Dust off your webcams! At 4:30 p.m., Committee for a Better Atlanta, the citywide business coalition that recently graded City Hall hopefuls, will kick off its inaugural “virtual press conference.”
The innovative marriage of new media and voter engagement will offer desk jockeys and shut-ins the chance to read Atlanta mayoral and City Council candidates’ responses to TOUGH QUESTIONS from local journalists and bloggers.
Here’s the schedule:
4:30 pm Kasim Reed
4:45 pm Amir Farokhi
5:00 pm Clair Muller
5:15 pm Ceasar Mitchell
5:30 pm Mary Norwood
5:45 pm Liz Coyle
6:00 pm Alex Wan
6:15 pm Aaron Watson
If you’re on the fence about which candidates deserve your vote on Dec. 1, the press conference should offer some insight. Even if you’ve made up your mind, it’ll be interesting to see how the experiment unfolds. Considering that the format appears to be a classic type-and-submit chatroom setting, it’s unlikely the press conference will devolve into the phallus-infested catastrophe that was the Second Life virtual ‘interview.’ (NSFW?)
On Nov. 3, thousands of Fulton County residents cast their votes for candidates who weren’t even on the ballot. Courtesy of the county’s election gurus, we present the more interesting write-in results:
Clark Howard: The city’s penny-pinching guru earned 33 votes in nearly every Atlanta race, including mayor, City Council president and Atlanta school board.
Musicians: Voters placed their trust in Frank Zappa, Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine, Jello Biafra, Jerry Garcia, Henry Rollins, Ted Nugent, David Lee Roth and Mick Jagger.
Conservative icons: Glenn Beck led the crowded pack of right-minded write-in candidates. Others: George W. Bush, Sarah Palin, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Neal Boortz, Karl Rove, Ronald Reagan, Joe the Plumber, Cain, Chuck Norris and Joe “You Lie!” Wilson.
Karl Marx: The long-dead father of communism was a write-in for the Atlanta school board and Atlanta City Council District 7.
Sid Mashburn: The Howell Mill Road haberdasher who can magically turn Atlanta’s slobs into dapper dons garnered one vote for the Post 1 At-Large seat won by Michael Julian Bond.
Cartoons: Jesus, what is with people and Mickey Mouse? The squeaky-voiced rodent garnered 34 votes. Other pen-and-ink candidates: Donald Duck, Bugs Bunny, Goofy, Elmer Fudd, Foghorn Leghorn, Scooby Doo, Mr. Magoo, Porky Pig, Homer Simpson and Garfield.
Hilariously generic “people”: “A Christian name person,” “Reasonable person,” “No lawyers,” “Indie rock elitist,” “Dirt road repairman” and “Cracker fuck.”
Reptilians: When Norm Coleman and Al Franken quibbled over votes in their 2008 congressional race, much ado was made about write-in votes for “Lizard King.” “Hail the Lizard King” and “Lizard King 4 USA,” you had a friend on Nov. 3.
Click here to download an Excel document listing the full write-in results for all municipal and Gold Dome races in Fulton County.
Following up on Andisheh’s post from this morning about Lisa Borders endorsing Kasim Reed, an e-mail was sent to Reed’s volunteer list with details about the press conference:
Kasim Reed for Mayor Volunteers,
We invite you to join us on Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at 1:45 p. m., for Lisa Borders’ formal endorsement of Senator Kasim Reed. We will assemble at Park Tavern, located at 500 10th Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309 (at the corner of 10th and Monroe).
Please wear your campaign t-shirt as a representation of your continued support of Senator Reed’s mayoral campaign.
A MARTA bus driver was suspended over an incident last week in which he insisted passengers hold hands while he led them in prayer.
In the complaint, the passenger told MARTA officials the Route 125 Avondale/Northlake bus was traveling northbound on Nov. 3 when it stopped around 7:30 p.m. at the corner of Northlake Parkway and Lavista Road.
