Georgia G.O.P run off: Governor's edition
If you are a gay or gay-frinedly voter in Georgia who happened to pull the G.O.P. ballot in the primary, then you should vote for Karen Handel in the run-off Tuesday. If you think any support of gay people is somehow immoral, then you should vote for Nathan Deal. So goes the common political wisdom in the Georgia Gubernatorial run off Tuesday. Or should it?
I voted for Deal, but not because I think he is the better candidate. I think he is incredibly corrupt and intolerant, and I think he will be much easier for former Governor Roy Barnes to beat in Novermber because of this baggage. I think Republican women and many politically active women of all stripes will rally around Handel if she secures the nomination, and she would probably beat Barnes in the general election.
I attended the Handel rally at the Oconee County Courthouse and was genuinely surprised at the amount of seemingly moderate white folks who attended this event. I did not attend the Deal event the following day at Oconee Veterans Park because I did not want to give $35.00 to his campaign. The only form of discrimination I encountered was from wearing my bike helmet to the event and some woman told me I could not pedal into the second floor of the courthouse. WELL NO SHIT, SHERLOCK.
I suppose I should have left my helmet with my semi-recumbent bike unlocked near the door of the courthouse on the ground floor. I also wore a Star of David shirt given to me for attending a predominantly Jewish camp in North Carolina a few years ago. For the record, I am neither Jewish or gay, but I am friendly to both groups of people. There were gay people in attendance at this event, although I did not see any African American faces outside of the media representative from WNEG-TV.
It does not take a political scientist to postulate a theory that a majority of women will support Karen Handel Tuesday and a vast majority of the white "good ole boys" rednecks will support Nathan Deal in Tuesday's run-off. It is a fact that there are more female voters than male on both sides of the political spectrum. Do Mike Huckabee supporting Deal and Sarah Palin supporting Handel have any effect on Georgia voters? I would be curious to know how say, Watkinsville City Council member Brian Brodrick, by all accounts a very moderate, tolerant and intelligent Republican voter, and my bicycle shop owning neighbors the Marbuts, will be voting Tuesday.
Oconee County Board of Commissioners chair Melvin Davis would appear to be a supporter of Handel. So would Hank Huckabee. And Ken Beall and his wife. Sheriff Scott Berry seems to be a supporter of Deal. Who are you going to support? I imagine that Deal with win both Clarke and Oconee counties by the narrowest of margins, but I have gone back and forth on who I think will win the G.O.P. nomination.
Hopefully you will let me know how you voted. I will be very interested in the outcome. Please get out and vote Tuesday.
I voted for Deal, but not because I think he is the better candidate. I think he is incredibly corrupt and intolerant, and I think he will be much easier for former Governor Roy Barnes to beat in Novermber because of this baggage. I think Republican women and many politically active women of all stripes will rally around Handel if she secures the nomination, and she would probably beat Barnes in the general election.
I attended the Handel rally at the Oconee County Courthouse and was genuinely surprised at the amount of seemingly moderate white folks who attended this event. I did not attend the Deal event the following day at Oconee Veterans Park because I did not want to give $35.00 to his campaign. The only form of discrimination I encountered was from wearing my bike helmet to the event and some woman told me I could not pedal into the second floor of the courthouse. WELL NO SHIT, SHERLOCK.
I suppose I should have left my helmet with my semi-recumbent bike unlocked near the door of the courthouse on the ground floor. I also wore a Star of David shirt given to me for attending a predominantly Jewish camp in North Carolina a few years ago. For the record, I am neither Jewish or gay, but I am friendly to both groups of people. There were gay people in attendance at this event, although I did not see any African American faces outside of the media representative from WNEG-TV.
It does not take a political scientist to postulate a theory that a majority of women will support Karen Handel Tuesday and a vast majority of the white "good ole boys" rednecks will support Nathan Deal in Tuesday's run-off. It is a fact that there are more female voters than male on both sides of the political spectrum. Do Mike Huckabee supporting Deal and Sarah Palin supporting Handel have any effect on Georgia voters? I would be curious to know how say, Watkinsville City Council member Brian Brodrick, by all accounts a very moderate, tolerant and intelligent Republican voter, and my bicycle shop owning neighbors the Marbuts, will be voting Tuesday.
Oconee County Board of Commissioners chair Melvin Davis would appear to be a supporter of Handel. So would Hank Huckabee. And Ken Beall and his wife. Sheriff Scott Berry seems to be a supporter of Deal. Who are you going to support? I imagine that Deal with win both Clarke and Oconee counties by the narrowest of margins, but I have gone back and forth on who I think will win the G.O.P. nomination.
Hopefully you will let me know how you voted. I will be very interested in the outcome. Please get out and vote Tuesday.
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