Fresh Loaf

A firestorm erupted last year over a proposal by state Sen. Seth Harp, R-Midland, to merge Savannah State University and Albany State University — two historically black colleges and universities — with nearby state schools to save money. The idea (which also would’ve required the Georgia Board of Regents’ approval) didn’t fly.

That hasn’t stopped Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Poythress from resuscitating the debate (or at least trying to) in a new video. Were the proposal resurrected — say maybe during a legislative session when the former general is in the governor’s office — Poythress says he’d kill it.

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Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Poythress says a recent Rasmussen poll that both former Governor Roy Barnes and state Insurance Commissioner John “PAC Man” Oxendine enjoy strong leads in the 2010 governor’s race was kind of quirky.

In an email blast to supporters today, Poythress basically says the poll’s sample size wasn’t large enough and that chicks dig him. Oh, and that Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker, one of Poythress’ Democratic opponents, either lost a lot of support since the last poll was conducted or never had any to begin with.

1. The sample was only 247 respondents. Most legitimate statewide polls require no less than 400-600 respondents to get an accurate gauge on public opinion;

2. The crosstabs show that all of the respondents supporting me were all female. While I believe I have strong support across the state among women, the fact that not a single male supported me suggests a badly skewed sampling process;

3. Another poll released last week showed Thurbert Baker at 30%, in this poll he was at 8%. I seriously doubt that the Attorney General has dropped 22% in the span of a week. Clearly one of these polls is way off base!

We’re not pollsters, but maybe Poythress is right about the first gripe. And women do like a man in uniform. On the last point…well, maybe it’s only THE OX that’s immune to front-page stories about campaign contributions. (UPDATE: Yes, yes, we know the Rasmussen poll was conducted on June 17, prior to the AJC’s story about Baker’s allegedly questionable campaign contributions. Just some snark and a poke at the AJC-hates-Oxendine contingent, folks.)

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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Actually, with bags under his eyes, the former governor didn’t look all that rested at his afternoon press conference today. Nor did he look like he’d been getting a lot of sun lately (although InsiderAdvantage chief Matt Towery, who was in the audience, was tan enough for everybody).

But Roy certainly seemed ready. Smiling, surrounded by his family, taking questions, cracking jokes — here was a guy who makes political campaigning look like fun. And the press corps was eating it up. Because now we’ve really got a race to cover.

Barnes’ entrance into the guv’s race will shake things up in a big way. Not immediately, mind you. All three announced Democratic candidates — state Attorney General Thurbert Baker, state House Minority Leader DuBose Porter and former this-and-that David Poythress — quickly sent out terse announcements saying they weren’t stepping aside. But come on. For months now, polls have shown that the front-runner’s slot was Barnes’ if he wanted it.

Now, after all the waiting, we know he wants it.

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Now that Roy Barnes has jumped in the 2010 governor’s race, where does that leave other Democratic challengers who’ve already announced their plans? Here’s what we’re hearing from little birds that land on our windowsill, chirp silly songs, and blurt rays of gossipy sunshine into our dark and twisted lives:

• Attorney General Thurbert Baker: Our tipsters tell us that Baker was apparently waiting to hear whether Barnes would run to decide a.) to bow out of the race and join a big-name law firm or b.) make a run for — hold on to your courageous haircuts — U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson’s seat. Which, judging by Johnny Boy’s popularity in the state, might be the same as dropping out of public service. Longtime political gadfly Tom Houck, who recently floated the idea that retiring Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears might make a run for governor, relays an overnight rumor that Baker could get a Federal judgeship and drop out of the race. High-ranking Democratic Party officials say they’d like to see Baker in a statewide campaign, however.



• House Minority Leader Dubose Porter, D-Dublin: The state House veteran lightly ribbed Barnes when the former governor was reportedly still on the fence. From what we’re hearing, Porter still wants to make a run for governor. But he’s got a tough slog ahead of him. Pundits say it’ll take at least $3 million to run a primary campaign against Barnes. If you survive that battle, you better be prepared to raise as much as $12 million for the general election. There’s also talk Porter should make a go at Speaker.




• David Poythress: The Georgia National Guard Adjutant General is in it to win it, he says. Our tipsters said the same. He even took a shot at Barnes, calling him a “polarizing figure.”

How Barnes’ announcement affects downticket races remains to be seen. We’re hearing Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond — “a team player,” one li’l birdie says — might make another run for his seat. He’d been rumored to be considering a run for lieutenant governor. “Whatever’s the best for the party, Thurmond will do,” our source says.

(Photos by Joeff Davis)

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It’s been posted elsewhere, but deserves a mention here.

