Unity on display at GOP event
The Republican Party faithful put a good face on last night’s close gubernatorial race at a “unity breakfast” this morning in Buckhead. But they’ll surely breathe a sigh of relief at the news, just broken by the AJC’s Aaron Gould Sheinin, that Karen Handel has conceded to Nathan Deal.
There was little appetite among the breakfast crowd for Handel to take a knife’s-edge loss and try to stick it in her opponent. Nor was there much belief that a recount would produce anything other than what we had after last night: the nomination of Deal to run against Democrat Roy Barnes and Libertarian John Monds.
Her absence from the breakfast event was conspicuous, although that looks different in the light of a fresh concession. But in any case it was clear that the party was ready to move on to the general election.
And while Congressman Tom Price and especially defeated labor-commissioner candidate Melvin Everson gave fiery speeches, the most effective remarks may have come from, of all people, John Oxendine.
The soon-to-be ex-insurance commissioner, whose plummet from gubernatorial front-runner to fourth place will be state political legend for some time, was not a favorite of the state GOP establishment of late. But he recalled for them Wednesday his days as a teenage staffer for then-Lt. Gov. Zell Miller — “I’m confessing my sins,” Oxendine said to some laughter — as Miller challenged four-term U.S. Sen. Herman Talmadge in the 1980 Democratic primary.
After Miller conceded, Oxendine said, “I heard a lot of people say, ‘I’m going to vote for the Republican,’” Mack Mattingly. The young Ox decided to join them, and 30 years later he held it up as a lesson to frustrated Handel supporters.
“I voted for the nominee of the opposing party, out of anger and disappointment,” he said Wednesday. “And, no offense to Mack Mattingly, that is why he won and became a U.S. senator, because there was a huge divide in the Democrat Party.
“I don’t want that to happen in 2010. … Don’t live with the regret that I lived with as an 18-year-old.”
There will be more opportunities for Republican division in the months to come, particularly if Barnes tries to turn the general election into a referendum on the last eight years of GOP rule in the state — policies and decisions that Deal will either have to defend or perhaps dodge as things that he didn’t participate in while serving in Washington.
One day into the general election, however, Deal and other state Republicans were saying all the right things.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
99 comments Add your comment
tea party 2010
August 11th, 2010
11:40 am
Scre gop “unity”.
We demand low government and limited taxation.
Nathan Deal is a phony conservative who may give lip service to those ideals, but he is just another big government GOP fraud.
I hope Barnes wins to teach the GOP a lesson: gives us REAL conservative candidates, and not corrupt old fossils like Deal.
TEA PARTY REVOLT!
KICK THEM ALL OUT!
joe schmo
August 11th, 2010
11:54 am
I’m not a lock step republican, as such I will not be voting for the sonny perdue clone Deal. More of the same. I guess I will take my vote to the Libertarian party.
Kyle Wingfield
August 11th, 2010
11:57 am
tea party 2010 and joe schmo: I think it’s an open question how many right-leaning voters will have the same sentiments. As I’ve said before, if ever there were a year for a Libertarian to flirt with that 20 percent threshold, this might be it.
Would have helped the Libertarian cause to have a candidate with a larger geographic base, though…
CJ
August 11th, 2010
11:58 am
The candidate supported by the ethically-challenged Sarah Palin graciously conceded to the ethically-challenged Nathan Deal, now victorious after receiving a full-throated endorsement from the ethically-challenged Newt Gingrich. Capping it all off, the Georgia Republican Party faithful are inspired this morning to put aside their differences by the ethically-challenged John Oxendine.
Honor among thieves—it’s enough to make a Republican’s eyes water.
joe schmo
August 11th, 2010
11:58 am
Isn’t Deal a former turncoat democrat anyway? U mean like sonny?
joe schmo
August 11th, 2010
12:03 pm
Maybe, but we are back to square one now… a choice between a d bag (barnes) and a crap sandwich (Deal)… I say no thanks to either.
Whacks Eloquent
August 11th, 2010
12:04 pm
Barnes will try to make it about the last 8 years, but all Deal has to do is remind people of the 4 years before that. Roy, you are no Zell Miller…
UGA grad
August 11th, 2010
12:09 pm
Political pundits keep predicting a Republican landslide this fall, but the GOP keeps nominating its weakest, far right, and craziest candidates (not to mention Deal’s insider government contract). Democrats will pour money into Roy Barnes campaign, now that they look like they have a good chance to take a certain win from the GOP. I retired after 30 years in education after eight years of Republican rule saw my pay cut and tax cuts for wealthy retirees in the state. Georgia seems to want to race Mississippi & South Carolina to the bottom.
