Chris Irvin Goes after Gary Black in New Radio Ad

​(D) Chris Irvin who's challenging (R) Gary Black for Agriculture Commissioner is up with a radio spot slamming Black over Georgia's Food Safety and the Skinny Dipping episode that occurred at Lake Blackshear last year. Listen to the ad below:

 Chris Irvin-Agriculture Commissioner-GA 'Safe Food 2'-(2014-10-17)-mix-REV1.mp3

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Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Debate- Chris Irvin (D) v Gary Black (R)General (2014)

Georgia Dems Need To Get To Work Mobilizing the Youth, Black Vote...During Homecoming Weekend!

As we near election day, candidates for statewide office from Jason Carter to Greg Hecht to Robin Shipp need to push the pedal to the metal.

The major weakness right now among democrats is not with white voters, but with their most loyal base....Black Voters. And without them, democrats cannot and will not be successful at the polls

As we all know, black voters drop off tremendously during the midterm elections and it's something that democrats for years have never able to figure out.

Albany State Homecoming, 2013

So what do they need to do to to mobilize black voters, some are also called "Obamacrats" who only support Pres. Obama and nothing else? There's no dominant issue that is resonating with them, so it will very difficult to move this bloc of voters ahead of early voting and on the first Tuesday in November.

What the candidates need, or ought to do is do a barnstorm of the state and visit all the colleges and universities to rally young, undecided voters and also those who voted for President Obama back in 2012. Assemble a entourage of Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, Congressman John Lewis, Congressman Sanford Bishop, former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, former candidate for State School Superintendent Alisha Morgan. And as a bonus bring the big guns such as former President Bill Clinton or likely 2016 presidential contender Hillary Clinton.

Valdosta State Homecoming, 2013

Fort Valley State University Homecoming is Oct. 25, Albany State University Homecoming is also Oct 25, Clark-Atlanta is Nov.1, Morehouse Homecoming is Oct. 18, Paine Collge is also Oct. 18, Columbus State University is Oct. 25, Mercer University is Nov.2, Valdosta State is Oct 25.

As you can see, multiple colleges will be having their homecoming on Oct 25, which is on a saturday. That's the perfect opportunity for democrats like Michelle Nunn, Valerie Wilson, Jason Carter, Chris Irvin, Robin Shipp to appeal to college students, Obamacrats, alums and people from surrounding areas who will make the trip to the homecoming festivities.

Despite the barrage of attack ads from outside groups toward Jason Carter and Michelle Nunn, both have pretty much withstood the storm of negative attack ads and are now well positioned to do well on election day. Every vote counts!

2014: Georgia Democrats and How Can They Can Rile Up the Black Vote

As I sit here, I'm utterly amazed by democrats inability to excite Black Voters ahead of the midterm elections. The Traditional way of going after the black vote is still kinda effective, but democrats need to go outside the box to motivate a group of people that are difficult to read when it comes to voting. You would think issues from the minimum wage to equal pay to education would move black voters to the polls, but I'm here to tell you, unfortunately those issues don't motivate some, if not most black voters to go vote.

Instead issues from the Ferguson shooting to the Stand Your Ground Law to Trayvon Martin to the perceived unfair treatment by the justice system towards blacks in general, those are the type of issues that really get black voters riled up....or angry and motivate them to go to the polls. I was at a church over in Greenville, Georgia yesterday and the pastor during his sermon started to talk about the elections and how black

s need to get up and vote to prevent more laws being created like the Stand Your Ground Law and to fight back against "attempted" voter suppression (as the pastor say) by the GOP here in Georgia, he had to be talking about SOS Brian Kemp battle with a voting registration organization)

All the rage leading up to November among Democrats and Politicos is how Democrats are going to boost Black Voter turnout in time fir not only early voting, but on election day. Well, if it were me, I'd send mailers or run radio ads on predominantly black radio station with spots like this:

"It’s Fall 2014 but let me tell you about last Spring.  When they thought no one was listening, Republican leaders plotted impeaching President Obama or at least humiliating him for his last two years in office because the president and Democrats put working families and jobs before corporations and fat cats.  We can’t let them control Congress.  

