Proving his wisdom is beltway derived, Stu Rothenberg weighs in on Georgia’s gubernatorial race and finds the beltway insider to be the strongest candidate. Go figure.
Of course, despite my sarcasm, that is the conventional wisdom and just be right.
Following the surprising exit of Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle from the race, the frontrunners for the Republican nomination appear to be Rep. Nathan Deal and Secretary of State Karen Handel. State Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine and state Senate President Pro Tem Eric Johnson are regarded as long shots. Oxendine, who was first elected to his office in 1994, leads in some polling but has been dogged with ethics controversies and isn’t seen as the likely GOP nominee.
Observers see Deal as a more formidable general election candidate, though they agree that his service in Washington, D.C., may not be an asset given Congress’ image.
Handel, who earned a GED and worked in the nation’s capital for Hallmark Cards and later in the Bush-Quayle White House before moving to Georgia and being elected to the Fulton County Commission, is regarded as less prepared to stand toe-to-toe with Barnes in a debate.
I do think the lack of a college degree coupled with a GED could be a problem for Handel, but I don’t think she’ll be unable to stand “toe-to-toe” with Roy in a debate. Then again, I think Deal will probably be the strongest match to Barnes in a debate.
UPDATED: In May of 1980, Karen Handel walked across the aisle of her high school to get her high school diploma.
So why does Stu have a GED listed? Why? Well, someone has apparently been editing Karen Handel’s wikipedia entry. And it now lists her as having a GED, even though that is not true.
Who did the editing and why did Stu rely on it?
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I have a GED.
But you also went to Harvard
I wasn’t going to ask what his GED stood for.
I for one honor the ability to overcome adversity and succeed despite disadvantages more than educational background. How many Presidents are Harvard and Yale graduates in recent years? How many big corporate CEO’s accepting bailout money are from the same Ivy League stock? Have these people done well?
Karen Handel created success on her own, not the name on a piece of sheepskin or connections of family members, which is highly commendable. The world needs more people who have taken the hard road, instead of the well connected pansies who (as Anne Richards said of George Bush) were born on third base who credit themselves with a triple.
After meeting with her, corresponding with her, and with the high regard that many people who’s judgement I respect have for her, I am officially behind her for Governor.
I have a great deal of respect for the self made man or woman. These people usually are the most respected in any given arena in which they decide to apply themselves. I would not hold it against anyone if they were not in possesion of an ivey league degree.
However, the reality of the situation is that politics is not the place to be seen as the “average joe”. In a celebrity worship society most people want their leaders to be better than them. Even if this is not true, people want their leaders to be smarter, richer, better looking and/or from a better family.
This may not be PC but this is the reality in which we live. Now if you think KH is good looking… well that’s another topic.
Stu Rothenberg, Washington insider or not, does a good job assessing the race at this point. Deal is a true conservative with a proven, consistent record. When the race gets serious, and Republicans finally get into content and determine the best person to represent our party that can beat Roy Barnes, Deal is going to emerge as a frontrunner.
Consistent? Does that include when he was a Democrat?
Doug, it was Jim Hightower–not Ann Richards–who made that comment about Bush.
Secondly, thanks for that inspiring narrative of courageously overcoming extraordinary adversity. I laughed. I cried. It was better than Cats.
Erick says, “In May of 1980, Karen Handel walked across the aisle of her high school to get her high school diploma.” Are we to infer that means she graduated with her class?
Lastly, from Karen’s website bio: “She got a job and finished high school.” Why so vague, and, parsing words, why “finished” instead of “graduated”?
You are right, I generally quote everything from memory, and I think I was thinking about Richards’ quote “born with a silver foot in his mouth”.
In any event, she is by no means “an average Joe/Jane”. If she were, I would agree with you, but she was able to succeed taking a more difficult path.
I had a job before I finished high school. In fact, I had two.
“Leads in some polling” ………….How abouts leads substainally[more than double nearest] in all polling for Republican nominee.