As the passenger, whose name was not released, approached the front of the bus, Matthews, who has been with MARTA six years, stood from his seat and asked everyone to hold hands for a brief word of prayer.
The prayer lasted four to five minutes.
What they prayed for or about is unclear, said Harris.
We asked him how he felt now that the election’s over.
A large part of a runoff is actually convincing voters to return to the polls. And Keyser’s proven he can rally people around a cause. No word yet if he plans to endorse Mary Norwood or Kasim Reed. His nod of approval wouldn’t be a deciding factor, but it surely wouldn’t hurt.
UPDATE 11:45 p.m. Um, we’re pretty positive Norwood and Reed will be duking it out on Dec. 2 Dec. 1. I for one am going to bed. Thomas and Scott will continue partying. (Thomas just showed up at Kyle Keyser’s gathering at Noni’s.) You’ll hear more from them soon, I’m sure. Nightie night!
UPDATE 11:33 p.m. Kasim Reed tells the crowd gathered at the Hyatt that in the “darkest days” of his campaign, Andrew Young was there to help by assuring him, “If you’re not sleeping, I don’t want to sleep.” Reed also says, “Several weeks ago, not many people thought we would be here with 37 percent, did they? … I’m ready to go for this city. I will fight for you. I will stand up for you. And I will make Atlanta the city on the hill again.”
UPDATE 11:22 p.m. Reed’s about to take the podium at the Hyatt Regency, the TV people say. With more than 80 percent of precincts reporting, we’ve got Norwood at 45 percent, Reed at 37 percent, Borders (who has conceded the race) at 14 percent.
UPDATE 11:15 p.m. Text message from Thomas Wheatley: “Norwood announces she anticipates a runoff.”
UPDATE 11:11 p.m. Via Scott Henry, as he leaves the Varsity (Norwood’s party) for the Hyatt Regency (Reed’s shindig): “I just had to get a few pictures of Eldrin Bell and his wife in the Varsity. He’s dressed to the nines. Mary just walked back in, and the crowd is chanting, ‘Mare-EE, Mare-EE.’ I just bumped into Rodney Cook, the Buckhead millionaire. Anne Fauver is sitting right next to me in her white Prius as she leaves.”
UPDATE 10:54 p.m. Thomas here. Reporting from the Varsity, which honest to God has some of the best ice in the country. There’s a lull in activity as Norwood supporters watch votes continue to line up in the councilwoman’s favor. She’s expected to return at 10:45. While we wait, it’s worth taking a look at the other races.
Perhaps most surprising: We might see a runoff in the City Council President race between Ceasar Mitchell and Clair Muller. City Hall gadfly Dave Walker has managed to pull nearly 10 percent of the votes counted thus far. That’s surprising, considering that Walker’s reported zero funds raised in this race. (CL’s profiled Walker before. Here’s a video interview shot.) Where’d he get the support? It’s worth considering that some of those are protest votes. You should also remember that Walker attends nearly every single council meeting (literally). He’s a fixture on Channel 23, usually found badgering councilmembers.
Post 3 At-Large: Embattled incumbent H. Lamar Willis faces a tough contest from challenger Shelitha Roberston. 52-48. WIllis could very well lose his seat.
District 3: Incumbent Ivory Young appears headed for re-election, with 80 percent of the vote. 63 percent of the precincts reporting.
District 4: Incumbent Cleta Winslow leads closest challenger LaShawn Hoffman by 20 points. 46 percent of precincts reported.
District 6: Alex Wan leads Liz Coyle in the crowded race that’s almost certainly headed for a runoff. Looks like it will be Wan v. Coyle or Tad Christian. Too close to call.
District 8: Yolanda Adrean commands a strong lead over Rick Coleman in the race to fill Clair Muller’s seat.
District 11: The race to fill longtime Councilman Jim Maddox’s seat quickly filled up after he announced his retirement. A runoff seemed virtually guaranteed — but Keisha Lance Bottoms currently leads the pack of nine with little over 50 percent of the vote.
