Forgotten Giants of Georgia Politics, Part II: Carlton Colwell — The Mountain Democrat Who Built Modern Georgia

When folks talk about the old Democratic machines in Georgia, the conversation usually drifts toward Atlanta, Augusta, or the Black Belt. But tucked up in the North Georgia mountains was a man who shaped the state just as deeply without ever raising his voice or chasing a headline.

His name was Carlton Colwell, and for more than three decades, he was one of the most effective rural legislators Georgia ever produced.

Most Georgians today couldn’t pick him out of a lineup. But they drive on roads he funded, attend colleges he strengthened, and live in communities that still benefit from the infrastructure he fought for.

A Mountain Democrat With Real Staying Power

Colwell represented the 8th District... Union, Towns, Rabun, and surrounding counties at a time when North Georgia was still solidly Democratic and deeply rural. He wasn’t flashy. He wasn’t ideological. He was a builder, in every sense of the word.

He served from 1965 to 1995, a 30‑year stretch that covered:

- The end of the county‑unit system  

- The rise of the modern General Assembly  

- The Tom Murphy era  

- The early stirrings of Republican growth in the mountains  

And through all of it, Colwell kept his seat, kept his influence, and kept delivering for his people.

A Key Lieutenant in the Tom Murphy Era

If Tom Murphy was the architect of modern Georgia infrastructure, Carlton Colwell was one of the men pouring the concrete.

Colwell chaired the House Transportation Committee, which in Georgia is one of the most powerful posts outside of Appropriations. Roads, bridges, interstates, rural access  all of it ran through his committee.

He understood something that many modern legislators forget:  

Infrastructure is political power.

You want to help rural communities grow?  

You want to attract industry?  

You want to keep your district alive?  

You build roads.

Colwell did that for 30 years.

A Rural Democrat Who Never Lost His Roots

What made Colwell special wasn’t just his influence it was his grounding. He never became an Atlanta politician. He stayed a mountain man, plain and simple.

He talked like his district.  

He voted like his district.  

He fought for his district.

And because of that, he earned something rare in politics: TRUST!

Republicans respected him.  

Democrats relied on him.  

His constituents kept sending him back because he delivered.

The Quiet Legacy Most Georgians Don’t Know

Carlton Colwell didn’t chase national attention. He didn’t build a brand. He didn’t try to become a celebrity. He built things that lasted.

His fingerprints are on:

- North Georgia’s modern highway system  

- The expansion of technical colleges in the region  

- Rural economic development projects  

- Transportation funding formulas that lasted decades  

He was the kind of legislator who made Georgia work — literally.

Why He Belongs in This Series

Today’s Georgia Democrats often forget that the party once had deep roots in the mountains. Before the GOP wave, rural Democrats like Colwell were the backbone of the General Assembly.

He represents:

- A style of politics built on service, not spotlight  

- A rural coalition Democrats have struggled to rebuild  

- A reminder that power doesn’t always come with a microphone  

Carlton Colwell wasn’t a household name.  

But he was a giant, the kind who shaped the state quietly, steadily, and with a craftsman’s touch. 

Finally, a Rural Democrat on a Presidential Ticket for the first time in nearly 50 years.

Kamala Harris and the Democrats did well to have Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on their national ticket as the vice-presidential nominee. He’s rural, for real. Walz has a broad appeal in the Upper Midwest battleground states, I expect that to trickle down to states like Georgia, Virginia and North Carolina and he is well-versed in the you-betcha vernacular. The blue brand can barely be peddled along the blacktops anymore, but somehow Walz figured out a way to win a congressional seat in a red district and ultimately the governorship.

Republicans will have a hard time defining the 24 Year Army National Guard Veteran as an out-of-control elite liberal. He is an expert marksman, claims he is a better pheasant shooter than his counterpart JD Vance, and suggests that vegetarians should eat turkey since it is not really meat. He hails from West Point, Nebraska and once got pulled over for drunk driving as a young schoolteacher and coach. (He pleaded down to reckless driving and gave up on drinking under his wife’s advice.)

Walz subscribes to the standard Democratic orthodoxy...... pro-choice, supports gay rights, believes in feeding children at school, champions a living wage and backs labor unions. He is no more liberal than the late Hubert Humphrey or Walter Mondale. Walz favors some gun controls, as Ronald Reagan did. He is, in fact, pretty much your White Midwestern dad dude who coached Mankato West High School to a state football title.

As governor, he made way for pipelines supported by union pipefitting members. 

He might even be able to get rural areas to sit up from its one-party stupor and listen. Walz’s politics of joy contrasts with his counterpart JD Vance politics of exclusion, snark and denial.