See the bias in reporting.
Just in case some want to see if they can still pass GED MATH:
http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0809222329/student_view0/ged_practice_test.html
Here is a very important question on GED:
Based on the information in this excerpt, when is it permissible to give money that might be considered a bribe or a tip to a government official in order to facilitate business?
1. It is never permissible to give a gift or other payment to influence government or business decisions.
2. It may be necessary in certain foreign countries where it is expected.
3. Payments to government officials can be made at any time with prior approval of the division president.
4. Modest gratuities can be offered at any time.
5. All payments or gratuities must be worth their fair trade value.
Actually I’m impressed by some of the things I found in taking a pactice GED this morning, but then again you only have to answer 60% correctly to pass. I had a 3.83 GPA BS degree and a 4.0 MBA so I should have passed, but then again TIME wounds all HEELS.
Karen and Deal will both do fine against Barnes, but Karen’s better prepared to win in November. Deal may be slick and generally well liked, he may be able to show some money raised on the report, but his campaign operation is a joke. These guys clearly have no idea what they’re doing when his “staff” is running around telling everyone what they’re raising. Even Ox’s people arent’ that dumb.
karen’s team is ready for the fight that is coming. and karen is personally ready for the fight. that’s a tough lady.
Deal just discovered this new invention called the Internet and thinks it’s really swell.
“slick”? I think that’s just a little disingenuous. Deal is a fantastic speaker, but there’s nothing “slick” about him. He’s genuine, knowledgable, passionate, and for the record, well-educated. I think voters are going to see this and understand that he has the best credentials for running this state.
I like Deal, and would not be disappointed to have him as the GOP candidate, but I think Handel would be better for the party in the long run. Sometimes you have to stop going to the old war horses and let the next generation step up.
Somehow I don’t see her personality and management style working well with the legislative chambers.
Screw the legislative chambers. They’ve done SO well to this point, haven’t they?
*knowledgeable*
such irony.
Typing and spelling are my weak points without the ability to edit after a reread, plus the lack of an EASY spell checker on my PDA
Yeah, PP needs a preview feature.
PP needs spell check.
A-men
PP needs to start paying us too! We give away our blogging abilities too much!
A fact check would do us good too. lol
Thats what magic 8-balls are for Kellster.
I get my info from reading. I write it down then I read it.
I believe everything I read.
In regard to your method, Magic 8 balls says “All Signs point to yes”.
When the race gets serious, and Republicans finally get into content and determine the best person to represent our party that can beat Roy Barnes, Deal is going to emerge as a frontrunner.
Deal?
You mean that Bush suck-up who abandoned every principle of the party creed in an 8 year orgy of excess?
Roy Barnes is as conservative as Deal and that is the real deal.
Me, I am for KAREN HANDEL.
No Deal.
I like Karen and did I mention I love this new format.
This new format is, oh wait, I need rugby to chime in first.
I am ambivalent on this new format.
hmmm, I am not sure what to do now.
I disagree.
I agree.
I’m still on the fence
No, I love it. It is much more time consuming.
I disagree.
I hate it. It’s too time consuming.
We need more reply levels.
I like it because you never know what nugget you are going to find that you rpreviously missed when you are forced to re-read it later to see what you missed. It’s like finding a month old raisin in the couch cushions.
What sux is when there are several “new” comments but you stop at the first one to leave a comment, then all the “new” tabs disappear. ugh!
Thats why I scroll through slowly while filming with my video camera, so I can then TiVo it and read it later.
To prove the High School Diploma, instead just hearsay, why not post a readable picture of it?
At least the grad pictures in cap and gown………..a transcript would be aceptable.
The race will be between The Walter F. George school of law [ Deal and OX], UGA Law School [Barnes] and some Maryland HS or equivalent.
I have not made up my mind yet, but I am leaning towards the lawyer!
Maybe she’ll post her high school graduation pictures right after Obama releases his actual Birth Certificate, and not some cheesy “Certification of Live Birth” that isn’t even accepted for anything in his alleged home state… but I digress.
