Who should be the next chairman of the DPG?

It's a job that no one in their right mind would want. says Andre Walker at Georgia Politics Unfiltered in a post he wrote yesterday...........AND HE'S RIGHT!

This is a job that pays nothing, let me repeat, nothing! You're basically working for free.

Yesterday Current Chairwoman Jane Kidd sent word that elections for new Chairman, First Vice Chair & a whole host of other seats will take place on Jan 29.

It is a difficult job especially when your party is in the minority & none from your party are holding any statewide offices.

Having said that, this party needs someone who's financially stable (remember the job pays zero), someone who has the necessary leadership skills, who has ran, or lead a organization, business, etc. Someone who has a no-nonsense personality & who can stand up to different factions in the party, Someone who has a winning attitude.

I thought this & three people comes to mind:

(1) Former Secretary of State, Adjuntant General of the Ga National Guard David Poythress
(2) Former Congressman, Mayor Jim Marshall
(3) My wild card pick, Former Mayor, USAF Veteran Carl Camon

All three men have track records of success. Each bring something different to the table, neither are tied to the current democratic establishment & all have strong personalities that would benefit the party going down the road towards 2012 & beyond.

Each person may well run for public office again in the future, Marshall may run for governor or the US Senate in 2014, Camon may run for a State Senate or statewide seat (he's only 41) & Poythress may make another crack for governor, who knows.

But in the meantime, from 2011 til 2014 one of these individuals can begin to lay the foundation for future success of the party going forward.

Not to say that other potential candidates for the job won't measure up, it just these men have what it takes to get the ball rolling. Now its just a question of persuading each of them to consider running for the job, which isn't easy!

The race for the DPG Chairmanship

Soon there will be a election to determine who will be the next chairman of the Georgia Democratic Party.

There has been some indications that Jane Kidd, current chairwoman of the party might run again.

Then there was State Senator Robert Brown who openly suggested that he'll support former Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond for the job.

Then there GADCC president Mike Berlon who has been endorsed by Carol Porter, who Berlon worked as campaign manager.

There likely will be more names to come to the surface as Januray approaches.

Over the last couple of days I have brought up the names of Former Macon Mayor, Congressman & Vietnam Veteran Jim Marshall & former Ray City Mayor, USAF & Gulf War Veteran Carl Camon as possible contenders for the job.

Its time for the party to go outside the box & select someone who's not tied to the establishment, nor the current regime up on Spring Street.

The person has to be able t0 (1) Raise Cash (2) Build & Organize a Democratic Grassroots Organization Statewide (3) Usher in new people with fresh ideas & a vision for the future of the party & so on...........

One person who would fit that bill is Ted Terry of Savannah, who is the Finance Director for Congressman John Barrow & a former DNC Member who helped Organize Democrats on the ground in Georgia. He has worked on four consecutive winning campaigns for Barrow over in the conservative-leaning 12th District

Gen. David Poythress is also someone who would be a great fit at the job. He has a track record of turning around troubled organizations such as the Georgia National Guard, the Labor Commissioner's Office, etc. He ran a strong grassroots campaign, receiving donations from all of Georgia's 159 counties. He is a strong leader & would immediatelt command the respect of those inside the party & most definitely rock the boat at Spring Street.

But we won't know until its time to elect new party officers for the party, so stay tuned!

Poythress Introduction

If you don't know him by now, take a look at this:

GEA Endorses David Poythress for Governor

Georgia Education Alliance has endorsed Gen David Poythress for Governor.

From the GEA:

Public education in Georgia is currently facing a crisis.

Georgians are experiencing cuts that cripple our public schools with unchecked class sizes, encroaching federal mandates, and less instruction time for students. Some cuts have been so deep that the schools themselves have been closed, resulting in even less opportunity for our children.

Under these strains, Georgia’s teachers have continued to provide the constitutionally required quality education while facing furloughs, layoffs, and attacks on their professional integrity.

We have witnessed an 11th hour merit pay push that sought to shackle our education to the federal government and hold teacher salaries hostage to a failed testing model.

Despite these attacks on public education, the current administration has pursued its own interests instead of seeking out realistic solutions that would benefit all of Georgia’s students.

