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Like an unexpected third topping, Cain is changing the face of the GOP race for U.S. Senate
The Atlanta Journal Constitution ^ | 3-26-04 | Tom Baxter and Jim Galloway

Posted on 03/26/2004 10:49:09 AM PST by Veritas_est

Friday 3.26.04 Like an unexpected third topping, Cain is changing the face of the GOP race for U.S. Senate

While the Legislature has dithered, the shape of the U.S. Senate race in Georgia has undergone a subtle change.

Not the Democratic side. That remains an embarrassing disaster.

We're talking about the Republican contest.

The campaign of Johnny Isakson on Thursday passed around some points from his well-known Washington pollster, Linda DiVall.

Any candidate poll that reaches the public eye is by definition self-serving. And Isakson's is no different. His name ID is high, his favorability ratings are unassailable. Ho-hum.

The real news in the Isakson survey is that his two opponents -- U.S. Rep. Mac Collins and millionaire entrepreneur Herman Cain -- are in a statistical dead heat for second place.

A conservative African-American who made his fortune with the Godfather's pizza chain, Cain has spent the last six weeks -- and a great deal of money -- on Georgia television trying to shed his "nobody" status and define himself as a conservative purist.

It seems to be working. It also seems that Cain's gains are coming out of Collins' hide.

"I'm getting three or four pieces of mail a month from Herman Cain," said Rusty Paul, the former state GOP chairman. "He's pounding the Republican base with direct mail. He's going after Mac Collins' bread-and-butter."

Collins' staffers couldn't endorse Isakson's poll. But their actions indicate they don't dispute the general sense of the numbers.

Earlier this week, the Collins campaign drew specific attention to Cain's stand on affirmative action, charging that Cain favors "quotas." A review of past statements shows that Cain favors affirmative action as defined by the U.S. Supreme Court last summer, but opposes quotas.

Then, on Thursday, Collins charged both his opponents with spreading rumors that he would pull out of the race soon. Denials all around, of course, but Cain's campaign was delighted to be accused.

Both Collins and Cain now agree that they're in a race for second place in the July 20 primary -- and the chance to deal Isakson a killing blow in a runoff.

"We always have thought we'd be faced with a runoff situation," Collins spokeswoman Carolyn Hern said. "We can't discount Herman Cain. He's been in the state campaigning every day. He hasn't been in Washington, doing the people's business."

No one smart is writing off Collins. He's been around too long, his base is too loyal, and he's got nowhere else to go. Moreover, the doings in the state Legislature have soaked up much of the attention of GOP true believers. And there's the fact that Cain has yet to be scoured by opposition research.

Still, the third man in this Republican race for the U.S. Senate -- an African-American and a rookie -- has reshaped the race, making inroads in the most unexpected places.

In South Georgia, two middle-aged women are the most influential figures in Republican politics. Kay Godwin of Blackshear and Pat Tippett of Baxley work as a team, networking every county south of Macon. They were crucial to Sonny Perdue's grass-roots formula for victory in 2002, and are considered the gateway to social conservatives in the region. Godwin is now chairman of the state GOP's committee for counties under 80,000 -- which covers 132 of Georgia's 159 counties, most of them rural.

Both Godwin and Tippett are signed on with Cain. "He's a motivator and a true believer. He's a changer," said Godwin, a former Collins supporter.

Hern, the Collins spokeswoman, said the impact of Godwin's switch won't be dramatic: "All of the people she brought to the Collins organization -- all of those folks are still with us."


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Georgia
KEYWORDS: 2004; cain; collins; election; electionussenate; georgia; gopprimary; herman; hermancain; isakson; johnny; mac; politics; race; republican; senate; taxreform; us
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To: somedaysoon; Sprite518; All
I'm late with the answers because I was out of town for a couple of days.

somedaysoon, "Is affirmative action the only liberal view Cain holds and is conservative on everything else?"

Sprite518, "If he is pro affirmative action, then there is no way I will support him. Mac will get my vote."

Don't believe this line from Mac just because it's from Mac. He is getting desperate because Cain is breathing down his neck, and Mac can't find any real chink in his armor. Actually I believe Mr. Cain has passed Mac in every way that counts. If not already then he is likely to pass him soon. Herman Cain can not accurately be described as liberal on any issue by any stretch of the imagination.

21 posted on 03/28/2004 8:44:05 PM PST by Veritas_est (Truth is)
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To: GadareneDemoniac
"my parents introduced me to Jesus years ago and that has made all the difference for me. I'm proud to say that He's my Rock and my only hope!"

PRAISE GOD! What a report. Awesome.

"The other posters are very impressed with Mr. Cain, and from looking at the other threads it looks like he's for real!!"

If you haven't done so already go to "Post 16" by NewLand in this thread and click on the link to Herman Cain for US Senate. Some great stuff.

22 posted on 03/28/2004 8:52:05 PM PST by Veritas_est (Truth is)
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To: King Prout; All
"For the very first time in my life, I feel the urge to erect a sign on my lawn endorsing a candidate."

Check at Cain campaign headquarters. They have yard signs and some of the LARGE signs, if you are in a strategic location. Look at "Post #16" by NewLand in this thread and check out the link to Cain for US Senate.

