Posted on 07/20/2004 2:37:30 AM PDT by pookie18
Conservative Democrat Zell Miller sides against his own party more often than most; he's endorsed President Bush for re-election and will speak at the GOP convention. (He's also a friend of TAS, having delivered the keynote address at a dinner last fall where financial benefactors mingled with those of us whom they benefact.) There are some who say that Miller's seat in the Senate is really filled by a Republican. When he retires next year, it will become official.
The Democrat expected to win today's primary, freshman congresswoman Denise Majette, is far too liberal to be elected in Georgia, where the Democratic Party took its hardest hits in 2002. That makes the Republican primary doubly important.
The candidate that makes conservatives swoon is Herman Cain. A one-time Burger King executive who sold Godfather's Pizza in December after owning it for 15 years, Cain has called for abolition of the IRS and repeal of the income tax, replacing it with a national sales tax, one of the two competing high-growth dreams of supply-siders. (The other, of course, is the flat income tax; not coincidentally, Cain backed Steve Forbes in the 2000 primary.) The author of several business books, the charismatic Cain makes $25,000 per appearance as a motivational speaker. Oh yes: He's black. If elected, Cain would be the first black senator from the Deep South since Reconstruction.
The race has focused mostly on abortion; though all three candidates -- Cain and Representatives Mac Collins and Johnny Isakson -- are pro-life, questions of purity are magnified in a state where, according to Georgia Right to Life, six percent of voters vote solely on abortion; the percentage is no doubt larger in a Republican primary.
As the front-runner, Isakson has taken hits from the right from both Cain and Collins, who oppose abortion except when the health of the mother is threatened; Isakson also favors exceptions in cases of rape and incest. Isakson has been hammered for various compromises on the issue, including voting to allow privately funded abortions on U.S. military bases abroad.
The focus on abortion makes strategic sense for Cain and Collins: Isakson lost his last bid for a nomination for Senate in 1996 when, in what many consider a fatal political error, he ran an ad touting his opposition to a Human Life Amendment.
The latest polling by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution shows Isakson with 46%, Cain with 16%, and Collins with 8%. There is word from Georgia that candidates' internal polling shows the race much closer. If Cain holds Isakson below 50%, it will force a two-way run-off. If that happens, despite a significant fundraising gap, Cain may have a fighting shot at grabbing the nomination.
Here's hoping.
oh and Dylan Glenn for 8th district Congress. Yep us Republicans sure are racists
BTTT
(((((VC)))))
Go Cain, indeed! :-)
impossible to say - Quitman is a sleepy little town, with more retirees than workers, and far more churches than bars. I'd have to squat at the polls for hours to give you even a rough estimate.
I will say thi9s much - by all appearances most folks who were voting were voting democrat, by a 5-1 ratio, minimum.
It's the "local" effect.
Voted early (7:15 or so) was the 16th R voter. Only 3 D's had voted by then.
Brooks.
In fact, I'd probably have an easier time passing my self off as a half brother of Thabo Mbeki than he would convincing any rational person that he is opposed to abortion.
LOL! Very well put.
a few questions..what time do the pols close?..also..have all the candidates pledged to support the winner..and/or will Collins endorse Cain in a run-off?
Prayers extended here. Even if I was no political, I would pray for him to win.
He is just a good person.
I can answer only one of your questions - the polls close at 7 p.m.
As to whether or not the others will support the winners, personally, I have not heard any such talk - yet. I'll defer to others from GA that may know.
Also, thank you for the info on the times article.
My guess is that Collins would endorse Cain in a run-off and Cain would endorse Collins. I am a volunteer for Collins, and my conversations with Cain volunteers have always been amicable and we always say these two are the best. I am sticking with Mac today because I know his record and his hard work through the years for solid conservative principles even when it meant bucking the status quo. I trust his viewpoints and his experience. He's been there for conservatives in Georgia all these years, all the while we've longed to have someone like him in office he has been there, and I am going to be there for him today. Best of luck to Mac and Herman today! Whatever the outcome, I feel like together they will be responsible for forcing Isakson into a run-off, when hopefully conservatives will band together and vote for the Big C!
Just voted Cain.
Thanks for the info..and for fighting the good fight..this GA primary is a forerunner of many positive changes to come..as seats in Senate and House becoem more solidly GOP..then the primary races will become mroe ideological..and the party overall more conservtaive...we just missed in PA, but had a nice win in SC..and now GA..do you have any idea what Collins will do after the race? any possibility of a post in the Bush administration..BTW..did the AJC make an endorsement in the Dem primary for Majette's House seat?
I'll post our county senate results as soon as I get them.
Small town politics...gotta love it.
We had a new precinct created this year in our district - so many new voters in 2000 and 2002. This is a heavily Republican district, BTW. I wound up at the new place.
The poll watching ladies told me that business has been substantial and steady all morning long. I got there around 10:15, there were 4-5 people ahead of me to get their ballot cards, and all the voting machines (8-10) were occupied.
I voted for Cain in the Senate race, but I would be perfectly happy with Collins as well. Hopefully all the Cain and Collins supporters will unite behind whichever conservative candidate gets into the runoff with Isakson.
Assuming there is a runoff . . . I hope Cain beats Johnny outright.
You have to admit, it is fun!
Yes it is. It is great fun to be excited about a candidate, and to vote FOR someone.
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