Kyle Wingfield
August 11th, 2010
12:10 pm
CJ: Not sure Barnes really wants to turn this into a fight about whose shirt is the cleanest. There is plenty of ammo from the Dems’ years in charge, including his four.
T Knight
August 11th, 2010
12:12 pm
I will look at the Libertarian candidate. I’m a fiscal conservative, but I will not blindly follow a candidate that I believe down to his core is corrupt.
Drew
August 11th, 2010
12:14 pm
I voted for HANDEL ,for her sensible TONE on the issues, in the runoff and am a Moderate Young BLACK Republican, yes we do exist. Although, I must say had I known that SarahBarracuda was going to endorse HANDEL, I would have held my nose and voted for DEAL. I’m tired of her meddling when she couldn’t even run her own state and resigned after less than 18-months on the job, what kind of LEADER is that, and you want to run America? I fear that no one (Deal/Barnes) is really taking the issues of education, tax, and transportation reform seriously. The massive GRIDLOCK facing METRO ATLANTA is rather ridiculous. As a result, pretty soon I will have to move out of the state because corporations/jobs refuse to LOCATE here because of the HORRENDOUS traffic, and lack of public/private infrastructure/partnership to some of our biggest systemic issues. Is this truly the best Georgia can do? DEAL & BARNES? Can we get SOME NEW ideas with fresh faces? DEAL’s corruption stinks from here to DC. WE need some Chris Christie to come through, I would welcome him opening his weight around in GEORGIA!
Port O'John
August 11th, 2010
12:15 pm
Whoever wins, Georgia loses. Barnes won’t get anything done as the GOP legislature will make sure to oppose anything Barnes supports (just like the GOP in Congress opposes anything Obama supprts). That’s the new partisanship.
If Deal wins, we’ll just continue Sonny’s path of no progess on transporation, water or education. (Sorry, but that transportation bill from the last session is just a recipe for more balkanization of treansportation in Georgia and for taking $$ from metro Atlanta for South Georgia).
Partisanship is an IQ test. If you believe in either the GOP, democrats or libertarians (the GOP-lite party), you failed the test.
booger
August 11th, 2010
12:16 pm
Deal needs to come clean and explain to the people of Ga. exactly what took place in his supposed ethical lapse. You can be very sure the Dems. will exploit this to the hilt, but he could take some of their ammunition away by being the first to discuss it.
Kyle Wingfield
August 11th, 2010
12:20 pm
Port: You are of course free to criticize the transportation bill — it certainly has its flaws. But if you think it involves “taking $$ from metro Atlanta for South Georgia,” you really haven’t paid much attention to it.
CrazyInGA
August 11th, 2010
12:28 pm
It definitely involves taking money from metro Atlanta for south Georgia. It’s like that Alaska Bridge to NoWhere.
Thanks CJ, you are definitely correct about the ethically challenged endorsing each other. It was almost as good as Sarah Palin “who didn’t complete her term” endorsing Karen Handel who hasn’t completed anything she started as well.
Matti
August 11th, 2010
12:30 pm
Let me see if I have this straight: Deal quit his job as a Congressman — through which he had some measure of input into federal spending — and is applying for the position of Govenor of this state, because he says he wants to “fight back” against spending in Washington. Um…. Will somebody please explain to him what the actual [expected] duties of Governor actually are?
wallbanger
August 11th, 2010
12:36 pm
I can only hope that Deal becomes a conservative due to the cry of the crowd. And I am sorry I haven’t run for office. I know I am a better candidate than most of the yahoos I have seen running. I just have a hard time asking people for money. That makes me a conservative, but doesn’t make me a politician, cause politicians are always asking for someone else’s money. Maybe that is why we have weak GOP candidates. The people who would be strong on principle, simply can’t ask for the money they need to campaign (I think it is called ethics).
Churchill's MOM
August 11th, 2010
12:44 pm
I am absolutuly sure Deal stole this election by voting dead people. I will not vote for a CORRUPT WASHINGTON POLITICIAN. I will start working for John Monds today. Kyle why don’t you get this started off by doing a good interview with Mr. Monds.
Marge
August 11th, 2010
12:47 pm
Tom Price is in the toilet. Many of his constituents, including myself, have watched him be a doormat for Karen Handel and follow her around for 3 weeks instead of being my congressman doing what he was elected for. His campaign chairman Jeff says that he supported Karen due to the “ethics charges”. Say what? Bad gamble Tom. You need to stop bucking for higher office and start with cleaning out all of the illegal aliens in Roswell. Do your job and stop campaigning. Good grief. You betrayed a colleague and slandered him as well. Shame on you.