23 posted on 03/28/2004 8:57:54 PM PST by Veritas_est (Truth is)
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To: Amelia
"I'm afraid more people have heard of Isakson & Collins, but then again, everyone has heard of Godfather's."

There is no doubt that Herman Cain has been playing catch up in the name recognition race, but he is catching up faster than you can believe.

He can really win this thing.

Get on board and find out how you can help him win.

24 posted on 03/28/2004 9:01:34 PM PST by Veritas_est (Truth is)
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To: Veritas_est
I live right across the street from the local hospital in a racially mixed neighborhood in a socially conservative South GA town. I reckon one might call that a "strategic" location :)
25 posted on 03/28/2004 9:11:01 PM PST by King Prout (You may disagree with what I have to say... but I will defend to YOUR death MY right to say it.)
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To: Veritas_est
I'll check out the website. The PTB in our local GOP are working for Isakson - I'm not sure why; he's never impressed me.
26 posted on 03/29/2004 2:55:33 AM PST by Amelia
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To: Veritas_est
your point on changing stripes is a sore spot with a lot of conservative voters...this guy cain sounds real good!...all the best to you folks in GA...anyone notice how many rinos in congress are facing primarys?
27 posted on 03/29/2004 3:04:33 AM PST by rrrod
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To: King Prout; All
For contact information to request a bumper sticker or a sign of any size Click Here:
Cain campaign headquarters contact info
28 posted on 03/29/2004 6:37:17 AM PST by Veritas_est (Truth is)
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To: Amelia
"The PTB in our local GOP are working for Isakson - I'm not sure why; he's never impressed me."

It's hard for a true RINO (Isakson) to pull the wool over the eyes of a true conservative. He plays the conservative card when running the race, but the fact that he is truly a card carrying moderate (read moderately liberal) shows when it's time for him to vote on the issues that count.

Johnny came into this race with most of the country club republicans in his hip pocket. Most of them are RINOS at heart. They love and promote RINOS. However, when the chips are down you can count on them . . . . .
to stab you in the back!

29 posted on 03/29/2004 6:54:34 AM PST by Veritas_est (Truth is)
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To: Veritas_est
I'd love to see Jesse Helms visit Atlanta and stand side by side with Herman.
30 posted on 03/29/2004 7:17:34 AM PST by G L Tirebiter
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To: G L Tirebiter
There was a story on local radio this morning that Denise Majette (4th district US House who bested Cynthia McKinney)will toss her hat in for the Dem Senate nomination.

That would be somethin' to see - black folks (and one a woman!) as the major party nominees in GA.
31 posted on 03/29/2004 7:29:14 AM PST by G L Tirebiter
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To: somedaysoon
"Is affirmative action the only liberal view Cain holds and is conservative on everything else?"


Herman Cain is extremely conservative on every issue I've heard him speak on, and I'm surprised to hear he supports affirmative action. But the fact that he says he supports affirmative action "as defined by the Supreme Court," which is that race may be minor factor but not the overwhelming factor in decisions, and that he absolutely opposes quotas, makes me think that his views are closer to President Bush's "affirmative access" than to the type of affirmative action that has hurt our nation so much. And besides, as a black Senate candidate who could break the Democrat monopoly on black votes (blacks in Georgia vote over 90% Democrat, but Cain might be able to get 25%-30% of blacks to switch to the Republican Party, making it nearly impossible for Democrats to win in Georgia ever again), I think he should be given a little leeway on the affirmative action issue (in fact, JC Watts favored affirmative action as well). On the other hand, I would give Cain no leeway on abortion, guns, taxes or national security, and Cain is 100% conservative on all those issues. The choice is clear: Conservatives should support Herman Cain in the Georgia Senate race.
32 posted on 04/02/2004 7:55:08 AM PST by AuH2ORepublican (Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice, moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.)
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To: Veritas_est
Go Herman!
33 posted on 04/02/2004 8:00:04 AM PST by jwalsh07
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To: GadareneDemoniac
I was in College Republicans at GT when the revolution republicans were all coming up. They were mostly a pretty good lot. But, in all the circles I ran around in, the dislike for Isakson was deep (at least for us Reagan conservatives). The Rino's with no philosophical basis for their "beliefs" all loved Isakson.

Be a part of history, vote for Cain.
34 posted on 04/07/2004 9:17:01 PM PDT by edeal
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To: William McKinley
My prediction is that with a win, Cain is at the top of the list for VP's in 2008. A mid-western/western Presidential candidate needs a souther counterweight.

I have not been excited about a candidate in a long time. Go Cain!
35 posted on 04/07/2004 9:19:09 PM PDT by edeal
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To: Sprite518
Collins is fine, just don't cast that vote for Isakson. Conservatives need to show the RINO's we are still here.

36 posted on 04/07/2004 9:20:34 PM PDT by edeal
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To: NewLand
Go Cain! I can't wait for the series of debates coming up! Cain is far and away the best speaker. He very articulate and incredibly fast on his feet.

GO CAIN!!!!
37 posted on 04/22/2004 6:51:55 PM PDT by 80sReaganite
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