This administration has claimed to listen to teachers, basing their claims on a survey, loaded with generic questions, where only 20% of Georgia’s teachers responded.

With so much at stake, we need a governor that has clearly engaged Georgia’s educators in the development of a realistic and effective education plan that addresses the current crisis, a history of working with both Democrats and Republicans, and has a proven track record of reform and leadership.

After the careful review of GEA gubernatorial candidates’ questionnaire responses, extensive discussion with GEA members, and a conversation with Poythress concerning his education priorities, Georgia Education Alliance is hereby endorsing General David Poythress for Georgia Governor.

General Poythress has the distinction of having been recognized as a strong leader by both parties: Poythress was appointed by then-Governor Barnes (D) as head of Georgia’s National Guard and later re-appointed by current-Governor Perdue (R).

Poythress has provided a clear plan to turn around education. Specifically, Poythress:


_Has made a concerted effort to not only reach out to Georgia’s educators, but to also engage them in the process of educational reform;
- Has vowed to walk with Georgia’s educators as they experience furloughs and layoffs, by not accepting salary until Georgia’s economic conditions improve;
- Understands the negative impact from increased federal mandates and deep state
budget cuts have had on Georgia’s commitment to quality public education;
- Has a realistic plan to manage the current budget crisis, without resorting to additional cuts in public education;

and

- Has a consistent record with educational priorities, and has not had to apologize for past decisions.


General David Poythress has served his country, and the great state of Georgia, throughout his distinguished career. Our state constitution challenges us to provide quality education to
all of Georgia’s children. Georgia Education Alliance believes that General Poythress has proven his dedication to educational priorities that will serve students, parents, teachers, and our local communities in their shared pursuit of educational excellence.

Poythress Gets endorsement from Team Rural, an influential Rural Grassroots Democratic Organization

Team Rural announces their enthusiastic support and official endorsement for General David Poythress, Democratic Candidatefor Governor, in the July 20th Primary. “General Poythress, a Macon native, understands the breadth and diversity of our great state,” says Carlos Nelson, County Commissioner and Ware County Team Rural leader. “He has campaigned in rural Georgia for more than a year and has made himself available to all of the members of our Grassroots volunteer coalition, Team Rural. During those many conversations, he’s been an active listener who hears and understands our concerns, and we have determined that he has the leadership skills to develop
initiatives addressing the challenges and opportunities in rural Georgia.”

“Too often candidates give lip service to grassroots outreach, but General Poythress understands the importance of connecting early and personally with voters across the state,” says Reverend Robert Thomas, Brantley County Team Rural member, “This is the man capable of leading Georgia out of the dire times we are in.” He recently visited for about three hours having an impromptu roundtable discussion where he answered every single question and concern straight from the hip said one attendee.

As a teacher Charlie Hill, Glynn County Team Rural leader, believes General Poythress “gets it.” Team Rural applauds the General’s plans for bringing 21st Century education to Georgia.

His combination of reducing class sizes while leveraging technology (like Rosetta Stone-type software for teaching foreign languages) to create more quality/mentoring time for educators;

His implementation of a comprehensive drop-out prevention program which will empower our students and parents in ways that will promote inclusion in education;

His understanding that teachers are the solution to our educational challenges from the example of his mother, who was a public school teacher in Bibb County;

His desire to scrap “No Child Left Behind” and determination to end the tyranny of “AYP” and high stakes testing;
“These are things vitally important to me as a teacher in Glynn County,” says Charlie. “The points above are key in creating a first rate educational system for Georgia.” Importantly, General Poythress will sustain the importance of the arts in education. “Arts are the measure of a civilized society; perspective is as important as perception.” says Charlie. With an educated population Georgia’s future is bright for job creation.

Team Rural is a coalition of volunteers who support Democratic candidates. Team Rural was formed after the General Election in 2008 so rural activists could continue to work together as a voice for rural Georgia voters. Based out of Congressional District 1, they are currently reaching out to voters in 14 counties with a base of about 350 members. Team Rural plans for its volunteer coalition to continue to increase, and they foresee the expansion from Southern into North
Georgia. They have volunteers who live as far away as Taylor County and even some volunteers in DeKalb who travel outside the perimeter to join the outreach!