Trump has no clue what life is like in places like Swainsboro, Ga or Alamo, Ga or any small town in rural America. Unfortunately, his brand of politics of negativity, doom and gloom appeals to some voters in rural America. JD Vance got out of rural America at the first opportunity and only looked back to condemn his country cousins in a memoir. Rural America is more than resentful people in red caps. It’s Barnesville, Sandersville, Fort Gaines, Statenville, Nahunta, Irwinton,  and first-generation college students at Georgia Southwestern State University or Savannah State University.

Walz gets it. That could be a powerful antidote to the decline of political choice out here in the Lowcountry or Wiregrass regions of rural Georgia and throughout rural America. Rural communities struggling to survive needs an alternative, other than simply more tax cuts, bad roads and more grievance. Walz should use his voice while he can, because Humphrey or Mondale could have told him that nobody listens to the vice president much after November.

The Harris campaign will task Walz with campaigning in the Rustbelt States and Georgia, North Carolina, and maybe even Florida. Simply having a candidate on the national ticket who actually baled hay since (Jimmy Carter) under the Nebraska sun should buck us up. 

Small Town Voters like Democratic inspired ideas, just not Democrats

In politics these days, it’s not as much what is said as who says it. The reports on last year's Nov. 6 election have been largely about the growing political divide between rural and urban. Urban voters are getting more Democratic and rural voters more Republican.

What we can see now, however, is that Democratic candidates are paying an “identity penalty” in rural counties, they are losing votes not because of what they propose but because of the “D” that sits beside their name on the ballot.

Rural voters both rejected Democratic candidates by close or in some cases, by wide margins but, on the same ballot, voted for Democratic (if not downright liberal) positions in nonpartisan propositions and amendments.

Party is largely about identification these days, not policy. Its like being a sports fan than a policy wonk.

Imagine walking down a hall of a large building. There are gatherings happening in two separate rooms. You can look through a door and see the people in each group. You size them up, seeing what kind of clothes they wear and imagining whether they would be the kind of folks you’d want to spend time with or have your children visit. You make a judgment, pick a room and go in. You join a team.

That’s how political parties are chosen. It’s about identification and social solidarity, not issues. And that identity is strong and divided by geography. Rural residents went in one door and urban/suburban dwellers went in the other.

Second, identity is not something that people easily give up. (Have you ever convinced a sports fan to change his or her allegiance?) And so the “identity penalty” Democrats pay in heavily Republican areas might....MIGHT be too great to overcome depending on the candidate.

Georgia Dems, Carter, Nunn, Barrow and the Future

Despite all of the hope and enthusiasm from Georgia Democrats, Tuesday night was a reminder that more work needs to be done in order to be competitive again here in the Peach State.

The biggest problem facing Democrats here in Georgia is their inability to attract white voters and having a message that can appeal to moderates and conservative democrats....plain & simple! Forget Independent Voters because there are no such thing as a TRUE independent voter....most lean either to the democrats or republicans.

Nunn and Carter got under 25% of the white vote, which is not enough to be competitive statewide int he near future. On the bright side, they got close to 30% of the black vote, so despite all the talk about black voters not turning out, they did this year despite voter turnout being at a record low across the country during Tuesday's election.

For all the talk about demographic changes and registering more minority voters they need to do a better job at attracting those who are already registered to vote, black and white. Too much they rely on urban and suburban areas of Atlanta, Lilburn, Albany for their votes and very little on rural, mid-sized areas of Fitzgerald, Swainsboro, Douglas, thus leaving huge swaths of the state to the GOP.

Look at the state legislature, democrats have done a poor job at candidate recruitment on the house and senate side and that starts with the leadership in both chambers. That needs to change and change soon and that starts with electing new leadership who knows that leaving 80% of the republican legislature unchallenged is not good for the state, nor the party. Now is the time for Rep. Scott Holcomb, yes I'm talking to you, to run for minority leader and to locate potential democratic candidates to add to a democratic house caucus that's (with the exception of a dozen legislators) made up of 'Dead Weight" or "Seat Warmers".

Michelle Nunn ran a good race, but she ran the type of race that made National Democrats proud, but on the flip side, this is still the south and this is still Georgia and she didn't put enough emphasis on Georgia and too much on National Issues. Even Rep. Jack Kingston said she didn't exert enough independence from the National Democrats and looking back on it, he's right! That Ferguson mailer did have a negative impact on both Nunn and Carter thus their white support fell below 25%.

DuBose Porter should run for the 12th Congressional District in '16, if he decides to bypass a full four year term as head of the Georgia Democratic Party. Porter came in under tough circumstances to rebuild the state party that hit rock bottom and now is a viable and fully functioning party. And there's always 2018 in which Porter will be in his 60s.

I for one do not see Nunn running for political office again. That's the feeling I get, but who knows.

