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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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I hear a train a comin, . . . . It sounds like the Cain Train. Get on board little chillun.
To: Veritas_est; NewLand
Ping
2
posted on
03/26/2004 10:52:14 AM PST
by
Veritas_est
(Truth is)
To: Veritas_est
I can't stomach Isakson, a true RINO if I ever saw one. Mac Collins I know personally - and in my opinion, he's a good solid conservative - but I don't think he has the name recognition for a statewide office. Mr. Cain's ads are great!! Looking at your profile I can tell you are sold on him, so let me ask, can conservatives count on him not to change his stripes once in the District of Criminals?
To: Veritas_est
Good Lord, what will the demoncrats do if the Repubs elect a black senator, my my
4
posted on
03/26/2004 11:12:55 AM PST
by
Mister Baredog
((Kerry is a dork))
To: Veritas_est
Cain will win, as the founder of Godfather's he'll make the others an offer they can't refuse...
5
posted on
03/26/2004 11:22:37 AM PST
by
GreenLanternCorps
(Just once I'd like to meet an alien menace that wasn't immune to bullets!!!)
To: GadareneDemoniac
Cain would not only not change his stripes, he would immediately vault to the position of being one of the most conservative Senators, if not the most conservative Senator.
I like Mac Collins. Solid guy. Would win in November.
But if I had to choose, I'd rather have Cain.
To: GadareneDemoniac
Gadarene, Welcome to Free Republic, or is this just a new screen name? At any rate I do hope you have been delivered.
". . . can conservatives count on him not to change his stripes once in the District of Criminals?"
To begin with, we NEVER know what will happen to a good man when he gets to the District. I've seen some really good men go bad in that bunch of bad apples. However, I do believe that Herman Cain is a true conservative at heart. I don't believe he'll ever back down, because it's a part of him.
7
posted on
03/26/2004 11:55:47 AM PST
by
Veritas_est
(Truth is)
To: Veritas_est
Is affirmative action the only liberal view Cain holds and is conservative on everything else?
To: *Taxreform; ancient_geezer
NRST supporter Cain ping!
9
posted on
03/26/2004 11:58:40 AM PST
by
kevkrom
(The John Kerry Songbook: www.imakrom.com/kerrysongs)
To: Veritas_est
hope you are right. it is good when business men get into the congress. look at The Hammer as one good example.
10
posted on
03/26/2004 12:19:56 PM PST
by
q_an_a
To: Veritas_est
If he is pro affirmative action, then there is no way I will support him. Mac will get my vote.
To: Veritas_est; All
For whatever my word is worth around here, I've said before that I would walk through fire to vote for Mr. Cain- in any office he chooses to run for- and I say this again. He has my vote.
His ads are running here on the coast, and I like them, FWIW.
12
posted on
03/26/2004 1:04:40 PM PST
by
backhoe
(Just an old Cold Warrior, draggin' his BAR into the Sunset...)
To: Mister Baredog
Good Lord, what will the demoncrats do if the Repubs elect a black senator, my my Well for one thing, he won't be welcome at the congressional Black Caucus.
J.C. Watts
13
posted on
03/26/2004 1:11:24 PM PST
by
itsahoot
(The lesser of two evils, is evil still...Alan Keyes)
To: Veritas_est
Long time lurker, new poster...
About my screen name, no particular significance except that I heard the term in a sermon once and thought it would make a great name for a rock band ;) - seriously though, I am the luckiest guy in the world - 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!
The other posters are very impressed with Mr. Cain, and from looking at the other threads it looks like he's for real!!
To: Veritas_est
bump
15
posted on
03/26/2004 10:11:33 PM PST
by
Kuksool
To: AuH2ORepublican; Veritas_est; King Prout; mhking; dixierose; Pan_Yans Wife; ForOurFuture; ...
16
posted on
03/27/2004 6:23:52 AM PST
by
NewLand
(The Bush Campaign has their high value target surrounded.)
To: Veritas_est; NewLand; backhoe
I can only pray for Herman Cain.
I wish I could vote for him.
Were I in Georgia, I'd be working
for his campaign night and day.
He is one in a million,
just like Haley Barbour.
17
posted on
03/27/2004 9:46:42 AM PST
by
onyx
(Kerry' s a Veteran, but so were Lee Harvey Oswald, Timothy McVeigh and Benedict Arnold.)
To: Veritas_est
I plan to vote for Mr. Cain in July.
For the very first time in my life, I feel the urge to erect a sign on my lawn endorsing a candidate.
18
posted on
03/27/2004 2:27:17 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.)
To: backhoe
He does have great ads, and I plan to vote for him in July.
I'm afraid more people have heard of Isakson & Collins, but then again, everyone has heard of Godfather's.
19
posted on
03/27/2004 2:35:52 PM PST
by
Amelia
To: Amelia
I'm afraid more people have heard of Isakson & Collins, but then again, everyone has heard of Godfather's. Excellent point. Collins and Isakson aren't bad guys; they are just more of the same old same old the Republican party here in Georgia likes to trot out. I simply like Herman Cain, and he has fresh ideas. We need change.
20
posted on
03/27/2004 4:40:47 PM PST
by
backhoe
(--30--)
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