They respond daily to telephone calls and emails from rural Georgians who know their issues and concerns have not been heard. Rural Georgians deserve a voice in the political conversation, and collectively Team Rural will change that through activism and outreach. They are online at www.teamrural.com, and folks can sign up there for newsletters and attend grassroots events. They can also be found on Facebook as the Group “Team Rural.”

According to Ernest Larson, Team Rural Wayne County Leader, “General Poythress background, particularly his military experience, proves him to be the dynamic statesman leader we need in these difficult times. I know that many of our neighbors will look beyond partisan concerns and vote for David Poythress because they trust his capable, experienced leadership, and they care about the quality and integrity of the elected officials we send to the Capitol.”

“We’re working closely with General Poythress’ campaign to engage more Georgians in this critical election; our future depends on it,” says Pastor Jimmy Lewis, a former Republican and Team Rural leader. “Once he is Governor, we look forward to helping him take action to provide rural communities with the innovative solutions for moving our local communities forward while leading our beloved state.”

Please join Team Rural and unite to support General David Poythress as our next Governor of Georgia. Contact Carlos Nelson at 912.579.2781 or email info@teamrural.com for further information

Democratic candidates visited Decatur County last week

SPEAKING AT A FORUM for Democratic candidates who attended a meet-and-greet at the Kirbo Center at Bainbridge College on Thursday, are, from the left, R.J. Hadley, Ted Snell, a representative for Sanford Bishop, David Holt, Gail Buckner, Darryl Hicks, Marjean Boyd, David Poythress, Brian Westlake, Michael Mills, Beth Farokhi and Dubose Porter.


Democratic candidates running for local, regional and statewide offices gathered at the Kirbo Center on Thursday to talk with a small group of potential voters.

The candidates visited Bainbridge to attend a meet-and-greet sponsored by the Decatur County Democratic Party.

Read here: The Post-Searchlight | Democratic candidates visit

Endorsement for Governor: David Poythress (D-Norcross)

This was a very, very difficult one here. All of the candidates are outstanding individuals who would mae great governors, but after much though, Peanut Politics is endorsing David Poythress for Governor over Roy Barnes & DuBose Porter.






Gen. Poythress announced his candidacy in November of 2008, in which he's been campaigning for over a year. He has been Labor Commissioner, Secretary of State, Adjuntant General & in each capacity he has help led or turned around each department & left it in better shape than it was before. A moderately Conservative Democrat, Poythress has the kind of appeal that will be needed if democrats want to re-take the governor's mansion, but most of all win the hearts & minds of rural Georgians who voices have been ignored. He has made a commitment to Rural Georgia by his visits to places democrats haven't campaigned in years, if not decades.

Nothing against Porter, Barnes, Baker, but it Will come down to who's the strongest candidate, who's the most electable of all the candidates?





And from what I've seen that person is General Poythress. He's not a gimmick, he's not bought & paid for, he's the real deal. He maynot be the most flamboyant, the most charismatic candidate of the group, but what you will get is alot of steak with little sizzle & that matters more than sizzle.

The Macon Native have gotten endorsements from County Commissioners, Mayors, Sheriffs, City Councilmen & women. Gen. Poythress is the right man for the job at this critical time in Georgia as it faces a uncertain future.

Porter, Barnes, Baker are all good candidates & one of them may end up as the nominee & if so I'll support one of them, but like I said, Gen. Poythress is ready, Tested & doesn't need on the job training. He's been there, done that!

Poythress Swing Across Georgia

LETS BAG BARNES IN JULY! (Not November)


Many of you have already visited our new website www.bagbarnes.com - but for some of you this may be your first time hearing about this new web site. Be sure to check it out and encourage everyone to check it out as well. We put up this website because we know that the Republicans are waiting in the wings and ready to attack Roy Barnes’ hypocrisy in November, just as they did in 2002. As Democrats, we need to nominate a Democrat who can win in November. I am that candidate and I hope you will help me between now and Election Day to make sure we win this election!


