Republicans for several years now have consistently played the “fear” card when it comes election time. They consistently set up some Democrat – be it Al Gore, Roy Barnes, John Kerry, Mark Taylor, or Barack Obama – as some kind of Big Evil that is out to destroy us all, and then try to make us so afraid that we HAVE to vote for the Republican to avoid the Boogie Man. They tell us that if we vote for some “third” party that is more in line with our personal values rather than Their Candidate, the Boogie Man will win and all hope will be lost.

The problem is, Georgia is a “Runoff State” in every election other than the actual Presidential Election. In every race in this State other than President of the United States, a single candidate MUST receive 50% of the votes plus one vote in order to win the election.

It is due to Georgia being a Runoff State that the case for third parties is actually made EASIER, upon any amount of thought.

You see, because a candidate MUST get 50% + 1, and EVERY candidate is in the election to win it (at least they will claim to be), more choices almost always guarantees a runoff election. One need look no further than this year’s Governor race to see this. The Democrats currently have five candidates in that race, and the Republicans currently have eight. Due to this high volume of candidates, BOTH races are expected to go into runoffs. However, the Libertarian Party has also consistently shown that when it runs candidates, those candidates force runoffs, a la Alan Buckley’s 2008 US Senate campaign that forced a runoff between Saxby Chambliss and Jim Martin.

If Georgia had Equal Ballot Access for all Parties, this would be even MORE true. Splinter parties such as the Constitution Party of Georgia AND the Green Party of Georgia would run more candidates, and while the Libertarian Party draws votes from “both” established Parties, the Constitution Party tends to draw primarily Republican voters and the Greens tend to draw primarily Democratic voters. (The 2008 Presidential nominees of these two parties were Chuck Baldwin and Cynthia McKinney, for example.)

Because these candidates invariably force runoffs, a person can genuinely vote their conscience in the General election without fear that the Boogie Man will automatically win. Then, the voter can vote their fear in the Runoff, and have the best of both worlds – they BOTH voted their conscience AND their fear, without sacrificing EITHER.

But this brings up an even more interesting possibility: Instead of setting up the “Boggie Man” and demanding that Libertarians and Constitutionals help the Republican Party, would it not be moreso in the interests of everyone – including the Republican Party – if the Republican Party helped the Libertarians and Constitutionals?

Think about it: In the Runoff, the top 2 vote getters in the General election face off. If your argument is that the Republican Party is “an ideological cousin” of the Libertarian Party and/or Constitution Party, does it not make sense for the Republican Party to work to ensure that BOTH of the combatants in the Runoff are some form of “conservative”? After all, if the Boogie Man is SOOOOO bad, should not the Republican Party work to ensure that the Boogie Man never makes it to the General, but that instead one of its “cousins” does?

Or is the Republican Party just after its own control and power?

Here’s a sample, I encourage you to go there to read the rest. (emphasis mine)

The “pseudo-crisis[es]” Jace is talking about is the “King Roy” meme and worries about redistricting.

The “King Roy” meme is just ridiculous. Republicans held the minority during his term as Governor from 1999 to 2003, so I’m sure the Republicans that were in the legislature at the time remember unpleasant fights over legislative issue. That stuff happens, especially when your party isn’t in control.

On redistricting. Anyone that tells you that they are not going to vote for Barnes because of redistricting, which I have heard several times, is lying to you. This issue will be decided in the courts, just as it was in 2004.

As I’ve noted here before, Roy Barnes has received better ratings than Sonny Perdue on fiscal policy from the Cato Institute, a libertarian think-tank.

Roy Barnes may be a lot of things and I certainly disagree with him on a number of issues, but his record doesn’t show him to be an Obama Democrat as so many Republicans are trying to do. He is a traditional Southern Democrat.