Jason Carter also ran a good race, but you have to give the Deal Campaign credit for highlighting his experience, which I think hurt Carter towards the end. Why Carter didn't run on expanding medicaid is a question only he can answer. That was a winning issue, but he made very little mention of it. Everyone assumes he will the front runner for governor in 2018, but you better look out for Kasim Reed and possibly John Barrow.

And speaking of Barrow who I call the smartest politician in the entire state, I didn't expect to see him go down to Rick Allen who ran on absolutely nothing, except tying Barrow to Obama, just like Austin Scott who also ran on nothing when he defeated Jim Marshall in 2010 by tying him to Nancy Pelosi.

Barrow is the wildcard here because he has options. He gets to sit back and re-charge his batteries for another "likely" run for office...either for the U.S. Senate in 2016 or for a statewide office in 2018. And it's a longshot, but Barrow could be on a list of possible VP contenders for Hillary Clinton.

Another is Kasim Reed. You know and I know he's going to begin to lay the groundwork for a potential 2018 race. And look over to Columbus, Ga where Teresa Tomlinson (D) will be someone who may look to move up the political ladder if she has a successful second term as mayor of Columbus.

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".

Candidate Spotlight: Sadie J. Jenkins (D-Glennville) HD 157

The Democratic Nominee for GA House District 157 is Sadie J. Jenkins.  Sadie moved to Tattnall County in 1994 to serve as prison librarian at Smith State Prison (Glennville, GA).  She transferred to Coastal State Prison ( near the Savannah Airport ) the same year. Jenkins retired in 2011.   

Sadie was born in Miller County, GA and graduated from Worth County High School, Sylvester, GA.  After graduating from Berry College and teaching three years, she earned a Masters of Librarianship ( M Ln) from Emory University.  Jenkins worked as a public librarian in Albany, started the Talking Book Center there and left for Gainesville, GA to begin their center.  In 1975, Sadie was presented with a choice between becoming head of the Mississippi State Library f/t Blind and Physically Handicapped, or Talking Book Center Librarian in Rome GA.  Jenkins chose her home state and went to Rome. Sadie left the library in 1986 after founding and becoming Director of the Community Info Line.  The agency, primarily funded through United Way, connected people with resources in the area.

 

Sadie has been an advocate for people in her career and community service.  Her work with Laubach Literacy, as mental health advocate, as board member of Mental Health Associations and the civic groups she joined ( i.e.,Civitan, Lions ) - all reflect that commitment.  

Having worked in agencies with huge missions and small budgets, Jenkins is understandably conservative on budget matters.  She knows the funding crunch with our schools is not a battle between our state and its educators, but a challenge to create a stronger tax base in our state and counties.   With new emphasis on the Savannah Port, Jenkins predicts Atlanta will become envious of the Southeast Georgia business expansion opportunities.  Good times are just ahead if our area leaders work together.

Jenkins has sought public office previously in Floyd County GA.  She was in a run-off with the sole Republican in a non-partisan election for an unexpired seat in the GA House in 1980.  She ran against Congressman Larry McDonald in 1980 and for County Commission in 1992.   

Sadie believes Democrats need to stand up, declare themselves as a Democrat, and speak up for the people in our state.  Being a woman, she is not limiting herself to women's rights, but to the rights of all people.  Jenkins feels we must change the rhetoric surrounding all issues.  Gun ownership is no longer an issue in Georgia.  No Georgia voters are against gun ownership.  We do need to address the small minority of citizens who abuse guns.  Issues challenging Georgia are not Democrat or Republican.  They require level-headed, sensible people working together to solve them.  

Sadie J Jenkins is an experienced, committed, public servant.  She is retired and work ready.

 

Zell Miller Endorsement of Michelle Nunn for U.S. Senate: "Bridge"

Jason Carter heads to Plains for Fundraiser this weekend

Jason Carter who is running for governor will be in Plains, Ga this weekend for a fundraiser hosted by his grandfather, former Georgia Governor & President James E. "Jimmy" Carter.

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

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.

Candidate Recruitment

Recruitment is an activity that parties whether its the Democratic or Republican Party can engage in even if the party is weak on other dimensions of organizational strength. In the case of the Georgia Democratic Party, it must contest races in order to stand any chance of winning office, candidate recruitment is one of the first task for the Georgia Democratic Party. It must be able to recruit candidates, even if the party lacks a grassroots base or significant caucus resources. 

Having said that, here we are in a state that's trending from red to pink and eventually purple, Democrats are still having difficulty locating, recruiting, targeting candidates for legislative.....and even so far statewide contests. I'll talk about statewide contest later.