EDUCATION: NO LAUGHING MATTER


Even though it was announced that the Georgia Association of Educators has chosen not to endorse in the Democratic primary, I want you to know that teachers across Georgia have responded well to my education plan. Georgia's teachers agree that we have to stop these draconian cuts to our public school systems and start turning our classrooms into 21st Century Learning Centers. And while some GAE members have called the “no endorsement” a rejection of Roy's 2010 "apology tour” and bad jokes, I think that teachers just want to be able to do their jobs without politicians getting in their way.






TRAVELING ACROSS GEORGIA


As Elizabeth and I have traveled across Georgia this past month we’ve seen the excitement of Georgians growing as we get closer to the election on July 20th. We have been to Dawsonville for the 9th Congressional District JJ dinner, attended forums and town hall meetings in Albany, and dedicated a road honoring Veterans in Coffee County. I gave the commencement address to graduates of Troy University, and visited with great Democrats in Floyd County, Commerce, Valdosta, Dawson, and Warner Robins. Everywhere we go the excitement about our campaign is heartfelt and makes the long, hot days of campaigning worthwhile. Georgians trust me to put their interests above special interests, and they are joining our cause!


Talk About a Campaign Swing


Last weekend put the swing into the term "campaign swing" as Elizabeth and I worked our way across South Georgia. Starting in Savannah we were warmly greeted by the Georgia School Boards Association. My message of fundamental change for education was well received by the attendees, I am always delighted to visit with our state’s educators about improving our schools.

After our pleasant visit to Savannah, we had coffee with friends and supporters in Valdosta. They were pleased with my plan for jobs and economic development for the southern part of our state. This part of the state has plenty of resources that lend themselves to alternative energy and bio fuel products; we need to invest in this region! As Governor, I will provide the kind of leadership that will bring prosperity to all of Georgia!

Towards the end of our swing, I was delighted to be an honored guest at the Terrell County Branch of the NAACP Freedom Banquet. Congressman Sanford Bishop, Jr. was the speaker, and Elizabeth and I enjoyed visiting with him. I want to congratulate Rev. Dr. Ezekiel Holley, President of the Terrell County branch, for planning such a wonderful banquet.

Our South Georgia swing ended with my participation in the SWGAPolitics.com forum held in Albany. We were joined at this event by Commissioner Jon Howard and Commissioner Christopher Pike, both of Dougherty County. Lamar Houston, a veteran and strong supporter also came out to show his commitment to the cause.

There were many things to take away from our South Georgia swing. But there in one in particular that rings clear: Folks down in South Georgia are ready for practical, common sense solutions to Georgia’s problems, and they believe I am the right man for the job!





INTO THE FINAL TURN…


Just like the Kentucky Derby, the Daytona 500, and any other great race, this race too has it's final stretch. Now 32 days from the Georgia Primary election, we're entering the final turn and need your support to push us over the finish line.

In each of Georgia's 159 counties, someone has contributed to my campaign. No other candidate for Governor in 2010 can say that, and when I'm elected Governor I will represent all Georgians, from the mountains to the coast.

Won’t you make a contribution today to help my campaign get out the message in these final days? Not everyone can afford the $1000 donations, but every $100 or $50 contribution helps us with fuel in the car and boots on the ground. Together, with your contributions and support, we can “take this hill” and win this battle!


All the best,

David Poythress

PS – Happy Father’s Day wishes to all other father’s out there! Our families will be close to our hearts this Father’s Day, even though we may not say so. I hope everyone has the opportunity to spend some time with your father this weekend.

Poythress to Hold Barnes Feet to the Fire!

A Presser sent out yesterday by the Poythress Campaign:

Throughout this campaign, I have stood up against bad ideas from Republicans like secession and teacher furloughs. And I have taken former Governor Barnes to task for his hypocrisy about lobbyists and bailouts. I have also consistently talked about issues and presented my plans to solve our water and transportation crises, to transform our public schools and to get our economy moving again.

Sadly, facts and reasonable solutions don’t seem to interest the media or cause a stir among voters. That's why I am launching “BagBarnes.com” to compete with Barnes’ multi-million dollar “reinvention” tour using humor to perk up the truth about the baggage that will sink Barnes if we are foolish enough to nominate him again.

In our video, “Huntin’ Hypocrisy,” once again I take Barnes to task for his ad where he poses as a defender of families under financial pressure and says “bankers and their lobbyists got bonuses and bailouts, but you lost your home.”