Yet today, the Republican Governor’s Association – led by fellow Kennesaw State University alum Nick Ayers – decided to launch a commercial and website trying to paint the King and Obama as one and the same. As Jason said, and I completely agree, they are NOT. Roy Barnes is a Bill Clinton/Zell Miller Democrat – indeed, he helped both of those men get elected, and he sided with John Edwards in the 2008 Presidential Primary. Heck, he even went so far as to snub Obama just 2 short weeks ago!

BTW: Jason’s friend Jace Walden also has a good post on this subject over on Peach Pundit.

At least one site seems to think that John Monds could be near the 20% mark:

From the Free Independent-Sun:

I noticed something quite disturbing when studying recent polling for elections around the country. Rasmussen Reports will include upwards of 6 or 7 candidates in the Democrat and Republican Primaries, sometimes with candidates that only receive 1% of the vote, yet when it comes to the General Election they will only include the two Democrat-Republican candidates despite there being sometime upwards of 3 or 4 other candidates from Third Party Nominations or Independent Nominations. This case is most present and most dangerous in a particular Governor’s election in Georgia, where the African-American Libertarian Candidate John Monds is left out of General Election polls despite having won 33.4% in a statewide election in 2008, and apparently the most likely winner of the 15- 20% of unaccounted votes in Rasmussen Polls.

I think the bigger question here, that the Independent-Sun has the graphics to show, is:

Why don’t polling firms who regularly show ALL candidates in Primaries, no matter how small a percentage they are getting, equally show ALL candidates in the General Election, where almost by definition there are fewer candidates to poll for/show? (For example: There were 14 Democrat/Republican candidates for Governor in July. There will be 3 total candidates for Governor in November.)

If true, this is great news for both Libertarians and the African-American community in Georgia, as John is – I believe – the first African American to ever be on the General Election ballot for Governor.

Fortunately for Georgia, there is another man running who is NOT a racist in any way, is a strong fiscal conservative, and is dedicated to restoring the Freedoms Georgians have the God-given right to enjoy, but that the Democrats and Republicans have stolen from them.

That man is John Monds, and we welcome all disaffected Republicans who cannot in good conscience vote for Deal to vote instead for John.

Remember, Georgia is a runoff state, meaning there is absolutely NOTHING to lose by voting your conscience on November 2, and then your fear in the runoff – contrary to what Republicans are going to cram down your throat over the next few months (indeed, this has already begun).

Note: “Racist” in the title is in reference to the “ghetto grandmother” comment in the above video. We are fully aware that birtheism does not imply racism, and we sincerely apologize if we implied otherwise above.

Sam Olens, as Chairman of the Atlanta Regional Commission:

Remarks from Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin and ARC Chair Sam Olens from Atlanta Regional Commission on Vimeo.

In this video, note the repeated reference to following the “European Model”. While he is specifically speaking of transportation, if he is so interested in following the “European Model” in one area, will he be similarly interested in following it in other areas?


In this video, Olens speaks of working to get people out of their cars and what government can do to force this.

Note: In his favor, these videos DO show that he has experience dealing with planning and traffic issues. My question is simply, will he promote more individual liberty in these areas or more government. Seems to me he is working to promote more government.

Preston Smith, as State Senator from the 52nd District:
In this video, Smith defends individual liberty from the tyranny of Big Brother as it relates to Prescription Drugs – indeed, the reference to Big Brother is Smith’s! This particular video is the entire debate on the bill, from the moment it is introduced through the vote on its passage. Smith’s questioning begins around the 2:11 mark, and his speech from the well of the Senate begins at 14:11.

In this video, Smith slams Senate Leadership over retribution for him standing up for his constituents and voting AGAINST the hospital tax that passed the General Assembly this past session. For the text of the full speech he gave this day, see this previous post.

Two men will face each other in about a week and a half to become the Republican nominee to face Ken Hodges and Don Smart for the Attorney General slot for the next 4 years. One of these men wants to follow the “European Model” and get people out of cars. The other has an active record of doing what he thinks is right and defending liberty.

