactly what is need to regain more Georgia House & Senate seats. As a resident of the boondocks this is a issue for central & southern Georgia.

2012 HD 139 Candidate Thomas Coogle (D-Oglethorpe) 

However, these areas have be short changed by the leadership in Atlanta.

Oftentimes, campaign decision makers and money men in Atlanta invest in metropolitan areas instead of small communities such as Cordele, Camilla, Homerville, Georgetown, Claxton, Buchanan. Obviously, this hurts democrats chances to even make a dent in the Republican super-majority or near super majority in Atlanta. There are competitive districts in Southwest, Middle & Northeast Georgia, they just need a little nourishment.

Businessmen and laymen alike know that you must invest to get a return. Not investing in these rural areas to help mobilize Democrats crushes their chances at progress, and in the process it hits the youth the hardest. Much of the base of the statewide Democratic party is probably between the 18-45 age range, but in the rural areas where the population is much older, democrats have lost ground or just lost these voters for over a decade now.. Right now these people are the “bread and butter” of elections. However, this is not a solution for the long term. The party must invest in rural youth to be successful. Bringing on the power of younger voters will make Georgia out front and allow then to stay relevant and competitive.

2010 HD 143 Candidate Dan King (D-Dublin) 

Ignoring the rural youth and pulling/denying campaign support and funds from rural Democratic candidates who are not progressive or die-in-the-wool Obamacrats is not the way to develop a statewide, long term majority.

On the bright side, if campaign leaders invested in rural youths and supported rural candidates, there would be no one left to tell them (Ahem!!)

2010, '12 HD 153 Candidate John Tibbetts (D-Tifton)

they were doing it wrong. Now you probably ask what is the democrats major challenge for rural Georgia in the next election cycle & beyond? I think their biggest challenge is also their biggest opportunity. They need to get the message out to rural citizens about how the anti-working class agenda of the current majority in the Georgia State Legislature doesn’t represent the interests of any part of the state, and particularly rural Georgia. Getting that message to rural voters will be their biggest challenge and doing so will their our greatest asset.