This image was used in an email by Swapna Bhave, a candidate for Johns Creek City Council. From all accounts, she is a good candidate with solid community credentials, and I have heard from several sources that a majority of the incumbent city council is quietly rooting for her.

But this photo is a demonstration of what not to do in campaign photography.

The Johns Creek Dog Park is spectacular. I was at the grand opening and it’s a combination Six Flags and White Water for our furry family members. It’s wildly popular for families, and I suspect it will develop into the singles’ hot spot for North Fulton. It’s a great place for campaign photography.

Just mind your misé en scene and ensure that you’re not unwittingly writing a punchline at your candidate’s expense.

The other shoe may be about to drop.

According to Matt Lewis at The Daily Caller:

Two separate and reliable sources in Texas tell me serious preparations are being made for Governor Rick Perry, 61, to seek the Republican nomination for president.

Dave Carney and Rob Johnson — the former top Perry aides who on Thursday left Newt Gingrich’s floundering campaign — are said to be heading to Texas soon to join in on preparations for the run. I am told this is now “ninety percent likely to occur.” Additionally, Perry allies have begun holding meetings in the state and have been instructed to quietly reach out to contacts in early primary states.

The stars may have finally aligned for Perry, who, until recently, said he had no intentions of seeking the nomination. With no clear front runner emerging, and with Gingrich’s campaign dissolving, Perry could enter the field as a top-tier candidate, surrounded by the same team that helped him defeat Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison last year in the Texas gubernatorial primary. And because Texas leads the nation in job creation, the recent national economic numbers provide an instant rationale for his candidacy.

Like all candidates there are issues to overcome. But are bright spots as well: real executive experience (experience? what’s that?) as the longest serving governor in the U.S., enough personality and confidence to fill a ten gallon hat, a seasoned staff (Thanks, Newt!) and a populace hungry for solutions, not slogans.

According to the Dark Lord Rush Limbaugh, on Perry’s possible run,”“it’s a brand-new day, and it starts all over again.”

Gingrich posted a message regarding the staff changes on his Facebook page that included this prescient nugget, “I am committed to running the substantive, solutions-oriented campaign I set out to run earlier this spring. The campaign begins anew Sunday in Los Angeles.”

This entire election cycle suddenly got more interesting. A lot more interesting.

The Representative from Athens is a crass opportunist. A crass opportunist when it comes to providing the best possible representation for his constituents.

You certainly can’t call him a political opportunist. Representing part of a county that voted overwhelmingly voted for President Obama (he won 22 of 24 precincts in 08) is risky business for someone who has now switched from Democrat to Republican. It is in all-likelihood that in 2012 his seat will be the most hotly contested one in Georgia.

However, I would challenge the constituents of GA-115 to look deeper.

In a one and a half hour discussion at Depalma’s Grill, I saw nothing but a Representative who loves Athens and wants to do right by his district. To the Republicans who would like to primary him in 2012, I say give the man a chance. Challenging him in a primary is the best possible option if you want to lose the district. To outraged Democrats, I say use common sense. Given the current climate in Georgia, I think it is safe to say that McKillip’s constituents will see a tremendous increase in the quality of their representation in Atlanta. The Democratic Party of Georgia is in shambles and seems content with a leadership that toes the Washington line while offering no solutions of their own; only complaints, divisive remarks and no calls for the resignation of Robert Brown.

Doug McKillip wants more than that for the people of his district and the people of Georgia.

Furthermore, how truly surprising was his switch? I won’t say I predicted it, or even thought it, but McKillip’s switch was something that you could guess was coming if you paid attention (and cared).  Here are McKillip’s votes on some major bills that passed in 2010:

HB 948: 2011 Budget: McKillip/O’Neal/Peake: Yes

HB 277: Transportation Funding: McKillip/O’Neal/Peake: Yes

HB 1023: Capital Gains Reduction: McKillip/O’Neal/Peake: Yes

HB 908: Class Size Flexibility: McKillip/O’Neal/Peake: Yes

HB 244: GEFA Loan Sale: McKillip/O’Neal/Peake: Yes

HB 1055: Fees for State Services: McKillip/O’Neal/Peake: Yes

Former House Minority Leader Dubose Porter voted “No” on all of these except HB 1023.