The despicable Republicans were even discussing forcing kids who receive free lunch to clean the schools for their meals.  These are the people who created the “Stand Your Ground” laws and fight increasing the minimum wage.  We stop them by voting and making sure that everyone we know votes early—that’s the best protest. Vote for (candidate) in November"

And since this is football season, Friday Night Football in small town Georgia is a religion....one radio spot or television ad geared towards rural white moderates/blacks would go something like this:

"Speaker One: “Oh yea, smell the popcorn in the crisp air….it’s Friday night high school football in Georgia.”

 

Speaker Two; “Yes sir, the countless hours we have spent in this stadium…as students and now our kids are the ball players, cheerleaders and band members.  Where did the years go?”

Speaker One: “If you think about it, people can freeze in the stands for hours at a game but the same people won’t take 20 minutes to go early vote.  It’s a shame.”  

Narrator: “We all have priorities but isn’t voting as important as football, reality T.V., and cell phone games.  Why not use your mobile device to promote voting among your friends.  Let’s fight those who want to impeach President Obama for trying to provide healthcare for everyone.  The same people who went after President Clinton for silly reasons but said nothing about impeachment when we went to war for false reasons under another president. 

Congress, the state legislature and the governor’s mansions should be focused on education, training and get jobs back from overseas.  But, they aren’t thinking about regular folks when they make laws like Stand Your Ground and allow guns in schools, churches and nightclubs.   We should vote out of office people who basically declare open season on people who don’t look like you….because you “felt” threaten.  The best form of protest is voting what change what was wrong in the first place.

Voting is also our way of monitoring those who decide when, where and how long our sons, daughters, brothers, cousins and friends go to war.  We appreciate the political side eager to dialog with the other side and ready to have public policy decisions reflect the views of every Americans—not just their fancy friends.  As they say, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.  Voting ensures our seat at the table and provides the opportunity to squeak.   

High school football games are exciting but voting often takes less time than halftime.  We should support the kids on Friday nights but more importantly we should support their safe development into productive citizens.  Productive citizens vote and encourage those around them to do the same. On November 4 make your voices heard and vote for candidate or candidates in November".

Small Talk With Small Town Georgia Voters

Courting country folk has been no easy task for Democratic candidates going back to 2006, let alone those from the Democratic enclaves of Metro Atlanta. Most of these rural areas were once democratic  are now Republican or very republican because democrats have failed to compete in these areas, and what Democrats need to do is try to minimize the damage or score a few upsets in some of these places.

As I traveled to the Democratic Party State Convention over in Dublin yesterday, I made stops in Jeffersonville, Vidalia and Montrose just to ask rural resident their thoughts on the upcoming elections.

I asked Sam Garrett, a 59-year-old self-employed lumber dealer about who he may support in the upcoming governor's race between Nathan Deal and Jason Carter, he says "issues such as the lack of adequate jobs, access to rural health care and refusal to expand medicaid will not win Deal many friends in my neck of the woods, so Jason Carter is getting a serious look from folks around here because of his support of medicaid expansion.

Next I approached Deb Jackson a 49-year-old woman from Montrose about the Carter-Deal race as she was pumping gas at a station in Twiggs County, she stated "Carter (Jason) speaks to people around here as she recited her list of important issues, including gun ownership which she says she is a proud gun owner and brought up Carter's A rating from the NRA she saw on the Internet. Carter needs to increase his presence in middle Georgia as the General Elections nears in November she goes on to say and as for the Nunn-Perdue Senate race, she says she haven't made up her mind as of yet on that race, but she likes the prospect of having a woman in the Senate.

But it wasn't totally about the top two races on the ballot this year, there was interest in who was running for School Superintendent and Agriculture Commissioner as well, so that tells me that voters are starting to become more engage in this years elections as the campaign season starts to heat up.

