Oconee County, GA Politics

 I had a great time at the Oconee County GOP candidates forum last week at the Watkinsville Community Center. Just so every knows, I will repeat this for 10,000th time, I vote in the Republican primary in Oconee County depsite my McGovern Democratic party roots and upbringing, to have as much impact on the local representation and government. In a race like Regina Quick versus Doug McKillip in the GOP primary for State House 117th in 2012, it can make a difference when the vote total is 64 votes. In primaries or run offs when second and third can be separated by an equally small margin, the Democratic to Republican crossover vote can make a huge difference as well. Beyond that it might seem like a kiss of death for certain longtime Democratic supporters such as myself to offer up endorsements or to put a sign in their yard. I was not successful supporting the Board of Education candidacies of Chuck Toney or Ashley Hood, or the Chairman of the Board of Commissioners in Chuck H...

It may take only ten business days or just a little longer, but that is when you can expect State Senator Bill Cowsert to make his official announcement for his intention to run for the Republican nomination for the 10th District Congressional seat left vacant when Paul Broun decided to run for the US Senate seat held currently by Saxby Chambliss. Cowsert sounded like he was running this morning on Tim Bryant's NewsMaker Monday as well as in the announcement he sent to Blake Giles of the Oconee Enterprise this afternoon. The only other announced candidates are a couple of extremists in John Douglass of Social Circle and a Tea Party activist from the Augusta area named Brian Slowinski. The Oconee Enterprise > Latest Updates > Cowsert to make announcement soon

I appreciate the long and storied journalistic career of Blake Giles at the Oconee Enterprise and other newspapers, but when are you going to start realizing that Oconee County does have another party besides the Republican? We are a two party county, and I hope his bosses begin to make him realize that. Could he take the time to call one/any Democrat or Democratic leader for a comment on this story? Evidently not. Let me make it easier for you Blake, my home phone number is 706-769-1131 and my cell phone is 706-372-1062. My email is danjmatt@bellsouth.net or danmatt@hotmail.com. I will be glad to comment on this or any story, but evidently I am not viable enough for him. How does he know that I did not meet with President Obama last week to plan to run for this office? He does not, and did not check. How does he know that Congressman John Barrow is not going to run for the US Senate slot currently held by Saxby Chambliss? He does not, because he did not call him either. How does he ...

Also please listen to me on the radio on WUOG 90.5 FM Friday evening 6-8 or attend our canvassing meeting Wednesday at 6:00 pm at Jittery Joe's in Watkinsville Sincerely,  Dan Matthews Subject: FW: Mayoral Forum Date: Mon, 10 Oct 2011 15:58:04 -0400 From: Maridee Williams [mailto:oconeeenterprise@mindspring.com] Sent: Monday, October 10, 2011 3:36 PM To: Julie Sanders Subject: Mayoral Forum A forum for the Mayor's race in the City of Watkinsville will be held Thursday, October 13, starting at 6:30 p.m. with refreshments, and the Oconee County Library (Watkinsville). The two candidates for Mayor of Watkinsville, Charles Ivie and Dan Matthews, will answer questions submitted in writing from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Blake Giles, editor of The Oconee Enterprise, will be the moderator. Dr. John Jackson, superintendent of the Oconee County Schools, will speak briefly about the ELOST vote prior to the Q and A session. Questions for the mayoral candidates may be submit...

I am no paragon of virture or saint when it comes to crossing the line from journalist to activist to blogger and back and forth. I have angered many a source and even a few friends, loved ones and roommates over the years when presented a potential story and deciding whether or not to run some confidential information given to me on the daily routine I may have had at that particular time and place. So keep in mind the following is not meant as a criticism of the people involved but more a conversation starter about what I see and how it may or may not be ethically flawed at the very least. Blake Giles of the Oconee Enterprise  newspaper is an accomplished journalist and editor with whom I have crossed paths for more than a few decades. I can recall having a rotisserie baseball fantasy draft run by him in the earliest days of the new Athens Banner-Herald building. I have seen him wear the black and white striped shirt at Georgia basketball games in some sort of officiating duty...

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