McKillip’s switch, and these votes, has a lot to do with being practical in light of the economic times in Georgia. Additionally, he has a great relationship with Speaker Ralston. The Speaker was the chair of McKillip’s sub-committee in Judiciary during the 2009 session. I’ve often heard that they got along very well and often chewed over bills alone together prior to the start of committee meetings.

My guess is that McKillip will be given a fair number of Republican bills to carry through the process to shore up any “switcher” problems with the Republican base back home, and continue to have the full backing of leadership (proven by his fundraiser on Jan. 4^th- co-hosted by all of them- which raised over $12,000). In addition to Judiciary, Appropriations, and Natural Resources, he was just appointed Secretary of Reapportionment.

McKillip is a hard worker who wants to get things done for GA-115 and for Georgia. Speaker Ralston sees the big picture and recognizes that the Republican Party is the “big tent” party in Georgia. Having people like McKillip in the GOP is great practically and politically. In both senses it opens the door for more voices, ideas and solutions to be heard.

I stand with Doug McKillip. I hope you do too.

What the DPG Really Needs Right Now…..

            …..is a new President. Maybe I’m just stating the obvious but I have yet to see anything written about the matter. Yes, I realize that candidate recruitment has been lacking and that credible candidate’s are the first priority for a political party. Yes, I realize how high the turnout was two years ago for President Obama’s first election. Yes I realize how Georgia suddenly became a battleground state and that the one-time invincible Saxby Chambliss was forced into a runoff. However, how many Democrats won in Georgia in 2008? How did the results go on November 2^nd, 2010 for Democrats? Exactly. The fact of the matter is that the current Democrat in the Oval Office at this point in time is too liberal for Democrats in Georgia to survive as a credible political party. For years, Democrats survived in Georgia by building biracial coalitions founded upon the political center and “not being the same as national Democrats”. This is no longer a credible argument and Georgia’s elections show it. What’s the difference between then and now? The fact that from the end of the Civil Rights Movement to the election of Obama all of the Presidents were Republicans or Democrats from the South (Carter and Clinton) made calling yourself different a much easier task. Georgians have long voted for Republicans for President (Carter’s two runs and Clinton’s first being the only exceptions) since 1972 and the trickle-down effect long craved by Republicans has finally hit home. The generation of those who vote Democrat “because that’s the way we’ve always voted” is fading. There is clearly a marked difference. There is now a prominent face to tie to calling Democrats “too liberal to represent us”. Actually, three prominent faces in Obama, Pelosi and Reid. Twelve years ago, Ken Hodges would have won most rural Georgia counties, and probably the election, over little-known (outside of the metro area) Sam Olens. For Democrats to survive at a statewide level in Georgia (and most of the South in general) new leadership is needed for their party nationally.

That being said, this is a tough road to travel. Most centrist Democrats in Georgia outside of Atlanta have switched over to the other side of the aisle. The events of this week are a testament to that fact. I doubt this argument will even be taken very seriously; it was after all a shot in the dark theory thought of while watching SportsCenter at two in the morning. With that, I’m content to keep writing papers over why Roy Barnes’s strategies failed (which I’m in the process of doing as you’re reading this post). However, should a Democrats for Thune, Newt or ARBP (Any Republican But Palin) emerge, I will gladly take every bit of credit for it.

(Full disclaimer: this post is no reflection on my thoughts on President Obama’s re-election chances, the impact of his re-election on the National Democratic Party or any other states. I’m purely talking Georgia here.)

H/T to Scott Henry at Creative Loafing.

Meanwhile, another day passes with no formal investigation into the allegations concerning malfeasance with certain Fulton County Commissioners and their successful efforts to shutter the Office of Professional Standards days after it was discovered that some of their friends were under investigation.

I wonder if John Eaves still thinks our…very…lives depend on his reelection?

Local candidates are going up on TV. Got a link to others?

I just got off the phone with a very nice sounding female computer. She had a number of questions about politics here in Georgia. Here are the questions as best I can remember.

Do you approve of the job President Barack Obama is going?
Do you approve of the job Governor Sonny Perdue is doing?
How often do you vote?