With qualifying looming early next month, the success of candidate recruitment in the legislature will depend on the House Democratic & Senate Democratic caucus willingness to accept democrats who are in the mold of a, say John Barrow, a conservative, but independent-minded democrat who doesn't toe the party line on every substantive issue that comes before them. Especially in the House where minority leader Stacey Abrams, a unabashed liberal who I say is wary of any Democrat hailing below I-20 or below Macon running as Bluedog Moderate or Conservative Democrat. And that maybe because of rash party switchers that has occurred over the past 4,6,8 yrs (Dems from largely rural areas switching to GOP). But those days (Party Switching) are over, I believe.


Now let me offer Dem's some advice:

Make a list of likely prospects, and analyze for strengths and weaknesses & then select a final few to approach. If possible, get to know prospective candidates personally before ever mentioning their running for office. Try to determine their level of integrity, energy, etc.  

Meet face to face with the potential candidate to discuss the potential of running for office. If possible, get an elected democrat to help with the approach. The face to face meeting is an important step, and help you find out what they are interested in, what time commitments they can make, and what issues they are addressing in their lives that might impact their ability to run. Help find solutions to potential barriers they may put up against running: (if parents, they may need day care; if low income, they will need financial support; if working, they may be very busy and not able to commit a lot of time to run). 

Talk about issues; make sure there is a philosophical agreement between the party and candidate. It doesn't have to be 100%. If the candidate agrees with 65-70% with the philosophy of the Party of Jefferson (Thomas) & Jackson (Andrew), then that should be the green light. An ideal candidate should have their own network of support outside the Democratic Party. Certainly y'all can offer solid support, but the candidate must bring SOME resources to the table. Be clear with expectations of time and money being  spent, among other things.

And one more thing and I've said this before, the best candidate are the ones who's background and life story fit into the district he or she is running in! REMEMBER THAT!!

With qualifying weeks away, there maybe too little time to go through each of these, but if I were in charge of recruiting, this is the process I would use when seeking potential candidates for House or Senate Districts.

Jason Carter Georgia State of the State Response - 2014

The Above Picture was sent to Peanut Politics yesterday by a Uvalda, Ga resident  (Montgomery County)

End the "Are You A Real Democrat" Purity Test

Some may not agree with me, but there is a PURITY test that is going on within the Democratic Party here in Georgia. Given the rash of party switching democrats in the legislature, now there's this Purity test as I call it to determine whether or not you're DEMOCRAT enough and how much do you love President Obama and the National Democratic Agenda.

Being a Moderate or Conservative Democrat is now is met with suspicion among those who determine who should earn the support of Democratic groups like the House and Senate Caucuses for example.

For some within the party, the though of being in a party with moderates and conservative democrats with different points of views on issues ranging from social to economic is unacceptable or unimaginable.

Why the disdain for another democrat with opposite views from that of a liberal is beyond me. The condescending attitude from some democratic activists, loyalists, insiders toward right-leaning democrats who hail from small towns or who was reared in a small town but moved to a much larger area small town is one reason why it's been difficult for the party to find and recruit strong able-bodied candidates for legislative seats in swing or conservative-leaning districts.

House Minority leader Stacey Abrams or State Senator Vincent Fort can be who they want to be because they represents VERY, VERY BLUE DISTRICTS in Metro Atlanta. On the other hand, the most hope you can hope for from Central and South Georgia is going to be a Quentin Howell-John Tibbetts style democrats, who are conservative leaning democrats whose backgrounds fits the makeup of the areas they tried to represent (Howell, HD 145, Tibbetts, then HD 153). Liberal Democrats may not like that, but the fact of the matter is, Stacey Abrams or Vincent Fort literally CANNOT win in Tifton, Milledgeville or Hazelhurst with the same rhetoric they use to win urban Atlanta voters. That's just a fact!

If you want to change the circumstances in those neck of the woods, then go for it, but I'm here to tell you, it's a complete waste of time. It'll take a lot of time and effort, and a LOT of persuasion of the populance. Not needing and cajoling those who doesn't see things your way! That means talking to people, not talking at them.

But the fact is the purity....well let me put it in another way...the underground purity game that is being used by democrats is a deadly game that will get them no where. All democrats are not party line foot soldiers, some are independent-minded, some are moderate, some are conservative, some are pro-business, pro-gun, pro-life, anti-regulation, tax cutters.

One problem with many of today's Georgia Democratic Liberals is that they don't understand the politics of the "Other" Georgia. Calling Bluedog Democrats Republican-Lite takes a monumental level of ignorance. Today's Democratic Party here in Georgia bear no resemblance of the Democratic Party of, say 2000.

The criticism from liberals towards moderate and conservative democrats that they aren't democrat enough is getting old and fast because they're willing to compromise a bit on issues in order to make progress. Whining and complaining about everything moderate and conservative democrats stand for is not going to help the party in the long run. Bluedog Democrats are not the problem, and getting rid of them only exacerbate the problems the party is facing.