The fact is Barnes owns well over a half-million dollars worth of stock in the same banks that received federal bailout money. He even accepted big dividend checks from those banks after our tax dollars bailed them out. The big banks, Wall Street crowd and Barnes got rich, while we are stuck here in Georgia to fend for ourselves.

The site reviews the catalog of Barnes hypocritical stands since entering this campaign. As we move forward, we will continue to point out his contradictions. Yesterday’s AJC profile of Barnes does a nice job of summing up many of his obstacles to success in November.

Meanwhile, the Republicans are just itching for a Roy Barnes candidacy, but they seem to be holding their fire for now, hoping Barnes will win the nomination. With their attack site, noRoyalty.org, operational for months, they are poised to pull the trigger when they see the whites of his eyes.

As our huntin’ expert, J.R. Wyatt says so eloquently, “Democrats, we got to bag Barnes before Republicans get a chance to in the fall.”


I've said it before, democrats have got to get it right when it comes to picking the nominee. I like Barnes, but it seems his candidacy & big lead in the polls among democrats is driven by the fact that he can attract money against the GOP. Who to say that either Porter, Poythress, or whoever can't attract the kind of money needed to run against the GOP.

Elections are WON IN THE FALL, NOT THE SUMMER!

David Poythress on the Martha Zoller Radio Show on 6/1/10

Its all about Electability Democrats!

That's right folks, who is more electable when it comes to the candidates for governor on the democratic side?

As of right now, it is a race between David Poythress, Roy Barnes & Thurbert Baker. DuBose Porter still has a shot, but its the top three who are the major contenders at the moment.

So who is more electable among the candidates? Well here are a few things to look at in determining who is:

(1) Who can appeal to independents, Conservative democrats, moderate republicans?

(2) Who has less baggage?

(3) Who is the strongest candidate to win a few Rural Ga counties?

Let's start with Thurbert Baker who before the dustup with Gov Perdue & the Georgia GOP ran one of the most lackluster campaigns I've ever seen. Since the spat between the GOP, he has risen from the dead & started to show signs of life for his candidacy for governor. He's a 3 term Attorney General. He has won statewide, has significant cross-over appeal, but he's only getting at the most 35% against all of the major republican challengers for governors. Why? Some say folks across the state doesn't know about Baker, but how is that possible when he has ran three times atatewide. Is it because of his race? Maybe!

His refusal to join other AG's in suing the government over the constitutionality of the Healthcare Bill may win him some support among Obamacrats, but how will that play in the General Election, no one knows. He has been largely unscathed as AG, but the GOP may have damaged any chance of Baker becoming governor if he were to make it to the general election.

But, Baker has alienated many Georgia blacks by defending the state's voter I.D. law and defending the sentence of Genarlow Wilson in a nationally noted court case with racial overtones. That along with his refusal to sue the government may sink his chances of becoming governor.



Next Roy Barnes. He served as gov, from '98-02 when he lost to bumbling, fringe State Senator George "Sonny" Perdue, in large part of the Georgia flag and education policy. The Georgia flag at the time featured the Confederate Battle Flag and Barnes supported the shift to a new emblem. What's less widely known -- and at least as important -- is that Barnes pushed hard for an end to teacher tenure. In doing so, he alienated teachers, a key Democratic constituency in Georgia or just about any state. Teachers haven't forgotten. Those two controversies, and others, reflect a key point about Barnes. Supporters think he is bold, critics think he is brash and everyone agrees he is a polarizing figure. Whether Georgians want four more years of bold, brash leadership is an open question.


Barnes was considered a rising national star when he became governor. He raised $20 million dollars for his reelection bid -- an incredible sum in Georgia politics at the time. Can he appeal to more independent, leaning voters & can he attract conservative democrats & rural voters? That remains to be seen.

Next David Poythress, who is vying for the second time to become governor of Georgia. He last ran in 1998, losing in the primary. Poythress maybe the broadest of all of the candidates, democrat or republican. He is a Vietnam Veteran, after that became Secretary of State, replacing Ben Fortson, from 1979-1983 & Labor Commisisoner from 1993-1999. In 1991, he was recalled to active duty to oversee the continental United States backfill of reserve legal officers during Operations Desert Storm/Shield. He was promoted to Brigadier General in February 1994, and to Major General in July 1999. He was State Adjuntant General in which he led the Ga National Guard in the Iraq War. He has the type of resume that can appeal to all corss section of voters in the state. But the question is despite being a very viable candidate, will his message resonates with a large swath of Georgia Voters?