In the race for Georgia Governor will you vote for Democrat Roy Barnes, Republican Nathan Deal, or Libertarian John Monds?
Are you likely to change you mind?
In the race for US Senate will you vote for Democrat Michael Thurmond, Republican Johnny Isakson, or Libertarian Chuck Donovan?

What is your opinion of Nathan Deal?
What is you opinion of Roy Barnes?
What is your opinion of John Monds?
What is your opinion of Michael Thurmond?
What is your opinion of Chuck Donovan?
What is your opinion of Johnny Isakson?

How much attention have you been paying to recent news about Nathan Deal’s financial problems?
What impact will Nathan Deal’s financial problems have on your vote in the Governor’s race?

Do you think recent Federal economic policies have put us on the right course?
Do you think the recession has more to do with George Bush’s policies or Barack Obama’s policies?

Do you consider yourself part of the tea party movement?
Is the tea party movement good or bad for the country?

Would you support pulling American troops out of Afghanistan immediately?
Would you support a firm timetable that removed American troops from Afghanistan in a year?

Do you consider your self very liberal, somewhat liberal, moderate, somewhat conservative, or very conservative?

Are you married?
Do you have children under 18?
Is your annual salary less than $20,000/yr, $20,000 – $40,000,$40,000 – $60,000,$60,000 – $75,000,$75,000 – $100,000, over $100,000.

Many of you remember that I ran for State House district 81 against Jill Chambers.  Jill fights dirty every year to keep her seat, and didn’t much appreciate it in 2008 when I fought back, instead relishing her previous few elections where she ceded her opponents the high ground from the start.

Needless to say, I have respect for Jill (she does what it takes to win) but little sympathy.  Today I got the first mail piece of the 2010 campaign and learned that:

• Jill’s family business has collapsed
• It caused multiple lawsuits and tax disputes
• She separated from her husband
• Jill did not pay her taxes on time
• (Although after she paid them late she got a small refund)
• She is upbeat and excited about new opportunities coming her way

Wow, I guess the new candidate running against her this year learned some lessons from me about how to lay it all out there in the mailbox.  What you may be surprised to learn is that Jill Chambers authorized her own campaign to tell the voters all about this stuff, presumably to “head off” anyone else telling you this stuff.  After all it’s so easy to “distort” a lien for not paying your taxes, duh.  I presume next month Jill will be challenging her opponents to produce the “long form” tax lien, but I digress.

Yikes.  Couldn’t have happened to a more truthful politician.

Does anyone remember that Slam Dunk contest from a few years back when Dwight Howard put on a Superman cape and scored a perfect 10 dunk on a 12 foot goal?

The Teilhet campaign’s new ad does their best impression of that, politically speaking.

The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer has the scoop.  This video hasn’t hit YouTube yet, so you need to go to the link to watch it.

Trust me.

No doubt based on the outstanding comments from Ronald Daniels in recent days, David Poythress (website | Facebook | Twitter) has finally launched an attack on Roy Barnes (website) via Poythress’ new website, BagBarnes.com. The main video from there is below for your viewing pleasure:

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and when Rep. Kevin Levitas (D – Tucker) announced that he was backing out of his re-election effort, Allan Williamson (R/D/I – Tucker) decided to step up and try to prove the old maxim.  Multiple Democratic party sources tell me that Williamson, the Finance Director of the Georgia Young Republicans, first attempt to emulate Levitas was to try and qualify as a Democrat in the special Democratic primary for the seat.  Despite the fact that our party doesn’t have a loyalty oath and that sometimes it seems like we will take just about anyone who wants to associate with us, I’m told that Democratic officials talked some sense into Williamson and that the then Republican decided not to jump in, leaving Democratic favorite Scott Holcomb as the only partisan candidate on the ballot.

Now the word is that Williamson is out collecting signatures for his independent bid.  Collecting signatures is hard sweaty work, but most voters these days want to see your website when you say you’re running for office and expect you to have at least some of your views on the issues fleshed out.  Williamson’s website offers a platform of ideas that while incomplete should at least be familiar to the district’s voters.  While not quite word for word, they are heavily appropriated from – you guessed it – Levitas’s old campaign website.  I won’t bore you with the details, you can check it out yourself or hit read more to see the cut and pasted borrowings for yourself.   Hey, give the guy some credit: Levitas won this swing district two times in a row and came within about 100 votes of beating a quasi-incumbent the first time he tried.  If you have to copy someone, at least copy a winner.

