Bob Barr Likely to Seek a Return to the House in 2004

Roll Call ^ | January 30, 2003 | Lauren W. Whittington

[JohnnyZ]

While the jockeying among potential candidates in Georgia’s 6th district has for the most part been behind the scenes so far, two Republicans — including former Rep. Bob Barr (Ga.) — are inching closer to announcing their candidacies.

[JohnnyZ]

The rest of the article is for paying members only.

I'm happy to see that Barr won't be trying a quixotic run for senator -- all we'd need would be a Isakson-Barr primary runoff to lose that race!!!

I guess I'm more interested in the senate race implications than the House, since the 6th district is safe GOP territory. Right now for the senate it looks like we have:

• insurance commissioner John Oxendine
• Rep. Johnny Isakson, pro-abortion
• Rep. Mac Collins?
• Rep. Jack Kingston?

  Plus others. Rep. Nathan Deal and Ralph Reed say they won't run.

  The Democrats have:

• Rep. John Lewis?
• AG Thurbert Baker
• ex-Sen. Max Cleland

  Lewis and Baker are both black, but Baker has statewide support, and I think he is their best candidate. Sec State Cathy Cox says she won't run; same with Barnes and Lt Gov Taylor

[Phantom Lord]

If Barr would have just kept his butt still and stayed in his district instead of moving to a new district he would still be in the House.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Since Roll Call went to subscriber service, that really pi$$es me off. Only millionaires can afford it now. :-(

[Libertarianize the GOP]

http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/bump-list

[fieldmarshaldj]

Perhaps, though I think he was such a polarizing figure even in that district, he might very well ended up losing. Gingrey was a better bet in successfully holding that seat. I'm not entirely sure Barr will prevail in getting the nomination for Isakson's seat, there's probably a lot of Republicans in that district that would like a shot at it and don't want him carpetbagging it for a 2nd time...

[LdSentinal]

The Democrats have:

• Rep. John Lewis?
  
• AG Thurbert Baker
  
• ex-Sen. Max Cleland

Also, former Secretary of State Lewis Massey and former Lt. Governor Pierre Howard are possible Democratic candidates, and both are white. Howard, however, likes the private sector a lot now.

When did Nathan Deal back out? Is it in this Roll Call article?

[Bruce Buckley]

Mike Kenn will win Isakson's seat if he runs. He is based in North Fulton County, and the Atlanta media is primarily viwed in the district. He has good intangibles, NFL, etc.

The others intrested in the Isakson seat--Former GOP head Chuck Clay, Barr, and Lamut either do not have sufficient name recognition (Lamut and Clay--who ran for Lieuteneant Governor 4 years ago, but is not from that district, and there is much turnover in that district) or run counter to the socially moderate, fiscal conservative electorate in Isakson's district.

Isakson is a country club Republican and won overwhelmingly in the district, which is composed of former Northeasterners and Midwesterners. They won't elect Barr, who did better in his former district (to the Alabama line, where you had a lot of gun toting rural white Democrats).

[JohnnyZ]

The Nathan Deal bit is not in the Roll Call article -- I do not have a subscription myself, don't have $200 to spend on analysis I can do myself. My politics website is free!

I remembered the Deal bit from an Atlanta Journal-Constitution article; I'm pretty sure it's accurate. He all but took himself out after Miller's announcement and I think must have confirmed that since then.

[LdSentinal]

Thanks for the link.

[Malcolm]

Agreed. Stay where you are Bobert; and while you're there, the least you can do is spy for us.....

[Only1choice____Freedom]

B B B B But what about Cynthia McKenny????????

[fieldmarshaldj]

Interesting. The irony is that Barr is native to Iowa ! Chairman Kenn isn't a pro-aborter, is he ?

[AuH2ORepublican]

Jack Kingston is the man. If he runs, he could galvanize support from conservatives and go on to victory in November. Plus, his seat is now so ridiculously Republican (after Barnes's gerrymandering) that any conservative could run there and win.

Isakson must be stopped. We don't need another pro-abort RINO in the Senate. If he wins the nomination, Georgia Republicans should hang their heads in shame. How could Isakson be the frontrunner? Good Lord, we're talking about Georgia, not Maine!

As for Barr, he ran against Linder last time because he knew he would have gotten beat like a rented mule against Buddy Darden or Roger Kahn. In the old district, Kahn actually beat Barr in Cobb County, even though that portion of Cobb gave Bush 55% of the vote in 2000. The new district was carried by Bush over Gore by like 52%-48%, so Barr moved because he knew he'd lose if he kept running over 5% behind Bush (and it's a good thing he moved, too, since Dr. Phil Gingrey, a pro-life obstetrician, beat Kahn by getting the same 52% Bush got in 2000). But if Barr gets the GOP nomination in Isakson's district, he'd be a shoo-in in the general, since Bush got something like 75% in the gerrymandered district.

[JohnnyZ]

B B B B But what about Cynthia McKenny????????

Oh, she could very well run on the Green line or as an independent, but she wouldn't win the Democrat nomination. There's a strong possibility she'll be the Green candidate for Prez (~25%, I think), which would be a godsend to Bush.

I'd probably vote for Oxendine myself, though either Kingston or Collins would be good. How much do you want to bet that the Democrat primary will segregate between white voters and white candidates and black voters & black candidates? I'd be willing to bet that if more than one black candidate runs in the primary a white candidate will win.

[JohnnyZ]

Mike Kenn: "Mike ran on a platform that includes equality for all and a commitment to equal protection under the law for gay men and women. . . . Kenn's control of $12 million in Ryan White AIDS funding and his promise to provide Domestic Partner Benefits for Fulton County employees are of particular interest to the gay and lesbian community."

[fieldmarshaldj]

Ah, so then he's a RINO extraordinaire. I'd rather keep Isakson.

[KQQL]

@

[KQQL]

COOL BARR will not run for the senate...

[DryFly]

After all, he is the "gooder" candidate!