Campaigning is Different in Rural Georgia

He didn’t shake my hand, she didn't ask for my vote, so I’m not going to vote for him or I'm not going to vote for her. For a long time, I've often-heard this remark by voters in various rural areas of Georgia. That's what I hear now when the name of Michelle Nunn or any other candidate comes up. Political campaigns and races in rural counties have often been decided by just such seemingly whimsical reasoning.

Roy Barnes appearance in rural Berrien County in 2010 during his run for governor

However, if you’ve spent any time in rural areas, then you have some grasp of how small town people and farm folks look at elections and politicians. On the surface, that remark may seem foolish but rural residents reasoning runs much deeper and more serious than that statement may seem. Longtime residents of metropolitan cities here in the state probably think that’s a silly reason for voting or not voting for a candidate. But, having spent the majority of my life in a small town I understand the reasoning. It goes to character.

Yes, it says something about the candidate’s character but it also raises the question of the depth of the candidate’s character. While, metro residents may seem to be more attuned to issues, small town and rural folks put a lot of stock in a candidate who has the gumption and, yes, strength of character, to look a man in the eye, shake his hand and ask for his vote. I know how important this is, I seen it first hand two years ago while working on a campaign for State House. Numbers, of course, play a major role in how a candidate and his campaign people approach the race. If the area to be represented is sizable in both population and/or geographic area, much of the candidate’s appeal will be directed through appearances at events catering to candidates and through advertising and mass media messages to the electorate.

But, a candidate who dismisses the press-the-flesh/knock on- doors approach as too time-consuming, colloquial and lacking depth is usually making a major mistake. And, to think that a voter who wants to look you in the eye probably doesn’t know what the issues are, is usually a misjudgement by a candidate and his campaign workers. A voter who wants a candidate to shake his hand and look him in the eye, can probably tell from the candidate’s reaction if the politician is committed plus confident in his depth of knowledge of the job and the issues. (Again I go back to 2012 when I worked for Thomas Coogle campaign for State House 139...that kind of outreach works!)

Rural and small town folks have always done a lot of handshake business so they generally have a good feel for a person’s sincerity and honesty. Of course, there is a difference between a politician and someone you see and do business with regularly. Naturally, if the pol is local, he/ she understands that they have to face most voters frequently. Maybe they see them shopping every week or go to the same church or hold civic club membership in common.

That kind of exposure will go a long way toward ensuring a candidate’s honesty. He or she knows they have to look the same people in the eye daily or weekly and there are less places to run and hide.

For statewide candidates, especially democratic candidates, this is a MUST! They may not go door to door, but attending those summer festivals across Georgia and during the fall, attending friday night football games offer a valuable opportunity for them to connect with voters. Already I've seen candidates such as Liz Johnson (Insurance Commissioner) visit Coffee County, Chris Irvin (Agriculture Commissioner) visit several rural counties such as Early, Peach, and Crisp Co for example and Robin Shipp (Labor Commissioner) trek to Sumter and several other rural counties since announcing her candidacy.

The Top Two Candidates, Jason Carter and Michelle Nunn need to do more of this as we now are into August, especially Michelle Nunn who really needs to raise her profile in rural Georgia ASAP!

2014: Carter, Beckum, Irvin and the Pursuit for Rural Georgia Vote

Jason Carter with supporters

Voters in rural areas of Georgia tend to be older than the electorate as a whole and they tend to be of more moderate means. Additionally, older voters tend to vote in higher numbers in midterm elections.

Democrats running this year in Georgia have to be very comfortable in talking about the values they share with other small town Georgia

residents. They have to be very comfortable in believing in God and that they go to church like everybody else does. Issues ranging from Social Security to medicaid to agriculture to economic fairness (which resonates in rural communities and put republicans on defense) are issues that are  well received in rural parts of the state.