Matti
August 11th, 2010
1:07 pm
Marge,
TP is my “representative” too, so I have to ask: Since when has he EVER performed the duties of the job for which he is paid? From Day One, he took marching orders from Brother Bluto in the GOP frat, the first of which was to trot their “let’s privatize social security” pie chart around at so-called “town hall” meetings, and tell us that illegal immigrants were our biggest problem in the sixth. (Huh? You mean they didn’t water the sod sufficiently?) He works for his Party, not the people, and his aspirations to climb the GOP ladder are clear. Is he ever in his office? He spends most of his time screaming “the socialists are coming!” on the Fox pundit shows, talk radio, and leading charges at “Tea Party” rallies. His “proposals” are a joke. When does this guy ever read a bill or consider the needs of his non-donating consituents? I’d love to know.
Jefferson
August 11th, 2010
1:15 pm
Yes mother, whatever you say…
Karl Marx
August 11th, 2010
1:23 pm
Get use to saying “Governor” Barnes. Deal can’t beat him with all his ethics issues so congratulation retards oops er Republicans!
DannyX
August 11th, 2010
1:31 pm
“I think clearly if you look at the record there are some issues of corruption here,”
Republican Karen Handel on Republican candidate for Governor Nathan Deal.
Drifter
August 11th, 2010
1:34 pm
If this is what passes for the best of the GOP, then hand the keys back to Roy. I’m with joe schmo and will vote Libertarian.
DannyX
August 11th, 2010
1:45 pm
As a US congressman Nathan Deal…
Voted YES for the $26.5 Billion No Child Left Behind act
He voted YES for $100 Billion in farm subsidies
He voted YES for $16.6 Billion on welfare programs
He voted YES on the $350 Billion on Medicare Part D.
He voted YES for the $23 Billion Head Start Program.
He voted YES for two UNFUNDED wars.
He voted YES on the Bush tax cuts that increased the deficit because of skyrocketing spending.
joe schmo
August 11th, 2010
2:13 pm
Danny x, u make some valid points, but why in the world would I put some dem crony into office? Don’t get me started about liberal dems.
CJ
August 11th, 2010
2:28 pm
Kyle: “CJ: Not sure Barnes really wants to turn this into a fight about whose shirt is the cleanest. There is plenty of ammo from the Dems’ years in charge, including his four.”
Artfully worded. However, I commented on the ethics of specific individuals, primarily Nathan Deal. On the other hand, Kyle pivots to general ethics issues “from Dems years in charge,” ignoring the fact that many Dems of yesteryear, Nathan Deal included, are Republicans today.
John
August 11th, 2010
2:33 pm
“Unity on display at GOP event”
That’s all it is a display. Perhaps she conceded after reading the republican party pledge candidates had to sign in order to run as a republican. Do politicians think that voters are naive…viciously attack each other as negatively as possible and then the day after the election their united. Up through yesterday, Handel attacked Deal as a no good corrupt politician that would be no good for the state…and today she supports him and thinks he would be good for the states. Give me a break.
Libertarian
August 11th, 2010
2:40 pm
If Monds was smart, he’d go for the black vote. Worked for Obama…he got something like 98%. I think Georgia is 30% black. Combine that with all the centrist Republicans who think Deal is sleezy and Monds could have a chance.
Linda
August 11th, 2010
2:41 pm
In July, 680,499 voted for Republican governor candidates & only 395,467 voted for Democratic governor candidates. By this indicator, Georgia will have another Rep. governor in Nov.
DannyX
August 11th, 2010
2:47 pm
Why put a Dem in office? By that I take it you mean the Georgia governors office.
The same reason Kyle advocates for a split US government. A Dem governor would help keep the extremes in the Republican Party from doing dumb things. One party rule is bad for the US government and bad for state government.
Georgia under Republican rule has been a mess. Starting with Glenn Richardson and his affair with the short skirted Atlanta Gas light lobbyist. Ethics in this state is non existent. Pray for rain was supposed to fix our water woes. The DOT is in worse shape than MARTA. Our state Homestead exemption was canceled at the same time corporate tax breaks were being handed out like candy. Our state leads the nation in bank failures. Our Insurance commissioner was a crook. Our Governor received special tax breaks. Education has been gutted. Predatory lender laws were weakened to nothing. We now pay Georgia Power for a power plant not even confirmed. We still have no Sunday alcohol sales. Our legislators spend a ridiculous amount of time on micro chip bills and anti abortion gimmicks. Metro Atlanta still begs for traffic relief, at the same time shipping 35% of our tax dollars to the rest of the state.
Your problem is with liberal Dems? What about our current state government? A complete disaster. An embarrassment.
Adam
August 11th, 2010
2:50 pm
So Georgia’s options are
1) A redo of the pitiful Barnes. A teacher’s worst nightmare, and a democrat that is uninterested in the private sector and job growth.
