Black conservative seeks seat in Senate

Washington Times ^ | Monday, June 2, 2003 | Ralph Z. Hallow

[mhking]

So far, as Georgia Republican Chairman Alec Poitevint notes, no black Democrats have yet entered the party's Senate primary.

As it stands now, it looks like Atlanta mayor Shirley Franklin may enter the race. The other black Democrat that may enter is Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker.

Baker's got a pretty decent following outside Atlanta - the one thing that any Senatorial candidate will have to be able to do is to attract the voters in metro Atlanta, as well as the voters in the "other Georgia" outside the urban core.

(Sorry - I don't have access to my list when I'm not at home anymore! [sigh])

[Cheapskate]

"There would have been an opporunity for him to run and run legitimately"Hey pal! Just who in the blue hell do you think you are. ARE you just another low-life political hack
who needs to have your candy *ss kissed on main street??

[Cheapskate]

John, i wasn't talking about you in the last post.
These party Grand-Poobahs just drive me crazy.

[LTCJ]

Thanks for the ping, dansangel & onyx.

The fact that Cain did an end-run around the GOP "machine" is a plus in some respects. If the party is to move to a more conservative position, I believe that pressure will have to be put on the likes of Rove to shift their view from the soccer moms and moderates toward the conservatives. Cain seems to be in an ideal position to apply that pressure.

Tuning the GOP to a phantom "center" is a self defeating strategy. There are more votes to gain on the right of the current GOP position than there are to be lost to the left of it.

[FITZ]

Bump to that.

[AuH2ORepublican]

"Actually, Cain's got more name recognition than Bartell locally (at least in the black community); there hasn't been much splash on either name at least in Atlanta. I'm not sure about the remainder of the state."

---

Cain would be a top-tier Senate candidate, Bartell second-tier. I think Bartell would be much better off running for a House seat, perhaps Isakson's safe Republican seat (which he is vacating to run for the Senate). If Bartell is really adventurous, he could challenge first-term Congressman David Scott in the 13th District, which is 41% black and where Gore got 58% of the vote in 2000. If Bartell can get just 25-30% of the black vote in the 13th District, he can beat Scott in an upset.

[madprof98]

There is a great potential for harm here. If Cain splits the conservative GOP primary vote with Mac Collins, then Isakson will be the nominee. I know that I would not vote for a candidate who supports an abortion-rights platform, and I'm sure I'm not alone. With Isakson on the GOP ticket, the Dems will keep the seat.

[onyx]

Thanks for your excellent analysis! I'm absolutely wild about Herman Cain!

[votelife]

bump for Cain!

[AuH2ORepublican]

"There is a great potential for harm here. If Cain splits the conservative GOP primary vote with Mac Collins, then Isakson will be the nominee."

---

As JohnnyZ pointed out to me about a week ago when I presented the same concern, Georgia has a run-off in primaries in which no candidate gets 50%+1 of the vote. Thus, the worst that could happen is that Isakson goes on to the run-off against Collins or Cain. But I would personally prefer if Collins stayed in the House and let Cain carry the mantle for Georgia conservatives. I think he's the real deal. Two weeks ago I was hoping for Jack Kingston to enter the race, but I think Cain can not only beat Isakson and whoever runs for the RATs in the general, but will deliver a much more powerful message to black voters in the South in particular and nationwide in general that they are ill-served by their steadfast devotion to a party that does not have their best interests at heart.

[farmfriend]

That makes more sense. The article makes it sound like no-body knew who he was.

[ken5050]

Off topic question...I read somewhere about a far left rally this week, I think, in DC..called "take back the country" or seomething like it....supposed to eb several days, and some of the Dem nine are going to speak..have you seen anything bout this?

[madprof98]

Thanks for the reminder about the run-off. But I think there are still some potential problems. If Cain loses outright, or loses a run-off, the media will jump all over the GOP for racism. If he and Isakson face a run-off match, they will brand him a Clarence Thomas, who is generally considered an Uncle Tom among well-propagandized blacks. And between the media and the black establishment--the preachers and the NAACP types--I expect very, very few blacks to vote in the GOP primary or even to take much of an interest in its outcome.

[AuH2ORepublican]

"I expect very, very few blacks to vote in the GOP primary or even to take much of an interest in its outcome."

---

So do I, but that's not the point. While Cain has made a point of mentioning that voters of all parties may vote in the GOP primaries----an invitation to black conservatives to vote for him without changing their voter registration (yet)---he will most probably be nominated by a 99%-white Georgia Republican primary electorate. But Cain should be able to get a not-so-insignificant percentage of the black vote in the general (and should win the election handily, especially with Bush cleaning up in the state), which could mark the beginning of the end for the RAT party in the South. If the GOP can get 25-30% of the black vote in the South, the RATs will not win another Senate race in the region and will only win House races in districts that are at least 50% black (if then).

[Trace21230]

If the only black member of the Senate is a Republican, that will speak volumes about which party really promotes minorities.

Democrats are close to being on the ropes as far as race issues go. . . first Estrada, then the firing of the black DNC staffers. . . we need to build on this momentum.

Trace

[Amish]

If the race only had Isakson and Collins, I believe the "anti-Atlanta" "he's too liberal" vote would take the primary for Collins.

In a three way race, with Cain running a bit of a "Ventura for Governor" outsider/exotic...I'd think he'd attract a good share of the young person/new south vote; a share of the christian conservative vote from Collins; a share of the suburban Atlanta vote from Isakson; a good amount of the "I'll show how open minded I am" vote from possible Isakson Republicans and moderate democrats; as well as attracting a good cross over from middle income, educated black Democrats.... perhaps enough to get into second place in the primary, and then to put the pieces together (with a strong Bush top of the ticket) to carry it through in November. This race is now Number One on my "Hit Parade" through next year.

He needs a good campaign manager and grassroots organizer. Win it door to door. Don't throw money at media besides what you need to tell the "Who is Herman Cain" story. Get the churches into it. RALPH REED, what are you doing now in your spare time??? Bill Dal Cal can help.

[Kuksool]

{There is a great potential for harm here}

Yup. Herman Cain sounds like an interesting fellow. However, he lacks political experience. Nominating Cain to face either Thurbert Baker or Shirley Franklin in the general election, is like using a rookie pitcher to start the 7th game of the World Series. We don't know how well can he stand against experienced RATS like Baker and Franklin. I think Cain is better suited to run for the US House than the US Senate. Depending on how the primary develops, I am leaning towards Rep. Mac Collins for now.

[fieldmarshaldj]

We faced a similar situation here in TN in 1994. An utter neophyte, albeit from a wealthy family, who hadn't voted until he was in his 30s taking on the man who was about to become Majority Leader who hadn't had a close election since he dislodged a GOP first-termer in 1976. That neophyte's name was Bill Frist and now he has the job Jim Sasser coveted from the day he entered the Senate. If Frist can do it, and he isn't a powerful speaker, Herman Cain can, too, and he IS a powerful speaker.

[JohnnyZ]

It's also worth noting that Herman Cain is NOT new to politics; he has been involved at the national level with Steve Forbes' campaign and on policy. He just hasn't been elected personally.