Posted on 01/29/2004 2:29:35 PM PST by Amish
themselves
Former U.S. Rep. Bob Barr and Howard "Bo" Callaway, the father of the modern Georgia GOP, took the mike at the state Capitol on behalf of Dylan Glenn on Wednesday. Glenn's the 8th Congressional District candidate running against state Rep. Lynn Westmoreland of Sharpsburg and state Sen. Mike Crotts of Conyers. All are Republicans.
If you listened carefully, you could pick up some interesting subtext.
Callaway emphasized Glenn as the best Republican candidate "to help George Bush, who's being picked on by everybody in America today."
Callaway won the popular vote for governor of Georgia in 1966 but lost to Lester Maddox on a vote of a Democratic Legislature. Callaway spoke of the prestige that Glenn would have as "the first African-American to be elected from a [modern] Confederate state to Congress as a Republican." A Glenn victory would be proof that racial divisions are a thing of the past, he said.
Barr, who lost his 2002 battle for Congress against longtime Republican insider John Linder, spoke of the need for "fresh faces with energy and backbone in Washington" and credited Glenn as a man with "Reagan-esque vision."
Glenn also spoke for himself, of course. He touted his experience as "the highest-ranking Georgian" at the Bush White House -- he was special assistant to the president for economic policy.
But the candidate also spoke of the 8th District, which stretches from Columbus up to the southern Atlanta 'burbs, as a "fantastically dynamic and diverse district." Which led to the question of whether Glenn will try to draw Democratic voters into his July primary race.
"I think we have a message that transcends race and party. If you're a common-sense conservative, I'm you're guy," Glenn replied.
And yes, we noticed that state Rep. Larry O'Neal of Perry, the governor's floor leader, was at the edges of the event.
Not sure how good a shot Glenn has at this seat. Westmoreland and Crotts are both established local pols.
Update, Glenn placed 2nd in July 20th primary with apporximately 37 percent of vote to Westmoreland's approximately 46 percent, necessitating an August 10th run off. As a Glenn supporter I hope he can pull off an upset victory, as I think he'd make the best representative, but time will tell I guess.
apporximately (!!!) - dang, please make that approximately, obviously I need more coffee...
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