He has gone on the air with a new political ad touting he will not accept a salary until Ga unemployment is under 7%. In a poll taken last year showed him leading Karen Handel 43% to 39% & trailing John Oxendine 47% to 43% (this was before Oxendine's ethic problems came to the forefront), so I suspect if polls such as Rasmussen or others were to include Poythress in head to head matchups with each of the GOP candidates, it'll show him either tied, or leading those candidates.

If you ask anyone right now, Gen. Poythress maybe the most electable of all the democrats in the race. If he makes it to the runoff, he has a good shot of becoming the nominee.

We won't know anything about this until July 20 when primary voting takes place, so stay tuned.

New Gen. David Poythress Ad: Fighter

I like the ad, and judging by the background it was shot in Rural Georgia. Nicely Done General.

Democratic Governor Debate at UGA Chapel 3/18/10

Gen. Poythress gets the endorsement of Muscogee County Sherriff

General David Poythress, the former Commanding General of the Georgia National Guard and Democratic candidate for Governor, received the endorsement of Sheriff John Darr today. Poythress was in Columbus attending the Pig Pickin' of the Muscogee County Democratic Party.

Ask about his endorsement of General Poythress, Sheriff Darr said, "The General is the best one to win the election in November I believe him when he says that he is going to solve our water problems and bring jobs back to Georgia. He means what he says; he's not just paying lip service."

During his remarks to an enthusiastic crowd, General Poythress reiterated his pledge to walk the walk with the people of Georgia by not taking a salary as Governor until the state's unemployment rate falls below 7%. Latest statistics from the Department of Labor show Georgia's unemployment rate at 10.6%.

In addition to Sheriff Darr, Poythress has also received the endorsements of Muscogee County Marshal Greg Countryman, Rev. Dr. H.L. McCall (Senior Pastor of Corinth Missionary Baptist Church) and Rev. Albert Sanders (Associate Pastor, St. James Missionary Baptist Church).

Poythress, former Secretary of State and twice-elected Commissioner of Labor, says Columbus is essential to his strategy for 2010. "Muscogee County is crucial for me, not only in the July 20th primary election but in the general election as well. I'm excited about the support that continues to grow in Columbus and honored to have another law enforcement leader join our team."

Poythress is the wildcard in the governor's race that's shaping up to be a three man race between him, Barnes, & Baker.

Press Release: Poythress Campaign Reaches Entire State

Poythress for Governor

Poythress Campaign Reaches Entire State:

Contributions Received from Every Georgia County

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 7, 2010
David Poythress, Democratic candidate for Governor, has filed his
March 31st campaign finance disclosure showing steady progress towards
his fundraising goals. Thus far, his campaign has raised $781,916.20
from more than 1200 donors. For the opening quarter of 2010,
Poythress has raised $118,651.00 and has $305,728.19 cash on hand
remaining.

"We are pleased by the continued outpouring of grassroots support for
our campaign," said Poythress. "As early as last July, contributions
had come from each of Georgia's 159 counties and from a broad spectrum
of voters – small business owners, educators, National Guard family
members, local elected officials, farmers, trial lawyers, doctors,
college students, Democrats, Republicans and many who don't identify
with either party. I'm proud to be their candidate and still the only
candidate in this race, Democrat or Republicans, to have support from
every single county in Georgia."

For the balance of the campaign 60% of the campaign's contributors
have given less than $250 and 86% of the funds raised were from
Georgians.

"The energy in our campaign continues to build as more and more
Georgians see General Poythress as the strongest candidate to take on
the GOP nominee and move our state forward," said campaign manager
Wendy Davis.

Poythress has pledged as Governor he will not accept a salary until
the state's unemployment rate is below 7%. The current state
unemployment rate is 10.5%.