Democrat gubernatorial candidate David Poythress released a video yesterday that’s sure to squelch the macho man talk about Georgia seceding from the Union (can’t believe I just typed those words). Poythress, who adds that he’s the only announced gubernatorial candidate to have served in the armed forces, whacked several GOP candidates for entertaining the notion of bringing the Peach State back to the Dark Ages.

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Former Gov. Roy Barnes at the Jefferson-Jackson dinner

Last night’s installment of the annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner was a sell-out despite the absence of a headliner. No Hillary, like last year, or John “Pretty-Boy Pariah” Edwards, like two years ago. Nor was it the cigar-chomping, wine-sloshing bacchanal I’d hoped it would be, following the Obama election. Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond didn’t even break out his James Brown dance moves.

Not that anyone expected those things. Most folks came simply to bask in the good feeling of the successful national elections — and to see if former Gov. Roy Barnes would tip his hand regarding a possible bid for his old job. Roy was there, of course, and he made the rounds, but the best he could offer his well-wishers was that he hasn’t yet decided whether he’ll run.

The official gubernatorial candidates — Attorney General Thurbert Baker, House Minority Leader DuBose Porter and former state labor commissioner David Poythress — all took a turn onstage, but most folks in the Hyatt ballroom likely are waiting to see what Barnes will do.

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He’s got the funny sounding first name (á la Newt, Zell, Bubba, Saxby, et al.). And he’s got the down-state accent. So it’s little surprise that House Minority Leader DuBose Porter, D-Dublin, would decide it’s time to get into the 2010 governor’s race. We got this notification late Monday afternoon:

I realize a Democrat will have a hard time in what is seen as a red state. However I believe Georgia will look at the issues and if they find a candidate that represents their core values they will be willing to vote for a change in the Governor’s office. My work on the issues will carry me in Atlanta, but according to the pundits from the far right to the far left, it will take a candidate with my core values to connect with those outside of Atlanta.
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This session was a final straw. The infighting in the majority party dominated the session. I realized at the state’s Chamber of Commerce breakfast that when the three Leaders at the top could not be on the stage together long enough to take questions, the needs of this state had taken the back burner while the quest for power had become their goal. If you walk yourself through what happened this session, it is clear egos trumped policy. It is time for someone to be in the Governor’s office that doesn’t play into ego driven politics. It is not about power for one – but for all. (more…)

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This week seems to have gone by in a whirl, so let’s recap recent developments in various state political races, shall we?

The week began with buzz over an AJC article suggesting that former Gov. Roy Barnes is weighing a bid to reclaim his old office. Certainly, Barnes, a Marietta Democrat with a thriving private law practice, has been dropping hints in recent weeks that he’s eyeing the race. But doubters, who include many Democrats, guess he’d be unlikely to get back into a contest he lost so badly eight years ago, despite an overwhelming financial advantage. One theory has it that Barnes is pulling a Mario Cuomo – enjoying the attention that his Hamlet act is bringing, but will ultimately stay out.

That feeling was reinforced for some with the surprise announcement Thursday that Democratic state Attorney General Thurbert Baker is planning a run for governor. Some political observers believe Baker wouldn’t have entered the race without first clearing the move with Barnes. (more…)

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And like all immortals, he’s a Democrat!

David Poythress, brother of Prometheus, descended yesterday from his gymnasium high atop Mt. Olympus, cousin of Stone Mountain, to announce he’s running for governor in 2010.

In reality, it was at the Peace Officers Association of Georgia meeting at Jekyll Island, and according to his bio, Poythress is a Macon native. A mythical land in its own right, yes, but Greece it is not.

This won’t be the first time the former commander of the Georgia National Guard takes a stab at the state’s top job. He ran an unsuccessful bid in 1998 while he was commissioner of the state Department of Labor.

Just how successful of a run this could be depends, first, on who else jumps into the still-26-months-away race, and second, if a Democrat really has any chance of winning a gubernatorial election in Georgia. Aside from Atlanta, that island of blue in the red sea that is the rest of the state, a Democrat may have a hard time convincing voters to check his name. According to this report from the AJC, Poythress thinks he has a chance to win over moderate Republicans and independents. WMAZ in Macon reports Poythress highlighted transportation, commuter rail and trauma care as the key issues he’ll stress.

The only other candidate who’s officially tossed his name into the mix is state insurance commissioner John Oxendine. Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and state House Minority Leader DuBose Porter, D-Dublin, have also been mentioned as possible candidates.

Poythress has a long list of superlatives attached to his name. We’ve pasted them from his state Dept. of Defense website bio after the jump.

(Photo courtesy of the state DOD)

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