Comments on: Anyone Remember who Roy Barnes Supported In The Dem Presidential Primary?

By: macho

macho — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:06:24 +0000

When is John Edwards coming down to have a trial lawyer fundraiser for Roy?

By: macho

macho — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:03:37 +0000

Better than trial lawyer money deciding the Primary.

By: macho

macho — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:02:57 +0000

But Edwards was for the “little guy.”

By: Harry

Harry — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:30:54 +0000

C’mon. You completely dismissed Baker’s chances in an effort to cast King Rat in an a position of inevitability.

By: Progressive Dem

Progressive Dem — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:44:31 +0000

The comparison to Jones is fair and factual. Race is a factor in elections, and discussing it is fair game. My use of the words “toast and throway” was not a personal attack on the man’s character or his intentions. The context is broader than my original post. It also includes my second and others in this chain who express their ill-feeling towards the “rat”, which is what promted my third post. Did I stick strictly to issues in the first – maybe not. I handicapped an election based on facts and past results, I didn’t come anywhere near a personal attack on yoyr candidate. Did I display hatred or attack Baker’s character – absolutely not.

By: Steve Perkins

Steve Perkins — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:58:14 +0000

our state and our country need to have a more tolerant and civil discussion about politics using issues and facts

Umm… you only have to scroll up 8 comments on this very page to find you comparing Thurbert Baker to Vernon Jones on the basis of their skin color, and declaring that Baker is “toast” because blacks will recognize him as a “throwaway vote”.

You support Barnes. We… get… it. However, your attempt here at an Icarus-style “high road” post falls a bit flat in context.

By: BuckheadConservative

BuckheadConservative — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:47:21 +0000

When choosing to endorse a morally bankrupt politician, it’s normally a good idea to endorse one who isn’t also financially and politically bankrupt as well.

By: Romegaguy

Romegaguy — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:38:46 +0000

At least we dont have NY bloggers telling Georgians who to vote for

By: Hank Burnham

Hank Burnham — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:10:16 +0000

I agree Baker certainly is as credible a Democrat as Roy Barnes is. However, moving from Attorney General to Governor is going to require Baker to move to a different level of scrutiny and expectations from the Georgia electorate on issues that he has been able to shy away from as Attorney General. He will have a huge uphill battle in trying to even win the Democratic primary much less the general election in a Republican year in a conservative state. I expect the GOP will roll to landslide victories in all state wide races and will make gains in the legislature.

By: Progressive Dem

Progressive Dem — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:33:22 +0000

It always amazes me to see this vehement dislike and perhaps hatred that people display about elected officials. Hillary brought out these emotions, and apparently Roy Barnes brings out these extreme negative emotions as well.

Within the past week a GOP leader wrote a letter that appeared on PP that said this …
“From my perspective, the vast majority of elected officials in this state, from both parties, are good human beings who are simply trying to promote the principles and policies in which they believe. Most possess a genuine desire to serve their neighbors and communities.

They are also human. They have flaws and quirks. The pressures put on them reveal in harsh detail their strengths and their weaknesses.

Glenn Richardson shares all of these qualities.”

I realize we all have different views, but our state and our country need to have a more tolerant and civil discussion about politics using issues and facts. And let’s keep in mind the above statement. Whether we’re talking about Roy Barnes or George Bush, these are people trying to do the best they can. I found George Bush’s policies abhorent, and I don’t believe Sonny Purdue has been a very effective Governor, but I don’t doubt their intentions and their dedication to public service.

By: Progressive Dem

Progressive Dem — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:54:38 +0000

Thurbert Baker is a good man and attorney general. He served ably in the legislature. Yes, he has won statewide and his reputation is not tarnished like Vernon Jones. However, you have to consider that he was appointed to the AG spot, and ran as an incumbant in each of his campaigns. There are a lot of voters who have no idea who the AG is or what he does. Incumbancy is a huge advantage in those races. Now he running for an open and highy contested seat at the top of the ticket. He isn’t an incumbant and he isn’t running for a down-ticket office. 2010 will be a different election than the ones Baker has previously run in.

By: Technocrat

Technocrat — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:02:56 +0000

How many Black Democrats [22%?] have promised the OX in personal one on one meetings that they will cross over to help their Lumbee brother in the General against the White Devil Cracker. They are well familiar with RATS from their childhood and recognize the hair on both.

The better Baker does in the Primary, the less chance Roy has of winning the General. Simple and he knows it.

By: Steve Perkins

Steve Perkins — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:37:37 +0000

What ProgressiveDem is getting at, though not saying out loud, is that Baker can’t win a general election because he’s black… and can’t win the primary because people think he can’t win the general. He may be right, but Baker would still be my pick if the primary were held today.

By: USA1

USA1 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:10:52 +0000

Hey don’t knock Mr. Two Americas with great hair. If Republicans thought he was such a joke, then why are so many of them going ga-ga for the female version: Sarah Palin. Of course to her there is the “Real America” and whatever codeword she can get away with to describe the “Other.”

By: Former President Clinton Attending Fundraiser For Thurbert Baker » Blog for Georgia - A Fair & Balanced Look At Georgia Politics

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:17:18 +0000

[...] already been talked about here, here, here and here. However, the following press release hit my inbox [...]

By: Harry

Harry — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:24:28 +0000

Good points. King Rat has far too many negatives with far too many people. King Rat’s endorsement of Kasim Reed in Atlanta is pure pandering desperation, and loses him more support than he gains. Plus, quite a few potential Rat primary voters (independents) will instead vote in the GOP primary due to a good selection of candidates. I see the Rat losing the Dem primary.

By: NotRoy

NotRoy — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:24:03 +0000

Let’s take a look at the logic of “Progressive” Dem. So Baker is “toast” because Vernon Jones (who’s ethics and “other” issues are well known), a proud George W. Bush supporter running in a Democratic primary couldn’t consolidate the African American vote. Why should we consider Vernon Jones and Thurbert Baker to be equivalent candidates? Are there any particular similarities that should make us consider them to be in a similar circumstance?

And why is Baker “not going to be seen as a credible statewide candidate”? Hasn’t he won statewide three times already? Last time I checked, he’s the only Democratic candidate who can say that. In fact, looking at the Secretary of State’s election results page, the guy got 57.2% of the vote. Looking at 2002, when he King Roy last shared a ballot, Baker got 55.6% and Barnes got 46.3%.

So why exactly is Baker not a “credible statewide candidate”?

By: Progressive Dem

Progressive Dem — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:20:54 +0000

It was a good move by Baker, but he’s toast anyway. The 2008 US Senate primary is instructive. Vernon Jones was not able to gain the full force and measure of the African American vote. Unlike Obama who proved he could win white votes in presidential primaries (and later in the general election), Jones was recognized by black voters as throwaway vote. Even if he won the primary, he was never going to win statewide in Georgia. In DeKalb, Vernon’s backyard, he pulled fewer voters than Jim Martin and Dale Cardwell combined, and only beat Martin by 6,000 votes. Baker is not going to been seen as a credible statewide candidate

Let’s face it 2010 is going to tough on incumbants and parties in power. Add the GOP primary bloodbath for governor, and happy days are here again.

By: fishtail

fishtail — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:48:24 +0000

Good move by Baker.

By: kyleinatl

kyleinatl — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:47:49 +0000

It doesn’t matter, Baker is dead in the water. If the DPG wants even a remote shot at retaking this thing, they need to live or die by King Roy.