The bottom line is stop with these purity test because a democrat who describes him or herself a moderate or conservative democrat maybe suspect. The problem is the current GOP rigid, anti-working class, anti-rural, anti-middle, low income voter agenda that has done nothing to improve the lives of the Trucker down in Atkinson County, or the Diesel Mechanic over in Terrell County, or the farmer up in Taliaferro County, or the 9th grade teacher up in Polk County.

Medicaid and Rural Georgia: A Political Issue in 2014? You Better Believe It!

It's a program geared toward Rural White, Black, Elderly, and Young Residents who are heavily dependent on the program

With the latest population trends, Medicaid is becoming increasingly important to rural areas, in Georgia. Medicaid is the program that pays for medical services for those too poor to afford their own coverage, and it's funded by a combination of federal and state dollars.

In rural communities, Medicaid has become the only insurer for many people, particularly children, whose parents work at low-wage jobs with no health care coverage. It provides health care services and access to health care for a large number of rural Georgians who probably wouldn't have access to those services otherwise, whose health would suffer because of that. So, from a human perspective, it provides necessary services and access that these populations need.

So my question is why is Governor Nathan Deal and State Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens so opposed to expanding medicaid here in the Peach State.  Sadly these men rather put politics and their party ahead of Georgians those who desperately need some type of coverage.

Medicaid also is an economic engine in rural areas like Wheeler, Echols, Baker, Jenkins Counties, etc and literally keeping some hospitals and clinics open.

Those hospitals and clinics, the backbone of the rural healthcare infrastructure, who are depended so much on Medicaid and Medicare payments that they probably couldn't keep their doors open otherwise. We've already hospitals close in Charlton, Stewart, Habersham and Calhoun County.

Many look at Medicaid as the classic "welfare" program, which it is, but in my view, that isn't the case. It really does provide a necessary benefit and necessary services to working people, what we sometimes refer to as the working poor. 

Those who are dependent on medicaid are: Children, Low-income disabled, Low-income elderly, Low-Income families and Pregnant women.

Medicaid is a critical piece of the rural health care system and the refusal of the governor to expand medicaid and the Insurance Commissioner opposition to the expansion of medicaid will be a campaign issue come 2014.

With Deal facing two GOP challengers and if he's able to escape the primary will face State Senator Jason Carter, a centrist democrat and the grandson of former president Jimmy Carter. 

The one down ballot race that's sure to receive plenty of attention will be Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens, but so far no democrat have announced nor shown any interest in taking on the anti-health incumbent. 

2012: Democrats Are Still Wanted/Need in Rural Georgia!

But in order to be successful, the key will be attracting Whites, who once was democrats, now call themselves republican

Currently the strong majority of Georgia Democrats are Moderate to Liberal. Some of the urban areas are not as Liberal as some might lead you to believe (Columbus, Valdosta for example) but the Liberal faction of the Georgia Democratic Party is the mainstream of the party and they have the strings at the moment. In Rural Georgia, they are moderate/conservative or just plain conservative.


But Democrats face a problem down here: they have to get past the wine-and-cheese stereotype that Democrats carry in rural Georgia. 'They have allowed their opponents to define them as people with no normal values. 'They don't like guns, they don't pray, they don't believe in Christ.

Theoretically, the Democratic message should play well in small-town Georgia at a time when the economy lags. The party of Jefferson and Jackson, which not long ago owned the back roads and general stores, is seen in much of the state as disconnected from ,if not contemptuous of the people who spend their weekends hunting, at church or watching stock cars.

A rural strategy here should be centered on issues that aren't usually the focal point of Democratic campaigns, like taking vocational education and broadband technology to remote areas, job creation thru agriculture, etc.

Democrats biggest problem is with White Males who hail from small town Georgia. 'Rural white guys think democrats are all a bunch of punks, weaklings, softies, wimps, that take after their more ultra-liberal base that control the party........ I can go on & on.

Working-class white Georgians who turned away from the Democrats appear to have done so in part because their views shifted to the right on some issues, in part because they perceived the Democrats as shifting to their left on some issues, in part because some issues on which they were never aligned with the party's positions increased in importance to them, and in part because they lost confidence in the Democrats' ability to deliver on key issues.

The party needs to say to white men, 'We're not ignoring you. But if you look at the Healthcare Bill that was pushed by President Obama, Pelosi & others left-wingers, many whites say or think that its a bill designed to help the Poor Folks, in other words giving poor, well let me word that better, low-income individuals a "Handout". And plus conservative republicans have rekindled the notion that Democrats want to raise taxes to create social programs for minorities "at the expense of hard-working whites." That has been a winning strategy for the GOP going back over 40 years. And that is what the Heathcare Law called "Obamacare" is view by many who are opposed to it.