Gen. David Poythress at the First Debate

Gen. Poythress Strategic Plan

Gen. David Poythress on Transportation

For those who wanted to know what Gen. Poythress thoughts & plans for Transportation, please watch this video:

Gubernatorial Candidate Gen. Poythress Blast GOP Candidate Eric Johnson on Education

In am email sent out to supporters Gen. David Poythress blast State Senator Eric Johnson's stance on education. Says Poythress:

In this week’s GOP debate in Athens, former state senator Eric Johnson revealed his latest campaign slogan – he wants to be the “Jobs Governor.” Former Secretary of State Karen Handel took at shot at Johnson’s debate tactic yesterday on Twitter:

“It’s entertaining to hear candidates who think that if they say the word ‘jobs’ enough, people will believe they know how to create them.”

Cute tweet, but she missed the real contradiction – Johnson’s proposal for universal vouchers would be a job killer.

Johnson’s private school voucher scheme is a misguided attempt to draw money away from public schools, already struggling to make ends meet after years of state budget cuts. And he now adds to the evidence of his poor judgment by ignoring a simple fact - when a state steps away from its constitutional responsibility to educate ALL children, it will lose, not attract business opportunities.

Unlike other candidates, I fundamentally believe that we must take immediate action to dramatically transform our public school systems to make them successful. And we must reject the Republicans' artful-but-empty-promise approach which has failed to provide the necessary resources for our public schools and its teachers.

My comprehensive plan will transform our public schools into 21st century centers of learning, where our educators will be empowered to create innovative new programs to fully engage our students and be provided with cutting-edge educational technology. To move Georgia’s economy forward again we must have a world class educational system that consistently produces globally competitive graduates.

I am totally against any type of school vouchers. Vouchers would hurt Rural Georgia schools who are already hurting by the cuts to education every year by the legislature. NO VOUCHERS, NO WAY!

Why the Right to Keep and Bear Arms is Important to You?

Across our nation a debate rages about "gun control". This euphemism glosses over the fact that what is being debated is one of the most precious guarantors of liberty, the right to keep and bear arms. At the heart of this debate is not whether the right to keep and bears arms is an individual right or not, but at its core the debate is over the primacy of the individual over the primacy of the government. This debate rages because many, too many, in this country have forgotten, or, worse, have never been educated in, the nature of our rights.

Government and liberty are natural adversaries. The founders of our nation understood this. With that understanding in mind they crafted a Constitution and a Bill of Rights designed to limit the power of government and guarantee the rights of the people. The rights that they intended to protect were those written about in the Declaration of Independence and other un-enumerated rights, e.g. the natural, inalienable rights of man.

Point 1: Government does not grant rights. If we were to assign to government the authority to grant rights, then we would also have to acknowledge the government's power to take rights away. Surely, we can all see the dangers of allowing governments formed by men being in the position of assigning our rights to us. Today's right would be tomorrow's crime. Such is the quixotic nature of mankind. The reason we have a Republic and not a pure democracy is because the founders of this country understood the tyrannical nature of a pure democracy. Rather than trusting the wisdom of men, our founders looked to another source as the basis of our rights… the Creator of the Universe.


Point 2: The Constitution is a Limitation on the Power of Government and the Bill of Rights is not an inclusive listing of personal rights. While the Bill of Rights enumerates certain rights, the oft-overlooked 9th Amendment to the Constitution states:

Point 3: The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is an Inviolable Personal Right. It is clear from the words of the men who founded this country that the right to "keep and bear arms" is an inviolable personal right and that there are good reasons for it to exist and to be protected by the Second Amendment. This is not a subject for debate, except for those ignorant of our history or those that purposely wish to debase the American citizenry under the tyranny of government and ultimately into subjugation. Anyone who holds the position that the American people do not possess an individual right to keep and bear arms, or that it may be legislated away through gun control laws, is ignorant of the basis upon which this country was founded; including the means by which the founders intended for us to maintain our personal liberties.