 Chris Irvin at Vidalia Onion Festival, Toombs Co

Dems such as Ag Commissioner candidate Christopher Irvin (D-Toccoa), Secretary of State candidate Gerald Beckum (D-Oglethorpe) & Jason Carter, gubernatorial candidate for governor are such candidates that can appeal to these voters who tend to be independent-minded & conservative leaning. These three in particular can appeal to the what I called Zell Miller-Sam Nunn Democrats who have strayed away from the party in recent years.

These candidates in addition to Michelle Nunn who's running for the Senate have been criticized for reaching out to people who haven`t been voting for the Democrats in years, some people have criticized them for trying to broaden the base of the party. To liberals here in this state, broadening the base is how you win elections. Just ask Congressman John Barrow (D-Augusta) who have managed to win his last two re-election bids by broadening his base outside of his former home of Savannah and now Augusta.

Gerald Beckum with ex-State Rep.Robert Ray, Crawford Co

Bottom line: Georgia Liberal Democrats need to get past their interest-group politics and SUPPORT CANDIDATES who appeal to rural Georgians and their values...... well in another word, Georgians who values doesn't line up with the National Democrats and Obamacrats.  They don't understand that the real fault line is culture values. Left wingers often wonder why do working-class voters so often vote for the party (GOP) that pushes tax cuts for the wealthy? The short answer: Money isn't everything. Nothing connects quite like shared culture to persuade voters that, despite other appearances, you're really on their side.

Jefferson Jackson Dinner Last Night in Fort Valley

Jason Carter addressing the audience during Peach Co JJ Dinner

Last Night, the Peach County Democratic held its first ever Jefferson-Jackson Dinner in Fort Valley located in Rural Central Georgia at the Agriculture Technology Center. An estimated 200 were in attendance as they got to hear from Gubernatorial candidate Jason Carter, as well as other statewide hopefuls, Connie Stokes (Lt Governor), Alisha Morgan (State Superintendent), Chris Irvin (Agriculture Commissioner), Tarnisha Dent (State Superintendent), Gerald Beckum (Secretary of State) & Robin Shipp (Labor Commissioner)

Candidate for Agriculture Commissioner Chris Irvin speaking

Senator Carter was introduced by Macon Circuit D.A. David Cooke in which afterwards Carter gave a rousing, charismatic speech critical of Gov. Nathan Deal on Public Education, Jobs, etc.

Also on hand was Congressman Sanford Bishop & wife Vivian Creighton-Bishop, sheriffs David Davis (Bibb County) & Lewis Walker (Crawford County) and host of local elected officials from surrounding counties as well.

Rep. Sanford Bishop presents Carter with a Plaque

Candidates Gerald Beckum Secretary of State with Keith Heard Insurance Commissioner

Georgia Democratic Candidates & The Elusive 8-10%

If you're a democratic candidate here in Georgia, you'll automatically start out with 42-43% of the vote statewide. That's the floor for the democrats here in Georgia. That's a given! But what's more of a concern for democratic candidates is the other 8-10% of the vote that's proving to be elusive.

If look at recent polls, it shows both Michelle Nunn, candidate for the U.S. Senate & Jason Carter, candidate for governor hovering between 40-43%........but neither have advance above the 43% threshold and that's the root of the problem for democratic candidates nowadays in Georgia.

Many of those voters tend to be independent who lean conservative or are just straight independent voters. In my opinion, Zell Miller's 2004 Speech at the Republican National Convention contributed to independents and moderates voters switching from voting for democrats to republican (that's another story for another time)

So how can they capture the other 8-10 percent needed to win statewide contest.

Those voters, but not all of them, I think are conflicted about the role of government, that we know. But they don't like the partisanship coming from both sides. And they're afraid that the product ti come out of such a process will be too partisan, too driven by special interest.

Michelle Nunn, Jason Carter and other ballot democrats can appeal to the moderate republicans, conservative democrats if all can project a positive message in contrast of the doom and gloom, scare the hell out of you message being employed by the republicans because you better believe than Deal and whoever emerges in the republican primary for the U.S. Senate will be waging a negative  campaign filled with scare tactics & conspiracies. Now at some point they (dems) will have to go on the attack if some baseless accusation is hurled at them.