Rural Georgians have long felt like second-class citizens. With their small numbers now reduced their political clout has waned & their way of life is largely misunderstood by those who grew up in urban and suburban America.

Values in the Democratic Platform are the same as in rural Georgia. The message is clear that Democrats believe in helping your neighbor, in pay-as-you go economic policies, debt reduction, self-reliance, excellent public education, a fair tax system and honest wages for honest work.

Their message is one of outrage on the undeclared war on the middle class. This past legislative session saw the Georgia Republican's Agenda, hitting smaller, rural areas particularly hard, for example the revamped Hope Scholarship Program that will make it even tougher for rural students to obtain a Hope Scholarship among other things & a Tax Reform package that will come back up when the legislature reconvenes this summer that will put extra tax burdens on blue-collar, hard working rural Georgians.

Rural Georgia can make a difference in an election. A democrat won't be able to win in some conservative areas in a State Senate or State House district, but if he/she showed up and campaigned that he/she would raise his/her percentage points. That would help that candidate get elected. I feel that this example is a valid consideration in winning elections. In a very conservative rural area, the people in that area may need to adjust their thinking of who best represents them. It’s not about winning or losing. It is about how you can raise the Democratic vote in your conservative area.

But here in rural Georgia, we've had good, strong candidates run for office. Some should have won, but with the lack of infrastructure & organization from the Democratic Party Machine in Atlanta, it becomes impossible for a candidate to mount a strong race by him/herself. And when you throw in republicans nationalizing local races with campaign literature tying a local democrat with national figures like Nancy Pelosi, Charlie Rangel, people they have or never will meet, nor agree with politically, that just make it even harder to win in a conservative area of the state.

To close this out, The Democratic decline can be attributed to the Democrats loss of rural, white voters, generally conservative. There is no way around that fact. There is simply no significant pocket of white liberals who could join with blacks to create a Democratic majority. And as the Rural White Democrats shrink within the Democratic Party, the influence of the Black Caucus rises. What that means is that you get a more liberal face on the Democratic Party, and the cycle of driving conservatives away continues and it usually accelerates.

The Georgia Democrats have a strong message to rural Georgia stating that the Republicans are putting special interests ahead of Georgia’s families. That message should resonate with rural voters, not just white, but black as well. But like I said earlier, a non-traditional democratic strategy platform is the way to win in these parks. Different areas have different problems. Run LOCAL & local only!

2012?

I got my eye on these future political candidates for the state legislature. in 2012

Virgil Watkins, Jr (D-Macon).

Watkins, 26 was elected to the Macon City Council in 2007 representing Ward 4/Post 3. He is chairman of the Public Safety Committee & member of the Appropriations Commitee as well. Watkins is a 2006 graduate of Georgia Southern University, majoring in Development Economics and International Development & Political Science and Government. I would love to see Watkins run for possibly the State Senate if Robert Brown chooses to run for mayor of Macon after all.



Aaron Johnson (Albany)

I didn't list his political affiliation, because it is unknown, but Johnson was great knack of the issues concerning the economy.

Johnson, 40 is currently assistant Professor of Economics at Darton College as well as its economic spokesman. Johnson has many hats: he currently serves on the Albany Dougherty Economic Development Commission, Albany Dougherty Planning Commission, and a member of the board of directors for Liberty House of Albany & was recognized as one of the Top 40 under 40 in Southwest Georgia by the Albany Herald. I know Freddie Powell Sims is the State Senator, but she has been ineffective in that role since replacing Michael Meyer von Bremen. Johnson as a State Senator would be do SW Georgia a world of good. Somebody get this man to run......SOON!

Donald W.Gillis (D-Dublin)

Gillis is the son of longtime Conservative Democrat State Senator Hugh Gillis who served from 1941-2004. Gillis serves as the judge of the 8th Judicial Administrative District: Dublin Judicial Circuit, & Treutlen County Superior Court. He is a graduate of both Mercer University & the university of Georgia. He is a partner with Nelson, Gilllis & Thomas, LLC. Could possibly follow in the footsteps of his legendary father who was a state senator & grandfather who was highway commissioner under Eugene Talmadge. If Ross Tolleson ever leaves his seat as State Senator to run for congress, this would fit Gillis perfectly

Rooney Bowen III (D-Vienna)

Bowen is currently serving as the Probate Judge for Dooly County. He was president of Rooney Bowen Chevrolet in Cordele. He served as Dooly County coroner for (22 years) & secretary of the Georgia Board of Public Safety (14 years) &licensed funeral director . Bowen is the son of former democratic State Senator Rooney Bowen (D-Cordele), in which he served as a aide for 24 years. Could be a future candidate for higher office if he so chooses. Bowen maybe happy with being probate judge, but with redistricting on the horizon & the possiblilty of Dooly County being placed in HD 135 & with State Rep Lynmore James (D-Montezuma) close to riding off in the sunset.............its possible!