Levitas on education:

We have to take a no-excuses approach to education in Georgia. We need properly funded schools, a return to emphasizing fundamental skills over a constant stream of standardized tests, incentives for outstanding educators to remain in their classrooms, smaller class sizes and assurances that school tax dollars raised locally will not be unfairly redistributed to other regions. We must maintain a strong HOPE Scholarship program.

Williamson on education:

There is simply no excuse for ignoring education needs in Georgia. We must have properly funded schools, incentives to keep the best performing educators in their classrooms, smaller class sizes, and above all a return to emphasizing fundamental skills over a constant stream of standardized tests. Residents should be assured that school tax dollars raised locally will not be unfairly redistributed to other regions. It is also vital that we maintain a strong HOPE Scholarship program to provide educational, as well as economic, opportunity to the next generation.

Levitas on Efficient and Ethical Government:

An efficient and ethical State government starts by trimming waste from government spending (especially spending on wasteful pet projects funded with taxpayer dollars) and cleaning up state purchasing. We need a State “Comptroller” (as 40 other states have) to purchase goods and services for State agencies. Pooling buying power lowers costs. Meaningful ethics reform and enforcement will help protect against special interests and corrupt dealing.  In addition to greater transparency regarding all monetary and in-kind campaign contributions as well as gifts to government officials, stricter enforcement of ethics law is needed to catch and punish violators, especially habitual offenders.

Williamson on Improving Gov’t Efficiency:

An efficient State government starts by trimming waste from government spending programs and thoroughly auditing state purchasing. This is not only necessary for keeping a balanced budget, but also a matter of ethics – we must be good stewards of the taxpayers’ dollars. We need a State “Comptroller” (as 40 other states have) to purchase goods and services for State agencies. As a businessman, I know that pooling our buying power will result in lower costs. Meaningful ethics reform and enforcement will also be key to protecting taxpayer dollars against special interests and corrupt deal-making. In addition to greater transparency for monetary and in-kind campaign contributions to government officials, we must demand stricter enforcement of ethics laws already on the book.

Levitas on DeKalb Taxes:

No matter where they live in the County, DeKalb taxpayers should be charged a fair, uniform rate based on their homes’ actual values. We must eliminate unfair property tax rates, hiding behind so-called “quality point” rate adjustments and ensure that older residents on fixed incomes aren’t forced from their homes by spiraling tax increases.  I will continue my efforts in the legislature to reform the current unfair system of taxation.  (see video)

Williamson on Taxes:

DeKalb taxpayers should be charged a reasonable, uniform rate based on the actual values of their homes. Unfair property tax rates, which make use of so-called “quality point” rate adjustments must be stopped to ensure that older residents on fixed incomes aren’t forced from their homes by spiraling tax increases.

Taegan Goddard of the Political Wire says this is the best political tv ad this year. I agree. If I lived in Alabama I’d vote for this guy.

Consider this as Open Thread.

Possibly, according to Atlanta Unfiltered.

As we’ve previously noted, just before the New Year on Glenn Richardson’s last day as Speaker of the Georgia House, he moved the remaining $219,915 in his re-election bank account to the MMV Alliance Fund. The fund filed its 2010 registration on December 30 naming Richardson as its new chairman. This meant that he could use the remaining funds for whatever purpose he wanted, without consequence. At least, that’s what we thought.

One potential problem: MMV does not appear to be among the organizations that may legally accept unused campaign contributions. Under Georgia law, political campaigns may give excess funds to IRS-recognized charities; educational, philanthropic and non-profit organizations; other candidates; or political parties.

MMV, a political action committee created in 2004, is none of those. It is not registered as a corporation in Georgia, non-profit or otherwise; a spokesman for the Georgia Secretary of State said late Thursday that the agency had received no request from MMV to register as a corporation. Nor does the committee show up in the IRS’s searchable database of tax-exempt groups.

But how does this differ from what has been noted concerning PerduePAC?

Gov. Sonny Perdue, barred by law from seeking a third term this year, did much the same as Richardson a few years ago, when he transferred a little over $787,000 from his campaign account to PerduePAC. A key difference: the governor registered PerduePAC as a non-profit corporation first.