If they can come out talking positively, talking about the future of Georgia, etc, then they can begin to pickoff those voters that are critical for electoral success in November.

The narrative now is that Carter, Nunn has given Georgia Democrats a chance to come out of the wilderness and compete in statewide elections for the first time in over a decade & their star power gives them the opportunity to raise money, mobilize future voters and energize veteran democratic stalwarts who have been beaten down by years of losing at the ballot box.  The key for each of them, along with others like Chris Irvin (Agriculture Commissioner) Greg Hecht (Attorney General) & others is can they appeal to the state's centrist voters who either vote reoublican or simply sit out elections because they don;t like the choices on the ballot and can they build on momentum the party have to build a formidable statewide network?

But in order for democrats to be competitive, they need more than Nunn and Carter at the top of the ticket. Outside of those two, who else on the ballot can help strengthened and appeal to centrist/independent voters tired of the partisan games. It's a tossup, with the exception of Greg Hecht (who ran for Lt. Governor in 2006) the other candidates are first time candidates for statewide office. That's why its essential that Secretary of State candidate Gerald Beckum, a rural white conservative democrat emerge from the democratic primary who knows how to connect to the very voters democrats have had a hard time winning over & Robin Shipp, candidate for Labor Commissioner who have made several trips to middle and south Georgia since announcing her entry for Labor Commissioner) to continue engaging small town voters over the next 7 months.

The hope I think for the party is that these candidates have the ability to reach out to moderate republicans who are disgruntled with the right wing of the republican party, which is the Tea Party, as well as conservative democrats and Independents. Many of these voters long for a common-sense alternative, but need to feel comfortable electing a moderate who's not liberal and who is likely to differ from the National Democratic Party Platform on social issues which will reassure voters who consider those issues important. Then, with voters comfortable, these candidates can share their values and then talk about issues such as education, economic growth and the need for cooperation, which Michelle Nunn is stressing to voters as she travels the state.

They can tell voters they deserve a education system that doesn't cram as many children as possible into a classroom and they shouldn't have a senator, governor or a state legislature that do not view those at the bottom of the barrel of the economic ladder as prone to become dependent on government help if they expand social programs to assist them temporarily through economic hard times. They should have someone in D.C. or Atlanta that don't consider "Bi-partisanship" a dirty word.

To sum it all up: There is no winning here without appealing to independent voters, moderate republicans and conservative democrats. And there;s no winning without the base, which means capitulation doesn't work  Democrats like Jason Carter have to persuade voters in the middle that they can do a better job that the other occupants. Democrats need to make the case for common-sense solutions to problems facing voters here in the state. All too often some dismiss the arguments of the other side as worthless, crazy, stupid, and walk away leaving folks to believe what they hear on talk radio or Fox News which is a right-wing network. Democrats have to engage, they have to persuade, they have to listen to the crazy, out of the mainstream arguments and calmly refute them. That's how you reach voters in the middle.

It's how you change the wind and it's what they will have to do, because I can picture what every GOP candidate running will be talking about: Obamacare (which they are banking on as their meal ticket).....Taxes......Obamacare.......Liberal this.......Obamacare........Harry Reid........Liberal that.........Obamacare, you know the drill.

Can the BD-40 lead North Georgia Democrats to a resurgence in Nov?

Will the election of Joseph Mann, Jack Lance, Chris Irvin, or as I call them, The BD-40 (Bluedog Democrats under the age of 40) help lead the democrats to a resurgence in North Ga?

Most Certainly!

Next Month there is a strong possibility that democrats maybe on the verge of a comeback up in North Georgia.

Three Conservative Democrats are running for seats that they have a greater than average chance of winning on November 2.

They are:

State Senate 51 candidate Joseph Mann (D-Mineral Bluff)
State Rep 28 candidate Christopher J Irvin (D-Toccoa)
State Rep 8 candidate Jack Lance (D-Blairsville)

Each of these young, conservative democrats are running hard as we near the end of a long sometimes stressful campaign.