Chuck Pardue (D-Blythe)

Pardue is Owner & attorney at Pardue & Associates which practice military, personal injury, medical malpractice . Pardue is a Vietnam veteran, serving in the Fourth Infantry Division and the First Air Cav Division. He is a life member of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association and VFW & currently the president of Green Valley Biofuels, LLC. II. Pardue's son served in Afghanistan before being severely wounded in action. Perdue qualified as a independent for SD 23, but left the race due to his son being critically wounded in Afghanistan. But don't rule out a chance of Pardue running in 2012.

Eric Hogan (D-Milner) Hogan is s city councilman for the city of Milner. He took office January, 2010. He and his wife, Sandra have lived in Milner since 2003. He is employed by Hayes Pipe Supply, Inc. as a Field Rep. His wife is a teacher with the Spalding County School System. Possible candidate for State Rep in 2012

Gonice Davis (D-Wadley).

Davis currently serves as commissioner for Jefferson County & Barrow supporter. Mentioned as a candidate for State Senator, but haven't been able to confirm

Michael Horne (D-Andersonville). Horne is CEO & president of Horne Farms Inc, a contributor & supporter of Rep. Sanford Bishop. If Democrats are looking for a challenger to Mike Cheokas who switched parties this year, here's your guy right here

Interlude: Do Georgia Democrats have what it takes to Play Ball Again here in the Rural Red?

The fact is this: BLUECOLLAR, WHITE WORKING CLASS VOTERS is the key for the Democratic Party here in Georgia.

And to get a chunk of those voters, democrats have got to find candidates can that talk that can relate to them, someone who talk the working man's rep.

We should think about this. The blue-collar vote is huge. Skilled and semi-skilled manual jobs are on the decline, of course, but if we count as blue-collar those workers without a college degree then blue-collar voters represent the majority of voters in this state. They are the real swing vote in Georgia. "Their loyalties tend to shift from election to election and in so doing determine the winners in any political race, but here in Georgia, that have has not been the case in a couple of years

Among blue-collar voters, more men than women favor republicans, so we can ask what's going on with the men. It might seem that their pocketbooks say one thing, their votes another, but could it be that, by some good fortune, blue-collar men are actually better off than we imagine? Right now in this current economic climate, No, that can't be it!

Even if poor blue-collar men were pro-republican in general, we might at least assume that they would oppose the Georgia GOP's massive program of tax cuts to corporations & the well-to-so if they thought it favored the rich? If we did, then we'd be wrong again. So, what's going on? Should we throw out the old classic Clinton-era explanation for how we all vote: "It's the economy, stupid"? Not right away. Maybe the blue-collar man who favors that tax cut is thinking "the economy stupid" but only in the short term. He badly needs even the small amounts of money he'll get from a tax cut to repair his car or contribute to the rent. But then many working-class men labor decade after decade at difficult jobs to secure a future for their children. So if they think long term as a way of life, why are they thinking short-term when it comes to their vote?

Democrats to Lookout for in the Near Future

1. Brandon Braddy (D-Mt. Vernon) Montgomery County.

Braddy is a life long resident of Montgomery County. After graduating from Montgomery County High School in 1991, he attended Brewton Parker College for two years then transferred to Georgia Southern University where he majored in Accounting. He received his Bachelors of Business Administration from GSU in 1995. Currently, Mr. Braddy is employed as a community banker with Montgomery Bank & Trust in Ailey, Georgia.

Mr. Braddy was elected to the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners in 1996, and is currently serving his fourth term. Mr. Braddy has served as Vice-Chairman for the past six years and now currently serves as Chairman. Mr. Braddy chairs the Commission’s Public Safety, Jail and Finance/Budget Committees. As an extension of his service as a county commissioner, he has represented Montgomery County on the Heart of Georgia – Altamaha Regional Development Center’s Board of Directors. Mr. Braddy also served on the Audit Committee for the RDC. In addition to serving on the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, Mr. Braddy serves as a director for the Altamaha Electric Membership Corporation.

Mr. Braddy has participated in various leadership development programs including Leadership Georgia’s Class of 2000, Leadership Toombs-Montgomery’s Class of 2000, and Georgia Academy for Economic Development’s Class of 2003.

2. Patty James- Bentley (D-Reynolds) Taylor County

Patty James-Bentley was elected to the board in 2004 at the age of 34. She enjoys her position as a public servant. Patty is currently serving as Vice Chairman of the Board for 2011. She has also served as Chairman for the Economic Development Committee for the Association of County Commissioners (ACCG). She received her advanced certification as a County Commissioner immediately after becoming a Certified Commissioner.