District 12: It appears Joyce Sheperd has a solid lead, with 57 percent of votes. 85 percent of precincts reporting.
UPDATE 10:47 p.m. It’s now up to 60 percent of precincts reporting, folks — Norwood: 45 percent. Reed: 37 percent. Borders: 14 percent. But it ain’t over yet. Can Norwood close in on the 6 precious points that will give her an outright win? Or will it be a Norwood-Reed runoff in December???
UPDATE 10:29 p.m. In other city races (with 52 percent of precincts reporting) … City Council Prez: Ceasar Mitchell, 48 percent; Clair Muller, 42 percent. City Council Post 1 At-Large: Michael Julian Bond, 55 percent; Adam Brackman, 22 percent. City Council Post 2 At-Large: Aaron Watson, 43 percent; Amir Farokhi, 41 percent.
UPDATE 10:23 p.m. With 48 percent (yes, I double-checked this time) of precincts reporting — Norwood: 46 percent. Reed: 36 percent. Borders: 14 percent. Could the magic be ever-so-slightly slipping away from Norwood? Well … even if she can’t avoid a runoff, it’s been an impressive showing. Who knows? She could still pull it off.
UPDATE 10:03 p.m. With 48 30 percent (oops) of precincts now reporting — Norwood: 47 percent. Reed: 35 percent. Borders: 14 percent. According to the AJC, “Norwood flirting with magic majority.” Ooh la la.
UPDATE 9:55 p.m. Text message via Thomas Wheatley: “That’s Norwood entering the Varsity. Talking now.”
UPDATE 9:51 p.m. So says Scott Henry: “There’s quite a crowd down here at the Varsity. I walked in and [Norwood's] press person tells us that the early returns put Mary at 51 percent. There are a lot of people with Mary T-shirts. Glenn Thomas just walked in. It’s a very mixed crowd, older African-American folks and Buckhead Betties — two groups you never see together. Ralph Long is here. Lee Morris is here. Ahh, here we have Anne Fauver. She just walked by. A lot of people with families. A very different crowd than at the W. For one, they are giving away free food. Pretty nutty. I got a chicken salad sandwich on rye. But I can’t do their onion rings. Those will kill ya. After I finish my sandwich I’m going to walk around some more and talk to some people.”
UPDATE: 9:35 p.m. This is what I’m hearing from Scott Henry, who was en route from Lisa Borders’ party (at the W) to Mary Norwood’s (at the Varsity): “Not a lot of people there [at the W], maybe 100, maybe 80. Not a lot of energy. Please put in there that I had to suffer through someone singing ‘Wind Beneath My Wings.’ Yeah, I would not say it’s downbeat, but no one was totally psyched or anything like that. I couldn’t tell if it was because they thought that they were gonna lose or what. I’m pulling into the Varsity parking lot now. It is difficult to find a parking space at the Varsity. Is that unusual?”
UPDATE: 9:16 p.m. In case I left anyone wondering, that last update was left by me, Mara. Carry on.
UPDATE: 9:11 p.m. Greetings! I’m stuck on the couch at home while the esteemed Scott Henry and Thomas Wheatley get to party-hop, so let’s make the most of this, shall we? Starting now, I’ll be keeping a close watch on the election returns while Scott and Thomas deliver dispatches from the field. With 11 percent of precincts reporting, here’s what Fulton County’s vote-o-meter is spouting — Norwood: 44 percent; Reed: 39 percent; Borders: 13 percent. Thoughts, y’all? Predictions? Hopes? Dreams?
UPDATE: 9:03 p.m. Results now rolling in. Kasim Reed at 49 percent, Mary Norwood at 31 percent, Lisa Borders at 15 percent, Jesse Spikes, Kyle Keyser and Peter Brownlowe at 3 percent, 1 percent and 1 percent, respectively. One percent of precincts reporting.
UPDATE8:39 p.m. Ahoy, Atlantans. Thomas here, writing from my car outside Manuel’s. For an election night, the Poncey-Highland pub is surprisingly empty. Granted, polls closed roughly 30 minutes ago. If you’re looking for a place to watch the election results in peace, it’s an option.