Choose wisely.

The Hudgens/Sheffield battle for Insurance Commissioner.

Both Hudgens and Sheffield are trying to put the noose of The Ox around the other’s neck. Both have been tied to him at various points – Sheffield as a lawyer and lobbyist for the Insurance Department, Hudgens as the Chair of the Senate Insurance Committee, where Ox was a frequent speaker.

Both have donors who have supported Ox in both his Insurance Commissioner and Governor races, though Hudgens has the support of Ox’s Assistant Commissioner and was the only candidate of these two to receive money from John Oxendine himself. The money in question here was $500 to Hudgens’ State Senate account in 2008, a year before Hudgens filed to run to replace Ox, from Ox’s Better Georgia PAC.

Sheffield has the endorsement of defeated foes Seth Harp, Rick Collum, and Stephen Northington, who placed 6th, 7th, and 9th and brought in a combined 98,997 votes last week.

Hudgens has the endorsements of defeated foes Tom Knox and Gerry Purcell, who placed 3rd and 4th and brought in a combined 164,088 votes last week.

Sheffield is running a passive-aggressive “positive” campaign (in that she keeps emphasizing that she is the “positive” candidate, thereby saying that her opponent is the “negative” candidate – which is in itself a negative attack, just in a passive-aggressive manner).

Meanwhile, Purcell appears to be attacking Sheffield for doing her job, tweeting yesterday that

If u r running 4 INS Commish & n runoff, the last place u should be is at the Dept. lobbying 4 a client 2 obtain a license-unseemly!

For those who are unaware, Sheffield is a lawyer whose clients include many in the insurance industry. She is actively working at her job as well as being a candidate for Insurance Commissioner, so it is not surprising to me that she would be seen actively working her day job. My question is: Why haven’t other candidates been caught at their day job?

But hey, this is all over in 13 more days. Then we can settle down and watch petty Party politics – including the expected “wasted vote” and fear-based arguments against the Libertarian Party of Georgia’s candidates that have already been surfacing. More on that later though.

This was supposed to be the year of angry voters, right?

Apparently the handful of establishment voters in yesterday’s primary didn’t get the message. Whatever they might say with their mouths, they spoke more clearly with their votes.

And what did these partisans say?

They said that you deserve to have 3 other remaining candidates for governor with a combined total of 51 years in public office.

This little group of partisan voters said that it’s a great thing to have incumbents retain their seats AND put old incumbents and insiders on the ballot to challenge them.

Is this what YOU think? Is this REALLY what Georgia deserves?

If you really want to send the establishment a message, show them you’re serious about the right kind of change. The campaign I’m running is a true, serious outsider’s campaign.

We — you and I — are the real voice of a new direction.

It’s time to make it clear to those millions of people who DO want a new direction that they don’t have to fall in line with the same old group of insiders.

It’s time to do more than vote. It’s time to stand on principle. Help us keep our moment rolling.

* If you’d like to hear my ads on radio and television, and see them on billboards as you’re driving down the road, then DONATE NOW.
* We’ll have yard signs out very soon. If you haven’t already, contact us at the website to let us know you’d like a sign.
* If you’d like to take a volunteer leadership position in your county, LET US KNOW.
* Finally, and maybe just as importantly, pass this message on to anyone you know who supported a liberty candidate and lost yesterday. Let them know they don’t have to fall in line with the establishment.

This is such a crucial time to build our momentum. Thank you for being a part of it.

Sincerely,
John

In the only contested race in Lee County, Lee County Board of Commissioners Chairman Ed Duffy of the Palmyra District pushed back challenger Lester Leggette handily, 71% – 29%.

The overall results can be seen on the SoS site, but I want to look briefly at how the candidates did in Lee County as compared to the State:

In Lee County, the top three were Handel (27.3%), Johnson (26.3%), and Oxendine (25.2%), with Deal only getting 12.7% of the Lee County vote. Throughout the State, however, Handel and Deal came out as the top 2 (34.1% and 22.9%), with Johnson losing to Deal by 2.8% and Ox not quite cracking 17%.