Perdue had asked the Ethics Commission in early 2007 whether campaign money could be transferred to a non-profit with “PAC” in its name.

On April 5, 2007, the commission said yes. On May 30, PerduePAC filed papers to register as a non-profit. On June 4, the governor’s campaign transferred the $787,000.

Glenn, give us a shout out on the ‘ol Tip Line and feel free to explain how this is just so, so wrong.

I thought we had a thread going up yesterday to discuss disclosures, and they are now out in force.

I’m sure we’ll put some of the more interesting ones, especially for the top races, in individual threads for analysis/comment.

However, I’m working on other issues, including the day job, so consider this a spot to discuss the disclosure reports and their perceived meaning.

Sock puppet free-for-all ahead!

In one corner we have social media guru SpaceyG who told the AJC this about using social media in political campaigns.

“These are very, very powerful tools,” Daughters said. “These are databases they have compiled. Once these people are in your database, you have access to them 24/7.”

In the other corner we have campaign consultant extraordinaire Mark Rountree who fired back with this:

“Around the office, I like to say the guy who spends the most time on the Web site is the guy who usually loses,” Rountree said. “I don’t think electronic communication ever replaces something tangible.”

Of course I’ve taken their comments out of context just to have some fun, but the value to campaigns of social media is most certainly growing. I come down more on Spacey’s side of this issue but Mark is correct that online stuff doesn’t replace the classic campaign methods. It should be used to enhance a campaign’s real world activities IMHO. Social media is just so cheap to use campaigns are silly not to take advantage of them.

. . .Which one of these candidates would replace state Sen. Kasim Reed (D – Atlanta) in the General Assembly?

www.bennycrane.com

www.rosiejackson.net

www.donzellajamesforsenate.com

www.aaronjohnsonforstatesenate.com

www.freshandprovenfor35.com (Torrey O. Johnson)

www.petersforsenate.com

www.georgesneed.com

Candidates Kezmiche Atterbury, Eddie Lee Brewster or Cory Jerome Lynch do not appear to have campaign websites at this time.

I’ve recently discovered a blog called 120 Politics that I’ve added to my daily read list. They’ve begun a series of posts where a webguy examines the websites of the candidates for Governor. First up is a review of Karen Handel’s new site:

First Impression:

Your designers did a great job with the colors, the action of the images, the style and the content inside the site. But the flash landing page is a major problem for the search engines and user friendliness.

Key Problems:

1. No way to turn off the music (problem for many users and an instant way to lose the visitor)
2. Flash content on the landing page (problem for search engine spiders)
3. Site does not auto load after landing page flash runs (problem for many users who may ignore the skip intro link and leave immediately)
4. Less than sufficient reciprocal links.

That’s the word from our Lieutenant Governor. Apples and oranges. One office you can run for with crippling back pain, or while recovering from surgery, and the other you can’t. Being Lieutenant Governor is evidently so easy even a caveman can do it!

Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle raised eyebrows when he said mounting back problems forced him to drop out of the 2010 governor’s race but that he still felt healthy enough to run for re-election to his current post.

The Republican says comparing the two contests is like comparing “apples and oranges.” The governor’s race is already under way and could take a $10 million war chest.

What an outstanding way to make his office look utterly unnecessary if someone who is wracked with pain and facing paralysis is still able to handle the responsibilities incumbent in holding the second highest office within Georgia.

Cagle says he decided to drop out of the race after roaming the grounds of Augusta National with his family last week. He says he suffers from growing numbness in his left arm and the possibility of paralysis.

He says the pain “never goes away. It only worsens. Even when I lay down.”

Okay, I’ll take him at his word. It’s the horrible pain. The horrible pain that no one has heard a whisper about for months. The horrible pain that isn’t on display in these recent videos. The horrible pain that his physician, who is on “double secret probation” and mysteriously can’t be identified in the first ever case of “reverse physician confidentiality,” says surgery is needed for. The horrible pain that, as a result of walking around The Masters tournament in Augusta and not 40 long days and nights during the recent session of the General Assembly, convinced him about the need for surgery.

But he can still run for re-election and remain an effective Lieutenant Governor. Really?