Hey Bill, if you really think Obama isn’t an American citizen, take your case to court or shut. the. f&ck. up.
Thanks,
rugby
There have been people who have tried to do just that, and had their case dismissed. …..something about not having legal standing to sue…..
Just asking, how is this no more paranoid than the liberals who say Diebold stole the election for Republicans?
Um, rugby, one of my clients actually IS in court with this case, right now. And they have standing.
Good morning, and in case I don’t see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and good night.
Care to say how confident you are on his status as an American citizen/
I love watching whack jobs lose cases, so I hope you take this as far as you can.
I like and respect Karen, the more she gets the nasty attacks from the OX campaign it only pushes me toward supporting her.
And your thoughts on her attack video shown at the state GOP convention? I like her too, but did not care for the video.
I didn’t like the video either but I didn’t think it was much of an attack. I just thought it sucked.
Same here, K.
Doug…this sychophantic relationship you have with Kellie is getting annoying. You better find something you disagree on before the blog whisper campaigns start about you two.
Bill, I am trying to work you into the rotation. (ref. harsh words, this thread, and others).
Thank goodness you and Kellie live so far away from each other. Otherwise, I’d be getting worried
Yeah, I agree that it is good Kellie and BS live so far apart.
GOPGEORGIA
I agree with Kellie.
John,
How do you know the Wikipedia alteration was performed by the OX camp?
Simple answer: You don’t.
Simple explanation: Anyone can make an entry like that…even a Nathan Deal supporter and make it look like OX did it.
I am amazed at the deterioration of the logic functioos of the human mind when switching from the “real world” in which they can be so successful at what they do, but when they involve themselves in the political world, their brain turns to absolute mush, ready to believe just about anything.
BS,
Perhaps you can go on another unreasonable tirade about how Erick changed the title of some article, instead of perhaps admitting to the fact that you sometimes have trouble decyphering imagination from reality.
The sun also might not come up tomorrow and you might win the mega millions lottery on two successive drawings, all events of about equal probabilty that it was a Nathan Deal supporter.
Doug,
Do you actually think someone who witnessed the Morton Brilliant debacle in 2006 (the campaign manager of Cathy Cox who was caught via his e-mail address mucking with the Wikipedia entry for Mark Taylor) would be THIS obvious as someone in the OX camp would have to be to make the Wiki entry the way it was made?
For all I know, it was Fred Davis (Handel’s million-dollar media strategy consultant) himself who made the entries into the Wiki to make her out to be a victim.
Dude, Erick freaking CHANGED not only the title, but also the sub-directory name.
WordPress ALLOWED you to do that in that version and still keep the entries intact as though they had been there all along.
I do not know if the current version allows that (though, I cannot imagine why they would have removed that feature).
Man! Pull your head out of your freaking rear-end!
CAN’T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?
Nope, because this new format makes it impossible.
I think this new format actually brings people together.
So they can beat the crap out of each other.
It does bring us together. Look how close our names are.
Doug – Kellie. Our names aren’t close at all. In fact we have no letters in common.
May I just say that I am impressed that Handel went to Frederick Douglas High in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Really, that is saying something because that area is like Atlanta North—the place to be for the up and coming Black middle class in the DC area.
If she went to high school there she likely has a comfort level around a diverse group of people that could be more beneficial than standing around on a manicured lawn in Athens or North Avenue with a red cup..chilling with the Tri-Deltas or KDs and figure out who will marry a KA. Wow, could she actually have more cred than me. Get the popcorn because this thing is going to be Bo Ginn v. Joe Frank Harris interesting.
I still remember Ginn standing on the wing of that plane in his ad while talking about bring international business to Georgia but folks connected with Harris’s country nature. Do like Jim Marshall and play down the fact you went to Princeton while the future first lady gets slammed for attending the same school.
Areas change. Was the area like that in the late 1970s and early 1980s when Karen was there?
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