Oconee County, GA Politics

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...

Yesterday was John McCain's 72nd birthday. If elected, he'd be the oldest president ever inaugurated. And after months of slamming Barack Obama for "inexperience," here's who John McCain has chosen to be one heartbeat away from the presidency: a right-wing religious conservative with no foreign policy experience, who until recently was mayor of a town of 9,000 people. Huh? Who is Sarah Palin? Here's some basic background: She was elected Alaska 's governor a little over a year and a half ago. Her previous office was mayor of Wasilla, a small town outside Anchorage. She has no foreign policy experience. 1 Palin is strongly anti-choice, opposing abortion even in the case of rape or incest. 2 She supported right-wing extremist Pat Buchanan for president in 2000. 3 Palin thinks creationism should be taught in public schools. 4 She's doesn't think humans are the cause of climate change. 5 She...

Looks like we have at least one contested race locally here in Watkinsville. Joe Walter will face opposition from Luke Bishop for Post 3 of the Watkinsville City Council in the November non-partisan election. Wonder how McCain's selection of Sarah Palin will rattle that cage? Mr. Bishop in an insurance agent and has appeared before the council to get a variance in recent months. Mr. Walter is an ex-code enforcement officer for the City of Watkinsville and was a police officer in Athens before that I believe. He is always ready to roll up his sleeves and do what ever is necessary for the city. I have not always agreed with every one of his votes but I think he deserves re-election.