Political gadfly Tom Houck was holding court with a table of somewhat familiar faces. His itinerary for the night includes Atkins Park to see Atlanta City Council District 6 candidate Liz Coyle and Shout in Midtown to see Post 2 At-Large hopeful Amir Farokhi. He also plants to drop by the Hyatt Regency to hobnob at mayoral candidate Kasim Reed’s soiree. Emory Morsberger was also in attendance at Manuel’s, but he’s high-stepping to several parties as well. When I asked how he was doing, he greeted me with his trademark “incredible!”
Atlanta City Council President candidate Clair Muller might owe Norwood a thank you card tomorrow morning, one political observer said. Muller, a longtime councilwoman who represents the affluent area, might see a boost in support thanks to Norwood’s solid grip on Buckhead. If Muller’s successful in her race against Ceasar Mitchell — and Norwood in her own contest — the city could have a white mayor and a white city council president.
Still no results to speak of in the Atlanta races. Lisa Borders tweeted earlier that election results are set to come in first from Buckhead, then Midtown, and finally South Atlanta. If that’s the case, don’t be surprised if you first see Norwood way ahead in the polls. But we’ll see.
It’s getting cold and I need to drive somewhere else. More to come.
Looking for an entertaining take on Atlanta’s elections? Good news! CL’s crack team of scribes will be out and about this evening in the City Too Busy to Vote. Scott Henry, Joeff Davis and myself will pile into the CL Mobile Meth Lab and risk life and limb to attend campaign parties, talk to people in suits, and keep you updated about results, rumors and skullduggery. CL News Editor Mara Shalhoup will hold down the fort and use the banhammer on people who post links to anonymous Web sites. It shall be a sight to behold, my friends.
Come back to Fresh Loaf around 8:30 and chime in. We’ll update the post throughout the night and pass along photos, videos and reports from campaign soirees. If you have photos or tips you’d like to share, shoot me an email.
The news networks will have regular election result updates. (C’mon, give Fox 5 another chance.) But if you want to watch polling precinct results from the comfort of your couch or barstool, check out the Fulton County Board of Elections’ website. They’ve got several online options you can use to monitor results. The Web site says it will only update every 15 minutes, but it has a nice scrolling feature that you can keep open on your browser.
If you’re looking for a drinking game … hmm … well, we really haven’t thought too much about that. Maybe take a shot every time a candidate says something vague like “move forward” or “change Atlanta?” You’ll be soused by 8:33 p.m. If Mayor Shirley Franklin grabs a mic and starts singing Rammstein’s “Du hast,” just turn that bottle upright and cut loose.
And if you haven’t already voted, there’s still time. Atlanta polls close at 8 p.m. Check out our earlier post if you need help finding out candidate info or where you can vote. Godspeed.
In a very long interview yesterday with Atlanta Progressive News, Atlanta mayoral front-runner Mary Norwood explained why she’s voted in Republican primaries and attended state GOP conventions.
[Norwood] said she was disgusted with the Republican Convention and decided never to return. “There seemed to be two agendas. Evidentally in all these party politics, there’s stuff that goes on on the floor and there’s stuff that goes on in the back room,” Norwood said.
“Just because you go on a date with someone doesn’t mean you’re gonna marry them,” Norwood said, making an analogy. “Just because you did cocaine once doesn’t make you an addict.”
Emphasis added, because hot damn that’s a great quote! And the image of Republicans conspiring in the “back room” followed up with a unrelated reference to the devil’s dandruff? Excellent!
Granted, Norwood’s technically correct. But this is by far the best analogy we’ll read before noon. And it made us think of other excellent analogies. “Just because you once choked a man with your bare hands doesn’t make you a bloodthirsty maniac.” There are many others out there, we’re sure.
