And it is not just this stuff.
Recessions stir up enough voter anger against anyone in office who might be to blame, but a series of votes on pocketbook issues in the General Assembly could focus their outrage.Consider a $1.6 billion rate increase for Georgia Power approved along with a $25 billion tax increase for transportation and the failure to pass a cap on property-tax assessments or a doubling of the homestead exemption. Add to that the death of Sunday alcohol sales.
“I don’t think you can just put one by itself, but if you put them all together, these guys are not necessarily placing themselves in line with folks who are on the streets,” said William Boon, a political science professor at Clark Atlanta University.
Let’s take SB 31 and related controversial measures out of the equation. I still think the GOP gets hurt. Their leadership has been devoid of ideas for a while. They really have no distinguishing leadership characteristics setting themselves apart from the Democrats who once controlled the state legislature.
The Governor has failed to stand out, except lately with this transportation plan, which within ten years will be raided by the FBI with half the people involved hauled off to jail for bribery and corruption.
The GOP in Georgia is now behaving not like the Republican Party, but like the establishment party. The establishment tries to maintain the status quo without innovating.
The Republicans have a weapon in Tom Graves in the House. He’s got a lot of good, conservative ideas that poll well with voters. But the GOP would prefer to ignore him, because his path is not the establishment path or the path toward keeping the status quo.
I think the GOP loses in 2010.
Add in the pocketbook issues and it’s a blow out.
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Erick,
I think you’re right.
And I think the LP will play a big role in that.
Heck, there may even be a race or two that we WIN!
What would be equally interesting to me other than an outright win would be a runoff where OUR candidate is one of the remaining two, rather than a DvR rematch.
it’s certainly a possibility–but you can’t beat something w/ nothing and the dems are also very good at shooting themselves in the foot–or at least not seeing opportunities as they arise– it remains to be seen if they will be prepared for 2010
if any lib in a race w/ both a gop and a dem even got close to double digits returns in any 2010 race–i’ll eat my hat
drjay:
I’ll hold you to that sir.
Erick,
You may be right.
I do see us winning several races, though. However, I expect to see the Democrats make decent gains in the State House and State Senatein 2010. I expect to hold the Governorship with either Ox or Handel, LG with Shafer, SoS with Kemp, and Insurance with Coan. I expect the GOP to pick up AG with Black. However, I see the Dem’s winning Education with Teilhet. Just my view of things.
Too bad the “Republican” party a.k.a. the establishment is always there to defend incumbents or, in some cases the establishment Democrat, as it maintains it’s “gorilla grip” of power to the detriment of conservatism or the wishes of the voters. As far as the establishment Democrat I’m talking about the “GOP” and how they threw Alan Schlesenger under the bus in Connecticut in lieu of their globalist kissie buddy Joe Lieberman.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Op2ScdxyQQM
What is Lieberman now, a “man without a party”? A “man with 2 parties”? “Independent Democrat”? Jackass at large?
“And I think the LP will play a big role in that.
Heck, there may even be a race or two that we WIN!”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!
AAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHHAHHAHAHAHHAHAH!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!
Thanks, I needed the laugh.
Considering how little the Libertarians understand how people vote and make political decisions, I wouldn’t count on any electoral success soon.
Erick is apparently still suffering the hangover from the 2006 and 2008 national elections.
I wish I could be so optimistic the GOP will lose Georgia. However unless Roy Barnes jumps back in and builds a strong coalition and unites Democrats with a campaign based on transportation, education and economic development, I think we are doomed to the second half of Dumb and Dumber.
“The establishment tries to maintain the status quo without innovating.”
Um … isn’t this the core of conservatism? The future is too complicated, so let’s just stick with what works? And leave Mr. Darwin in the driver’s seat for private businesses and firms?
“They really have no distinguishing leadership characteristics setting themselves apart from the Democrats who once controlled the state legislature.”
Yes, well there is a good reason for that observation: quite a few are converts.
“Um … isn’t this the core of conservatism? The future is too complicated, so let’s just stick with what works?”
Go read something by Edmund Burke. If you do, you’ll see how ignorant you currently are.
Nindy said THIS I expect to hold the Governorship with either Ox or Handel
WHAT??? Nindy acknowledges “Handel” as a viable candidate? AND, even that Oxendine may NOT be Governor???
Whoa…..I gotta sit down on this….take some medication to breathe normally again….
Bill, I still give Ox a 75% chance of being Governor in 2011. Ox will be President by 2017 according to my charts. I would just LOVE to see Ox as a Global Emporor by 2020.
By and large, most GA voters tend to be fairly conservative and thus tend to vote Republican. Sometimes however, as Erick points out, voters punish the party in power in times of extreme economic circumstances and we happen to find ourselves in that situation right now.
We cannot continue to just sit back and do the same old things and expect to win anymore. We have to get serious about minority outreach and candidate recruitment. We have to begin to rebuild our coalitions and communicate more effectively with the electorate and hone our message in a way that it is relatable.
In my opinion, 2010 is going to be a very different cycle. There is a level of populism running through the electorate that defies party identification. Those who start early, make smart moves, and go back to the basics of political organizing will very likely prosper, while those who hang their hat on gimmicks, rhetoric, and platitudes will likely fail in their efforts — and that goes for both parties.
“do the same old things?…” It has nothing to do with populism but it has every thing to do with reality.
I’m tired of Eric Johnson and his high minded, know better than me about my ways. I served this country, I have my youngest in Afghanistan and this idiot Johnson can’t even show up for a vote in committee to allow me to vote on whether I should or should not buy a beer on Sunday?
Right, I don’t know any better and I will revolt.
I think the GOP is going to lose, but it won’t be as catastrophic as you predict Erick. How many unchallenged seats did we have this past year? That will be crucial issue, whether or not the Georgia Democrats can muster enough challengers and whether or not they can adequately fund all of them.
I’m not so sure it will happen. But I have been wrong before.
This just gets better and better!
After three years here on PP, my work is done.
Erick you need to just go ahead and rename the place Indy Pundit
Everyone now is preaching my message…
This reminds me of Allan Colmes addressing Ann Coulter.
Go to the 2;25 mark and see what I mean….
Shoot, with this kind of encouragement and I might run for something, what with all you young folks behind my ideas……..I am a REPUBLICAN because…..
LOL
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