OR
2) a socially inept conservative who panders to the extreme right on the surface, who has serious ethical issues, resigned right before he had Charlie Rangel like violations brought to him so he could keep his congressional pension and then run for governor
WOW looks like a real winning choice!! Do we have any other options?
DannyX
August 11th, 2010
2:52 pm
Wow Kyle. How on earth did my last post get sent to moderation? You might want to explain how that works.
John
August 11th, 2010
2:53 pm
Over 100,000 less voted for Republican governor last night that in July. How many fewer republican voters will show up at the polls in November. Yesterday, republicans had a choice to either vote for a corrupt politician according to Handel or a woman who support indoctrination of kids as young as 13 into gay sex according to Deal. Looks like some good choices to me.
Grand Forks
August 11th, 2010
3:04 pm
I think I’ll leave the ballot blank this time. This state is retarded.
Kyle Wingfield
August 11th, 2010
3:04 pm
No idea, DannyX, but I’ve pushed it through now.
Kyle Wingfield
August 11th, 2010
3:05 pm
Actually, John, given the usual falloff in voters from primary to runoff, yesterday’s turnout was pretty good.
Linda
August 11th, 2010
3:17 pm
Missouri sent a huge message about health care recently with 71% voting against it (symbolically).
Colorado backed Obama in 2008. Colorado’s senate race also sent a message yesterday. Incumbent Dem. Bennett, endorsed by Obama, received 183,521 votes & Romanoff, endorsed by Clinton, received 155,016 votes, a total of 338,537. Reps. Buck received 209,967 votes & Norton received 197,143 votes, a total of 407,110.
The looser in the Rep. race received more votes than the winner in the Dem. race.
Kamchak
August 11th, 2010
3:23 pm
DannyX
It could be the word r-i-d-i-c-u-l-o-u-s.
joe schmo
August 11th, 2010
3:25 pm
And Danny my friend, is why I will be voting Libertarian. Easy to say GA was screwed up by Repubs, but in reality Repubs for 8 and dems for decades. At this point both parties are garbage.
Horrible Horrace
August 11th, 2010
3:30 pm
Flip Flop Deal was previously a Democrat. I will not be voting for Deal as much as I will be voting against Lipstick BoyRoy.
Horrible Horrace
August 11th, 2010
3:31 pm
“The looser in the Rep. race received more votes than the winner in the Dem. race.”
Funny…not doubting you at all but all I seem to hear is about The Dems getting a boost in CO…seems the media is yet slanted again.
songbird
August 11th, 2010
3:59 pm
I voted twice in the Repub primaries, but I will not vote for Deal in November. I can’t stand him. He’s unethical, a liar and a hypocrite. I crossed over to vote against people I detested to try to get them out of the race. I will vote for Monds or Barnes in November depending on my mood that day.
@@
August 11th, 2010
4:18 pm
So Handel graciously conceded…unlike Al Gore, who headed up the great divide in which our country is now embroiled.
Thanks for nothing, Al.
JF McNamara
August 11th, 2010
4:21 pm
Hey Kyle, can you put together a post on Deal’s positions and what he actually plans to do once he’s elected? There’s going to be a lot of propaganda around him, and he’s undoubtable going to cater to the extremist. It would be nice to know if he’s going to be moderate or extremist in you viewpoint since he’s probably going to be elected.
Linda
August 11th, 2010
4:47 pm
Horrible @ 3:31, You need to double check your source or switch media or both.
I can’t remember where I found this but of all the top 20 cable news shows from last year, the top 13 are on FOX, based on the number of viewers. The top 5 are O’Reilly, Hannity, Glenn Beck, Special Report & On the Record. Fox ratings are going thru the roof as CNN’s & MSNBC’s decline.
Liberals don’t watch FOX, but if you want the truth (fair & balanced) rather than political rhetoric, tune in to FOX. They present both sides of every issue, always inviting both Dems & Reps, & let you decide. They ask the tough questions. Besides, they have the best-looking ladies.
The main stream media lies by omission. Rather than cover all the news, they frequently cover it up.
Linda
August 11th, 2010
4:50 pm
@@ @ 4:18, It’s lady-like (but we do hold grudges).
Grand Forks
August 11th, 2010
4:53 pm
“Liberals don’t watch FOX”
Oh they watch Fox News. Keith Olberqueer and Pissed Matthews talk about FOX on an hourly basis.
PMSNBC should rename themselves Fox Watch.
christian
August 11th, 2010
4:53 pm
Ha ha…SARAH PALIN LOST it for HANDEL…..i love it…now these fools like KYL are promoting a crook like DEAL for governor….
SARAH PALIN
August 11th, 2010
4:58 pm
THANKS FOR THE BIG PAYCHECK KAREN…sorry the GEORGIA voters didnt fall for my bs..toodles