How Denise Majette beat Cynthia McKinney

Curtis Rush used to be a Cynthia McKinney supporter. But Rush, like a lot of DeKalb County voters, helped cast McKinney out of Congress on Tuesday.

Rush, an African-American contractor from Stone Mountain, voted for first-time challenger Denise Majette even though he has had some positive experiences with McKinney.

"She's highly accessible. She's as close as your phone is. But I think she doesn't fully understand her constituency at this point," Rush said, referring to McKinney's well-publicized affinity toward Arab groups critical of U.S. policy. "I was really annoyed by that letter to the Saudi prince. That did not represent me."

Majette's stunning victory in the 4th Congressional District Democratic primary seemed to confirm the emergence of moderate middle class and affluent African-Americans as an independent political base. Majette won a convincing 58 percent of the vote.

To be sure, heavy voting by Republicans who "crossed over" to the Democratic primary helped doom McKinney's re-election bid.

But a review of how people voted in the district shows Majette also made significant inroads in McKinney's working-class political base.

Majette carried predominantly African-American precincts despite a full-court press by the traditional black political machine of preachers and politicians to deliver the election to McKinney. And in deep south DeKalb, McKinney's stronghold over the last 10 years, voters failed to come out as strongly as they have in recent elections.

Ken Turner says he is a former McKinney supporter. Tuesday, he voted for Majette over the brash congresswoman.

"Just yelling and making any statement you want and thinking as long as you're black, people are going to vote for you, well, we're not that stupid," Turner said.

Decatur businessman John Leak, who said he voted for Majette, suggested that old-style black politics don't work any more in DeKalb County.

"The appeals by the Jesse Jacksons, the [Louis] Farrakhans and the [Joseph] Lowerys fell on deaf ears," said Leak, who is an African-American. "The typical black voter didn't want to hear that. . . . The typical political kingmakers didn't play a role in this."

Of the 20 precincts that drew 1,000 voters or more to the polls, Majette carried 13, all in north DeKalb, by margins far greater than those by which McKinney prevailed in the remaining seven precincts.

And in deep south DeKalb, McKinney's voters failed to come out in the kind of numbers she has typically drawn. For example, at Stoneview Elementary School, a McKinney stronghold and the site of a melee over ballot access for the 1,767 people who showed up to vote in the 2000 general election, only 169 people cast ballots Tuesday, most of them for McKinney.

Majette suggested Wednesday that black voters in DeKalb have long been more diverse in their political attitudes than past elections may have indicated.

"It's the first time that black people have had a choice between two African-American, Democratic, 47-year-old women with previous political experience," said Majette. "But I would agree that it's not the same base that existed five or six years ago when she last had Democratic opposition."

Then, white voters held a majority in McKinney's congressional district. With the support of blacks and white liberals, McKinney coasted to victory in 1996 and two succeeding elections with 60 percent of the vote or more.

The demographics of the district have changed significantly since then. The 54 percent African-American majority realized in the 2000 census has assisted in the election of more black leaders at the countywide level, including DeKalb Chief Executive Officer Vernon Jones. DeKalb is also home to a growing number of immigrant populations.

Majette said she welcomes the emerging diversity of DeKalb County's black population.

"It is more representative of the diversity of this region," she said, "and it bodes well for the kind of coalition building that will be most effective in helping me serve this district."

In the Stone Mountain area, a popular destination for middle class African-American newcomers moving to metro Atlanta, Majette prevailed. The former State Court judge also ran competitively with McKinney across a swath of central DeKalb precincts dominated by African-American voters. Decatur businessman John Leak, who said he voted for Majette, suggested that old-style black politics don't work any more in DeKalb County. "The appeals by the Jesse Jacksons, the [Louis] Farrakhans and the [Joseph] Lowerys fell on deaf ears," said Leak, who is an African-American. "The typical black voter didn't want to hear that. . . . The typical political kingmakers didn't play a role in this."

I hope this a trend, even if it just elects Democrats that care about the United States.

"Just yelling and making any statement you want and thinking as long as you're black, people are going to vote for you, well, we're not that stupid," Turner said.

Now there's a good man...

For example, at Stoneview Elementary School, a McKinney stronghold and the site of a melee over ballot access for the 1,767 people who showed up to vote in the 2000 general election, only 169 people cast ballots Tuesday, most of them for McKinney.

Too much publicity this time around to bus in the voters?

"Just yelling and making any statement you want and thinking as long as you're black, people are going to vote for you, well, we're not that stupid," Turner said.

I love it. I hope more black voters start talking this way. Black voters need to let their elected officials know that they'll be judged, as a famous man once said, by the content of their character, not the color of their skin.

My major impression of the election was interest in the fact that Barr and McKinney, both generally perceived to be on the "far" side of their respective ideologies, lost and lost in their primaries. Conventional wisdom holds that the ideologues do better in the primaries. I see both parties taking a lesson from this and running to the middle. Since the dems have further to run to get to the middle, I generally consider this to be a good thing. I think that America, post 9-11 is in a very cautious mood and perceived extremists will not be treated kindly at the polls.

Majette said she welcomes the emerging diversity of DeKalb County's black population.

"It is more representative of the diversity of this region," she said, "and it bodes well for the kind of coalition building that will be most effective in helping me serve this district."

Perhaps Denise is well aware of how much the crossover votes helped her win.

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Music to the ears. I hope those race-hustlers are terrified right now. The Black Americans on their plantation are waking up! Let's get this quote reprinted everywhere!

"Just yelling and making any statement you want and thinking as long as you're black, people are going to vote for you, well, we're not that stupid," Turner said.
Decatur businessman John Leak, who said he voted for Majette, suggested that old-style black politics don't work any more in DeKalb County.

These statements are encouraging.

I strongly disagree that the lesson is to "run in the middle"...Barr lost because he MOVED into antoher already elected person's district....McKinney lost because republicans took to the voting booths to slap her loud mouth, and because (as the article tells you), blacks don't like her either...Moderates win ONLY where there is no choice...How can anyone suggest that canidates should run in the middle during primaires with so much evidence pointing to the fact that it all depends on WHERE they are....Kennedy is NOT in the middle, but keeps winning...Thurmond and Helms kept winning and they are NOT moderates.

Don't read too much into this. The ideological issues right now---ASIDE from the "war on terror," which McK blew big time---are not clearly defined to the American public.

You and I know that lowering taxes would spark a new round of economic growth, but conditions aren't bad enough (or good enough) to make that argument effectively. Think back on the two big "turnover" elections, 1980 and 1994: in both cases, one economic and military, the other involving government abuse, oppression, and Hillarycare, there were huge CLEAR issues confronting the electorate. I think the rejection of McK was due to her loony pro-Arab sentiments, and the rejection of Barr due to his affinity for the tube and his rather poor marital/moral record.

One cannot waterdown her alliance with the terrorists. That so outraged people they ignored all concern over political "bases" and other conventional responses to go put of their way to remove her. That is the story here.

"...the BIG story that Congress is now minus one loudmouth extremist whacko--"

And I'll bet that she doesn't even show her face in Congress the rest of the session. She'll go to DC one last time to clean out her desk and close up her 'partment, and then slink back to some lily pad and croak from the sidelines. She's not the sort to abide showing her face in a lame-duck session.

Michael

She's not the sort to abide showing her face in a lame-duck session

I'm guessing the opposite. She's been so shrill for her entire tenure that she will simply go "over-the-top" for these last few months. In her mind, and this is scary to even contemplate, she's going to stop "showing restraint."

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