After countless candidate forums, weird commercials with ACTUAL CRIMES and even some debate about race and closetedRepublicans, Election Day has finally arrived. And if you haven’t already cast your ballot for the city’s next mayor and other elected posts, be sure to get out and do so.
Polls are already open and will close at 8 p.m. You can find your polling place here. Here’s a PDF that lists all polling precincts and locations. Here are sample City of Atlanta ballots. (If you encounter any monkey business at the polls, let us know.)
CL Staff Event Planner Scott Henry has a list of the campaign parties where you can eat free food, hobnob with politicos, and tell the next mayor to shut down the crack house on your street. Or you can just go to Manuel’s.
We’ll be providing election results coverage tonight. Look for fireworks, flame wars and sock puppets posting links to anonymous websites. Just kidding, we’ll moderate those fools out of existence.
Low turnout is expected, which means your decision could help make or break many of these contests. So get out there and help determine who’ll lead Atlanta out of its mess. We’ll have more throughout the day.
“I have enjoyed working with Shirley and her administration. I have learned from both her achievements and her mistakes. I will take both of those lessons into office.”
Borders said Franklin’s low-key endorsement of Reed was not unexpected. Franklin has been working in the shadows of his campaign for a number of weeks, primarily by attacking Mary Norwood. Franklin has a history of endorsing candidates the day before an election.
Worth noting: One could argue that Franklin’s criticism of Norwood the last few weeks could have also helped Borders.
Let’s say that, after voting, you want to go out tomorrow evening to support your favorite candidate for mayor — and score some free food. Here’s where you’ll find ‘em on election night:
Lisa Borders — Her party’s in the new W Hotel Downtown at 45 Ivan Allen Blvd. She’s booked a 4th floor ballroom.
Kyle Keyser — Yes, the longshot activist is throwing a party, too. It’s at Noni’s restaurant at 357 Edgewood Ave.
Mary Norwood — Breaking with the tradition of using a hotel or event facility, Norwood is holding her party at the Varsity. Slaw dogs for everybody!
Kasim Reed — He’ll be somewhere in the Hyatt Regency downtown. Check with the concierge for directions.
And, let’s not forget the candidates for council president:
Ceasar Mitchell — He’ll be raising the roof at Park Tavern at the corner of 10th and Monroe.
Clair Muller — Not too surprisingly, Clair isn’t a big party gal. We’re told she’ll be hanging out at home tomorrow night.
Here’s the second of two Democratic Party of Georgia mailers that allege mayoral candidate Mary Norwood is actually a Republican. Jim Galloway’s got photos of the other. SpaceyG also provided a link to one.
Click to enlarge. More photos, including Norwood’s TV commercial response, are after the jump.
Well, that was then. Today Reed has a new ad that smears Norwood as a Republican:
So much for civility. Now that polls indicate that Reed has pulled comfortably ahead of Borders, he’s changed tack and is trying to pull support away from Norwood in order to prevent her from winning on Nov. 3 without a runoff.
Will it work? Damned if we know, but we’ll be watching carefully to find out…
A new Insider Advantage poll shows Mary Norwood’s still the frontrunner in the Atlanta mayor’s race with 45 percent support. Kasim Reed trails with 25 percent. Lisa Borders, who until two weeks ago was second in the race, is third with 16 percent. Jesse Spikes is in the low single digits. Eleven percent of the poll respondents were undecided. (Here’s a link to a PDF of the poll’s crosstabs.)
“Based on this survey, if the election were held today, Norwood would likely be within one or two percent of winning the race without a runoff. Her barrage of ads and the apparent decline in Borders’ support suggests that white voters are moving to Norwood. That said, Reed now appears to be the African-American candidate with substantial support from the black community.
What’s interesting about the mayor’s race right now: It’s about image rather than platforms.
Borders, Reed and even the Georgia Democratic Party have accused Norwood of being a Republican. Norwood, who invited the criticism after she said earlier this week that she couldn’t remember if she ever voted for George W. Bush, responded with a TV ad. In it, she rattles off the names of Democrats and even Ross Perot, which, in my opinion, might’ve done her more harm than good.