Mrs. James-Bentley is a proud member of the 2007 class of Leadership Georgia and 2006 class of Leadership Taylor. She completed the Georgia Academy for Economic Development in 2006 and completed the Basic Course for Economic Development at Georgia Tech in March 2008. She is also one of the founding members of the Taylor County Chamber of Commerce

Commissioner Bentley was featured in Georgia Trend magazine in October 2006 for the "40 Under 40" Rising Stars in Georgia. She is also a member of the Young Elected Officials Network (YEO). Commissioner James-Bentley is married to Darryl Bentley and they are the owners of Bentley-Montford Mortuary in Butler. She and Mr. Bentley are the host of two talk shows, "Straight Talk With the Bentleys" Flint Cable Channel 14 and "Let's Talk With Patty and Darryl" 94.3 FM Radio Station. They are the proud parents to five children.

3. Maurice Draines (D-Thomaston) Upson County.

Currently the Chairman of the Upson County Commission, Draines is one of the rising stars in the Democratic Party. Draines was the Vice-Chairman of the Thomaston-Upson County Industrial Development Authority and serve on the Flint River Technical College Board of Directors.

He is a 1987 graduate of the Robert E. Lee Institute. I attended Columbus State University in both 1995 and 2007, having achieved a PMP Certificate in Budgeting, Personnel, Legal Liability, and Decision Making. I also graduated from the Georgia Police Academy in 1989, the Georgia Correctional Academy in 1991, Officer Orientation School in Quantico, Virginia, in 1992, and Field Officer Training School in 1997

In 2003 he was appointed by Judge Gary Hamby to serve as Interim Chairman of the Upson County Board of Commissioners for eight months until a special election could be held. Earlier that year, he also served as Chairman of the Thomaston-Upson County Recreation Commission, a group he was a board member of for over four years. He have also served on the boards of numerous other groups, including the Red Cross and Habitat for Human.

Prior to being commisisoner, Draines was a Sergeant with the Georgia State Patrol in LaGrange. Some of his experience and accomplishments with the State Patrol include:

-Presidential Inauguration in Washington, D.C., 2005
-G-8 Summit Security Detail at St. Simons Island
-Governor-elect Sonny Perdue’s Transition Team
-Governor Perdue’s Inauguration Ceremony in 2003
-Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle’s Web Page Photo Gallery
-Receiving more than a dozen praise letters, including one from Colonel Sid Miles for assisting the GBI in the arrest of a murder suspect in Pike County.

4. Carlos Nelson (D-Waycross) Ware County.

Carlos Nelson began his first term as District 1 representative on the Ware County Board of Commissioners on January 1, 1999.A lifelong resident of Ware County and a 1983 graduate of Waycross High School, Commissioner Nelson served honorably in the United States Air Force for six years.

Currently, Commissioner Nelson serves Ware County as Executive Director of the Waycross Operation Weed and Seed Initiative. He serves on many local and State Boards. In 2009, he was elected to the Board of Managers for the Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG).Commissioner Nelson is owner and operator of Viddie-O's Professional Video and Photography, a local photography and videography business

5. Bill McGowan (D-Americus) Sumter County.

McGowan who was a firefighter before becoming mayor of Americus, is now serving as Tax Commissioner for Sumter County. McGowan challenged Mike Cheokas for HD 134 back in 2006 during the democratic primary.

6. James Davenport (D-Fort Gaines) Clay County.

Davenport serves on the Clay County Board of Commissioners

James Davenport is the son of Sam and Mary Davenport. He attended Clay County High School and graduated in 1973. He later attended Albany Technical School. Commissioner Davenport is a Deacon at the Midway Baptist Church of Morris, GA. He also serves as the Adult Sunday School Teacher. Commissioner Davenport has always lived in Clay County. He married to Linda and has three children, Aundrek, Jermaine and Farrah.

7. Jack Lance (D-Blairsville) Union County

Lance ran for the state legislature in 2010 only to come up short in what would be described as a once-in-a-lifetime election. Once a former aide to then-senator Zell Miller, Lance then attended Mercer University Walter F. George School of Law in Macon, Georgia, where he earned his Juris Doctorate in 2008. He and his wife, Carmen Smith Lance then returned to Jack’s hometown of Blairsville to practice law with his sister Kenya L. Patton.

At 30 years of age, he is the future of the Bluedog Democrats here in Georgia

Honrable mention:

Jowan Johnson (Wilcox County) County Commissioner

Alphonso Andrews (Burke County) County Commisisoner

Shela Holland (Evans County) County Commisisoner

More names will be added to this list down the road, but each of these individuals could be future candidates for another office in the near future.