According to just Lee County votes, Hudgens and Sheffield should face a runoff, with Hudgens getting 18.45% of the Lee County vote to Sheffield’s 17.1%. Across the State, it is also Hudgens and Sheffield, who pulled out 20.7% and 19.6% across the State.

I’ll have more analysis tonight.

Please join us for the latest returns, as well as just some good old political banter. We look forward to seeing you from 6:30p tonight to….

By Tim Echols

The Georgia summer is hot, and not just because of the weather. That’s because two of Georgia’s largest utilities are fishing for rate increases from the Public Service Commission. Atlanta Gas Light recently submitted a $54 million rate request and the Georgia Power Company is asking for almost $1 billion, their largest increase in 20 years. This is on top of the SB 31 increase for the pre-construction charges for Plant Vogtle.

I strongly oppose SB 31, which all of my opponents support, because it violates a fundamental tradition here in Georgia. We have never allowed utilities to pre-charge for construction projects. Many may remember the 90 or so lobbyists that Georgia Power brought to the capitol to convince my two legislative opponents and others to vote for this bill. This is something that Georgia Power’s parent company, the Southern Company, should ask shareholders to pay for, not ratepayers here in Georgia. I see it as a form of corporate welfare of sorts.

That brings me to another nagging concern: our nation’s dependence on foreign oil. We are beholden to countries in the Middle East and South America while we have the equivalent of 350 billion barrels of oil in natural gas reserves sitting under the state of Texas. This natural gas burns cleaner, is about 80 cents a gallon cheaper, and is an American resource. So what is stopping us from using it? In a word, “access.”

Access is severely limited because there is only a handful of fast fuel CNG (compressed natural gas) stations in Georgia. What we need is a network of refueling stations that can handle the demand that Georgia drivers require, and especially larger fleet vehicles. Converting one large truck over to CNG is like taking 325 cars off the road. But without convenient ways to fill up CNG vehicles, businesses and consumers are not going to want to buy or make the conversion. And who can blame them?

Congress can show some leadership too by passing the Natural Gas Act, giving tax credits to manufacturers for building these refueling stations. This act will help our municipal governments and larger companies invest in fleets that burn natural gas, so that they can add their voice to the development of refueling stations in publicly available locations. The more that large commercial fleets are encouraged to convert their fleet to burn natural gas for fuel, the cleaner our air will be, the less we will depend on foreign oil, and the public will benefit further by having access to public refueling stations in key areas around the state.

In addition, a good Public Service Commissioner needs to make sure to balance consumers expectations to keep rates low with the need for utilities to recover their operating costs under stable financial conditions. We should expect utilities to ride the “highs” of boom- time markets all the while putting money and resources away to fully serve their customers in a down market. That is their obligation as a regulated monopoly. Reasonable stability is the key to a utility’s long term success in meeting customer needs, and a watchful PSC will keep an eye on that stability.

Georgia is off to a good start with state income tax credits for solar water heaters, solar space heat, photo-voltaics, wind-generated power, and geothermal heat pumps. But we must do more. In my hometown of Athens, Power Partners Solar is manufacturing state-of-the-art solar hot water heating systems now being used all over the world. Sonny Perdue signed a bill giving Georgians tax credit for installing such a system in their homes. How many people know about it though? Georgia companies like this need recognition and their innovative products need to be championed by leaders around the state. Our elected officials can use their platform and bully pulpit to highlight innovation happening right under our noses. That is certainly what I plan to do if elected to the Public Service Commission.

Let’s get serious about alternative energy sources and make Georgia the epicenter for technology innovation.

Tim Echols is a candidate for the Public Service Commission. To find out more about Tim Echols, go to http://www.timechols.com