The Reed campaign today issued a statement calling the Norwood spot a “slick and calculated denial of her well-documented Republican past” and a “scheme to trick Atlanta’s Democratic majority into making a false choice on the eve of this election.”
Political wonks take note: Campaign disclosure reports, which’ll tell us how much cash each candidate has to spend in the final days before Nov. 3, are due today at 5 p.m.
Tiffany Brown faces an uphill battle if she wants to live up to her Twitter handle and become Atlanta’s next mayor.
As a write-in candidate, the Spelman College grad — whose 2005 mayoral campaign was, you guessed it, unsuccessful — won’t have the benefit of having her name on the ballot. That poses a problem for voters who’d like to vote for Brown, but might not remember how to spell her name. “Is it Tiffany with an ‘i?’” “Brown with a ‘q?’” These are very real questions millions of Americans ask themselves each day.
So like other candidates, Brown’s produced a commercial to raise her profile among voters. The spot will be shown on such cable channels as Bravo, the Food Network and ESPN2 until Nov. 3.
The ad contains LIVE SHOCKING FOOTAGE of crimes in progress, including a German DJ from the 1990s snatching someone’s purse as they get into their car. I, for one, am shocked that a cameraman would sit in garages and at local ATMs and wait for crimes to occur. Ms. Brown, you must report these acts to the appropriate authorities at once!
Do you think we made a mistake in our 2009 political endorsements? Are you voting for the same candidate as us? Talk to staff writers Scott Henry and Thomas Wheatley on this blogtomorrow from 1:30-2:30 p.m.NOW! to get answers to your questions about the Nov. 3 mayoral and City Council elections.
KASIM'S OUR MAN: Reed deserves the edge for his clear-eyed, pragmatic vision of Atlanta’s future
Even as it heads into the final days before the election, the Atlanta mayor’s race remains, as it has for months now, a showdown between three well-funded, skilled politicians, who are followed some distance behind by an earnest outsider. Voters seem largely indifferent and indecisive — perhaps because there’s a tough choice here, but also some easy ones.
In the third installment in our series of videos chronicling the bizarre trials and unusual tribulations of political candidates you’ve probably never heard of, we bring you Dave Walker — “over-educated citizen,” longtime City Council heckler, and lover of scrubs.
Since January, Councilwoman Mary Norwood has campaigned for mayor in large part by dissing Shirley. Not directly, mind you. I have yet to hear her attack Franklin by name or enumerate her failings. But Norwood has pursued a passive-aggressive smear against City Hall and, by implication, the mayor. Shirley has mostly sat by silently, but this week she snapped.
It began the morning after the murder of Standard bartender John Henderson, when Norwood appeared at the photo-op vigil to lay the blame for the robbery/shooting at the mayor’s feet for having furloughed police officers.
“What we have seen is cuts [in police hours] made without consultation and collaboration,” she declared. But that wasn’t exactly true; Franklin had previously argued that the city didn’t have enough money to keep all employees at full force without a tax increase. Norwood opposed the increase, but never suggested an alternative.
Throughout the mayor’s race, Norwood has criticized the city’s bookkeeping. Fair enough; city finances famously ran aground in early ‘08 because of lousy accounting practices that had persisted for decades. But, again, Norwood hasn’t proposed any solutions; instead, she simply dismisses the city’s budget as impenetrable, inscrutable, unknowable. As I’ve said before, boasting that you can’t make heads or tails of the city’s finances wouldn’t seem to be the smartest campaign strategy.
In the second of CL’s series of videos chronicling mayoral candidates you’ve probably never heard of, Duvwon Robinson, who grew up in notorious housing project Bowen Homes, talks about cleaning up the streets (literally) and using confiscated drug money to create jobs for the unemployed.
In the first of CL’s series of videos chronicling mayoral candidates you’ve probably never heard of, tavern owner Rufus Terrill reveals his strategy for combating Atlanta crime. Behold, the Bum Bot!
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