North Georgia was once a democratic bastion until the late 1980s/early 1990s when voters started changing their voting registrations & began to vote republican.

Then it really went bright red when Nathan Deal who won a seat in Congress as a democrat back in 1992 switched parties in 1995 & became a republican & every since then it has been difficult for democrats to win seats up in the North Georgia Mountain region (with the exception of Charles Jenkins, who lost to Stephen Allison in 2008 & Jeannette Jamieson, who lost to Michael Harden in 2008 as well)

This year North Georgia Democrats may finally break down that wall that has been difficult for the democrats to break thru with the election of Mann, Lance & Irvin.


Jack Lance, 30, the youngest of the three was served on the staff of then State Senator Carol Jackson (D-Cleveland) & former Governor & US Senator Zell Miller, who has endorsed Lance for HD 8. Lance attended Young Harris College & Mercer University



Joseph Mann, 32 is a Georgia Tech Graduate who founded Georgia Prime Real Estate & is a member of the American Cancer Society has gotten support from various Tea Party individuals up in North Georgia.


Chris Irvin, 35, is the grandson of outgoing Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin who founded is own business called Deercourt Enterprises & attended Piedmont College & Clemson University.

All three men are God-Fearing individuals who supports the right to life, staunch supporters of the right to bear arms & keeping government out of people's lives.

Mann, Lance & Irvin will each bring new, energetic leadership and fresh ideas to the General Assembly. Put these three fine individuals into office & let them bring prosperity to their constituents, as well as to the rest of Georgia.

Candidate Spotlight: Chris Irvin (D-Toccoa), HD 28

Up in NE Georgia, Conservative Democrat Chris Irvin is trying to win a seat to the Georgia House of Representatives, taking on Incumbent Michael Harden (R).

Irvin is the grandson of Retiring Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin.

Irvin attended Limestone College in Gaffney, South Carolina on a soccer scholarship later attending Piedmont College & Clemson University in which he majored in pre-law and included courses of history, religion, philosophy, language, and the arts.

Irvin worked various jobs during that time: YMCA, Maxfli/Dunlop Corporation, Jarrett Electric, but in 1999 he started his own business called Deercourt Enterprises.

Irvin is a man of Faith who calls himself a proud husband, son, brother, grandson, and "old school" conservative democrat who strive to put his heart and soul into all he do while on Earth and would like to know that he will leave this world better than he found it.

Some of his key issues are Transportation, Trauma Care, Respect for the People.

Irvin is very critical of his opponent Michael Harden (if that's his real name) on issues such as Taxes, where Irvin says his opponent supports a leadership that passed the largest TAX increase ever on Georgia consumers. Under HB 1055 Georgians have had 88 tax increases levied upon them, ranging from court filing taxes, licensing taxes, permit taxes, numerous agricultural taxes, and hospital taxes, equaling almost $200 million in new taxes. I couldn't have said it better myself.

Candidate spotlight: Chris Irvin (HD 28)

Up in NE Georgia, Tommy Irvin, the longtime agriculture commissioner won't be seeking another term as Georgia's Ag Commissioner as Irvin turns 81 next month, that doesn't mean a Irvin won't be on the ballot.

Christopher James "Chris" Irvin (D-Toccoa) will take on one term incumbent Michael Harden (R-Toccoa) for the seat, formerly held by longtime rep. Jeannette Jamieson (D).

Irvin is the grandson of Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin & this is his first run for political office.

His dad is a state court judge and his mom served three terms on the Stephens County Board of Education."

Irvin is Owner/Manager of a construction company.

A lifelong resident of the 28th District, Irvin is a graduate of Stephens County High School and attended Limestone College and Clemson University prior to entering private business.

He is a licensed building contractor and said he will make education and jobs his emphasis together with "bringing down the ever increasing unemployment rate and taxes and other fees which have occurred under our present leadership."

Described as a staunch democrat, Irvin said he will seek election as an "independent Democrat."