Partisanship in a non-partisan town


Secretary of State candidate and north Athens resident Brian Kemp came out with an amazingly long list of endorsements in his 2012 race for the nomination and at this point looks like a shoe-in to be Karen Handel's Republican replacement. Among many of the local endorsers were Watkinsville Mayor Jim Luken and city council member Brian Brodrick. Brian was the lone city council member amongst a long list of other elected officials which makes me wonder if he had something to do with its gathering, and if he did (or if he didn't and to whomever did) job well done. I am sure he will let me know in a comment mere minutes after I post this. For being some damn young, Brian has a long history as a partisan political activist of the utmost ethical and well scrutinized behavior and knows PR inside out and backward. He is even friends with multiple Democrats and has been known to sweat with them too.I think he is fixing to father child number three as I sometimes see his wife Susan Wells Brodrick going toward Athens First United Methodist Church (healthy wishes for all the family)!

The thing that really caught my eye about the endorsements was the one of Mayor Jim Luken, whom by-in-large has remained stridently non-partisan in almost every race from President on down as long as I have known him in his three terms here at the helm in Watkinsville. I should have known though as getting a ride from him with another advertising representative back from the fabled political garbage pick up Mayor Luken was professing his opinion that Kemp had already won the race, and the ad rep nodded his acquiescence. When I questioned Kemp's sense over running for Secretary of Agriculture back in 2008 (where he lost in the primary to Gary Black) they said he got bad advice. Well I would say in retrospect with Tommy Irvin's Parkinson's problems that we probably should have elected a Republican that year, as much as it pains me to admit that now.

In no way am I chiding Mayor Luken for finally taking the partisan plunge, I am only hoping it is no longer held against this author either.

The prospects for the Democrats in 2010 are pretty bleak right now, but I know local Democratic attorney and State Rep. Doug McKillip and his wife have done some fundraising for some folks, I think for Rob Teilhet for Attorney General. Roy Barnes might be our next Governor again, and it is possible he could have Casey Cagle as his Lieutenant Governor (in a weird reversal of the year when Roy left office and Democrat Mark Taylor was the Lt. Gov. and Sonny came into office). No Democrats have announced or are even being rumored for Agriculture Secretary, which is a crime. Repeat GOP candidate Gary Black looks like a cakewalk in that non-race. Should local Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond do what has been rumored for long and run for Lieutenant Governo, the Democrats do not have a natural fit to slide into that slot (unless General Poythress wants to follow his own advice to Roy and return to his old job).

I saw a young UGA girl wearing a Porter shirt in the eastside Kroger today, and I do not look forward to the bloodletting that will be the Democratic primary for Governor. We could have a run-off in both parties races for Governor. Right now I would have to guess Porter versus Barnes with Baker as the kingmaker for the Democratic run-off, and Handel versus Oxedine with Deal as the kingmaker on the Republican side.

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