Point 4: The Arms of a Free People. The arms referred to by the Second Amendment and the founders of this country are the arms necessary for the free people of America to be able to hold their governments unbridled appetite for power in check and to resist invaders when called upon to serve in the militia in defense of our country, state or community. If the arms of the soldiers of this era are automatic rifles, machine guns and sub-machine guns then it is the right, in fact the obligation, for the citizens of this country to possess such arms themselves. It is laughable on its face, as some have stated, that the Second Amendment would grant to us the right to only have flintlocks or muskets, such weapons as were in use at the time of our countries founding, to defend ourselves against an armed force raised by the government to oppress us, or to defend against an invading enemy. This would be the same as saying, concerning the First Amendment, that the press could only use the printing technology that existed at the time of the Revolution while the government could use movies, television, radio, modern printing presses, the Internet and any other means of communications that it desired. A ridiculous thought isn't it? If it's ridiculous for the First Amendment, why is it any less ridiculous for the Second Amendment? Our rights are not "frozen in a moment of time", they are eternal rights and we are free to use our ingenuity to advance the technology to ensure those rights. If anything, we have the rights to limit the governments use of technology, not the other way around.

If you are in doubt about whether the Second Amendment is still valid and important to you, even if you choose not to own a gun, consider this:

If the government were to pass legislation to limit your First Amendment right to criticize the government in any form, would you be upset? Would you consider your rights had been unconstitutionally infringed? Would you still feel free? Of course you would be upset and, no, you wouldn’t still be free, because one of the bedrock's of our freedom is the ability to freely speak our minds on any subject, particularly criticizing those we have elected to govern us. It is the basis upon which this country was founded, and when we lose that right, we stop being citizens and become subjects.

While you may not have considered it in the same light, the Second Amendment is just as important as the First Amendment. We must support the Second Amendment, with the same fervor that we support the First Amendment. Why? Because our liberties were won at the point of a gun, and the sad reality of this world is that ultimately they can only be maintained at the point of a gun.

Let me ask you this? When the government outlaws free speech, what will you do to oppose it? Write letters of protest? No, that's now against the law. Protest in the streets? No, that's now against the law too. When speech is suppressed and tyranny reigns, only the sound of the gun will be heard. This seems extreme to today's pampered, cowed society, but in the end it will be the only means left to protect the First Amendment when the government finds it inconvenient for us to exercise our right of free speech and religion. However, if our guns have been confiscated, or simply limited to weapons ineffective against an oppressing government, then how will we restore our liberties? The answer, of course, is we won't be able to.

When the government attempts to limit the freedom of the free press through censorship, the press, the people, and the courts properly repulse it. When the government limits the right of the people to keep and bear arms, it is engaging in another form of censorship, referred to the by the euphemism of "gun control". Let us call gun control what it is, an infringement of one of our natural and enumerated rights. Just as we correctly withstand government censorship of the press, so should we also resist the government’s attempt to control the right to keep and bear arms. Examples of such governmental tyranny on our right to keep and bear arms abound. We should not accept any limitation on any of our rights. One lesson we have learned from history is that when one right is infringed it emboldens the tyrant to attempt to infringe upon other rights as well.

As far as the candidates go, I'm not familiar with all of them, but these men right here are Pro-Gun Advocates & staunch supporters:

State Rep. DuBose Porter of Dublin, candidate for governor in 2010 (in Blue Shirt)

And

General David Poythress, candidate for governor in 2010

And

Thurbert Baker, Attorney General & candidate for governor in 2010. Baker has gotten A+ ratings & endorsements from Gun groups such as the National Rifle Association (NRA).

Results from Month Long Peanut Politics Polls for December.

Who can Best appeal to Rural Georgians?

DuBose Porter 32%

Roy Barnes 24%

David Poythress 27%

Carl Camon 11%

Thurbert Baker 8%

Who would you vote for in the Democratic Primary for Attorney General?

Ken Hodges 51%

Rob Teilhet 48%

What are your imprssions of U.S. Senate Candidate RJ Hadley?

45% Don't know

23% Very Favorable

18% Favorable

20% Not sure

Who should run for Georgia Lt. Governor?

Michael Meyer von Bremen 28%

Tim Golden 26%

One of the announced candidates for Governor 38%

24% Someone Else

Who would you vote for based on what you have heard & know of the candidates?

DuBose Porter 29%

Roy Barnes 25%

Thurbert Baker 12%

Carl Camon 5%

David Poythress 27%.

Polls for Lt. Governor, What are Impressions of Dem Candidate RJ Hadley allowed for multiple selections. Polls lasted for the entire month of December.