In an interview with Roll Call, Lewis, 71, swatted down the idea that his civil rights work only mattered decades ago.
“Forty-six years ago, I led the march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma for the right to vote and, you know, I gave a little blood there,” Lewis said.
“Fifty years ago, during the Freedom Rides, when I was 21, 22, I was putting my life on the line,” he added. “In order to know what a person will do in the future, you have to look at their past.
“If it hadn’t been for what I and others did 45 and 50 years ago, he wouldn’t be able to run,” Lewis said of his rival, who also is black.
“If it wasn’t for the bridge in Selma, there wouldn’t be a Barack Obama,” Lewis added, noting that he travels around the country talking to groups, white and black, Republican and Democratic, about his experiences in the civil rights movement.
Johnson had implied – indirectly – that Lewis was past his prime. While that criticism may or may not be accurate, Lewis’s response is a clear indication that he’s not taking this particular challenge lightly.
Nor should he. Johnson is young, well-connected, respected in the community and possesses a stellar record of public service. Arguably, Lewis is the front-runner, but Roll Call is right that this is going to be a generational election.
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I have a tremendous amount of respect for Lewis and his Civil Rights days, but should a position in Congress be a permanent prize, as recognition for his past sacrifices, or should it be performing the hard work as the people of Atlanta’s representative in Washington?
Let’s be honest, he’s got to be one of the most ineffective members of the Democratic Caucus. When there are discussions of lack of federal rail funds for Atlanta, the media is quick to blame the state Republicans, but shouldn’t Atlanta’s Rep., and all of his seniority, carry any weight in Washington? Perhaps it’s time for an energetic Democrat who will be a little more effective.
John Lewis should be an example for term limits and have gone with dignity rather than making it tough for his supporters to tell him his time has passed.
John Lewis votes consistent with his principles. He shows up and he does his job. I am confident that John Lewis is plenty effective in his way. He does not need a title to exert that effectiveness. If you have met him, you will know that he is sharp, energetic, and very perceptive.
Gaining (or not) some level within the party hierarchy after a certain amount of time is an arbitrary and I might say trivial criteria to judge someone’s effectiveness.
If he says his opponent isnt to be taken seriously he takes people’s votes for granted and it also cuts some of his fundraising. Lewis will beat whatever the other guys name is easily in the primary next year. Ray McBerry has a better chance of getting elected as Governor than Lewis does of losing in the primary next year.
I think that y’all are completely daft.
This won’t be a generational election. If you think the Kasim Reeds and the Caesar Mitchells of the world will be coming out for Johnson, you don’t get it. Reed and the like have been building their credentials for this seat for some time now, and there’s no way in hell they’ll be letting some guy take the seat before they’re ready to take it (which will be whenever John Lewis retires). They’ll probably all endorse Lewis, as will John Lewis’ friend President Barack Obama. Michael Johnson, to be frank, is a moron for running, because he can raise as much money as he wants, but the establishment dollars, the national dollars, and the endorsements will go squarely behind the guy with the name recognition– John Lewis. If anyone here thinks that Michael Johnson can win an election based off his relative youth and calling John Lewis “old” and “past his prime,” you should probably spend some more time in politics. All he has going for him is his age, and frankly, these attacks against John Lewis will turn enough people off. If he cracks 15%, I’ll plotz.
Seems to me Johnson is positioning himself for two years down the road, when it’s likely that Lewis will retire. Running now gives him name recognition and an opportunity for the district to get to know him for when the real battle for this seat occurs in 2014.
Fukushima is much more known today than it was two years ago, too.
Despite the axiom, all publicity is not good publicity. I generally agree with TA above, though I still doubt Kasim’s political future angle is to follow John Lewis to DC in the near future.
The people that think they have a real chance, and most of Atlanta’s establishment, will continue to back Lewis, regardless of age. I don’t think Johnson is doing himself any future favors here.
@Luke- I think he might be doing that, but it’s obvious he’s a judge and not a political mind, because running up against a popular incumbent may gain you name rec, but not the good kind. The man will never be in Congress, because there are about 5 Democrats I can think of offhand who will beat him in a primary any day of the week, and who likely want to have this seat.
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