Charter schools amendment points the way for Georgia GOP
Republicans are doing some soul-searching after losing the presidential election and some winnable U.S. Senate contests. The Georgia GOP should be similarly self-reflective after delivering the second-smallest margin among states won by Mitt Romney.
The same demographic trends Romney failed to overcome are increasingly apparent in Georgia. Republicans here must learn to win over voters they typically haven’t attracted. Fortunately for them, Tuesday also offered a template for doing so: the successful charter schools amendment.
The referendum to affirm a state role in creating these public schools was passed in a Republican-dominated Legislature with crucial, but limited, Democratic support; was endorsed by our Republican governor; was opposed by the state Democratic Party; drew much-scrutinized financial support from wealthy Republicans outside Georgia; and was slammed in a radio ad by a civil-rights icon, the Rev. Joseph Lowery, as a precursor to resegregation.
Yet in Clayton, DeKalb and Fulton counties, home to about a third of all Democrats and black registered voters in Georgia, 72 percent of voters backed President Barack Obama’s re-election — and 66 percent approved the charter schools amendment. And why not? The students and parents in those counties face some of the most dysfunctional school systems in the state.
In all, the amendment got 62 percent in pro-Obama counties, 56 percent in pro-Romney counties.
Georgia Republicans have big trouble in big cities, but the amendment won in every single county where at least 40,000 people voted on it. And it got 65 percent of the vote in the 10-county metro Atlanta region – where the T-SPLOST was defeated in July by 62 percent of the voters.
It may seem odd to liken the passage of the GOP-led charter schools amendment to the defeat of the GOP-created T-SPLOST. But the pairing offers some important lessons.
Each contest featured a coalition of mostly suburban “movement” conservatives and mostly urban black Democrats that has rarely, if ever, figured into Georgia politics.
Why did these groups come together? In part, it’s because the losing side in each referendum essentially argued, “Trust us.”
For the T-SPLOST, it was the state transportation apparatus and the politicians who like to meddle with it. For the amendment — despite opponents’ efforts to tie it to the same politicians — it was the educational establishment that runs local public school districts.
Decades of experience left Georgians wary of trusting either group. There’s an opportunity here.
Republicans often talk about financial waste in public services. They’re less adept at addressing these services’ failings from users’ perspective.
This is less true when it comes to education. The amendment was a chance to reach out to non-Republicans with a solution for improving public education for them. There will be more chances — soon, I hope.
On transportation, the Georgia GOP shouldn’t talk about privatizing MARTA, for example, purely as a way to save money. As long as DeKalb and Fulton have a sales tax for transit, MARTA isn’t likely to cost taxpayers less.
But Republicans could promote privatization as a way to improve transit without spending more money. In my 2010 series on MARTA, I estimated the agency could increase bus services by about one-eighth (over 2008 levels) without increasing spending, by privatizing buses the way some cities out West have.
If Georgia Republicans don’t find a way to promote conservative principles with new blocs of voters, the choice won’t be theirs much longer.
– By Kyle Wingfield
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425 comments Add your comment
Lil' Barry Bailout - OBAMAPHONE!!!
November 11th, 2012
9:27 pm
JamVet, your implication that the Occupy protesters are “working Americans” is hilarious!
Occupy protesters were the poster children of “GIMME!” And a few social diseases too.
ODD OWL
November 11th, 2012
9:41 pm
We Dems will not be satified until every state is Democrat blue and every workers is Unionized… Forward !!!
JamVet
November 11th, 2012
9:47 pm
BB, enjoying your recent electoral humiliation, are you? Damn near a clean sweep as the most strident of your people got sent packing.
Walsh, West, Allen, Akin, Mourdoch et al. Only Bachmann survived. And that was barely.
Caused in no small part by moderates and reasonable, intelligent Americans who are thoroughly disgusted with your hateful ideology and your malicious lies about millions of decent Americans.
The next forty years portend very bad things for you irrational extremists.
Which is OK by me…
JamVet
November 11th, 2012
9:49 pm
every workers (sic) is Unionized
Hitler would not be amused.
He outlawed all German labor unions in the 1930s.
Ironic, huh, right wingers?
mike
November 11th, 2012
9:54 pm
I had to throw some water on my computer because it was overheating from all of the “flaming righties” blowing hot air. I really got to hand it to cc, Lil’ Bar, Tiberius, et al. I guess they didn’t get the memo: YOUR PARTY LOST! Your party is forgotten and will fade into obscurity. And along with your party, your imbecilic beliefs. Maybe we can have a better America now! Can you hear me, now?
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
November 11th, 2012
10:04 pm
Obama lost an incredible 9 million voters from his 2008 haul. If told on Monday that fully 13 percent of the president’s support would vanish, the GOP establishment would have stocked up on champagne and confetti.
Considering that most dummycrats are slobbering sycophants, I dare to say that someone else was “sent a message.”
Lil' Barry Bailout - OBAMAPHONE!!!
November 11th, 2012
10:06 pm
YOUR PARTY LOST!
——————-
Did you know there’s more to life than political parties and elections and government? I guess if you have so little going on that this represents a major event in your life, probably not.
The folks who were winners before will continue to be winners. The folks who were losers before will continue to be losers.
Obozo’s re-election, and the fact that there are enough losers to make that happen, merely signify a quicker descent into hell for all of us.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
November 11th, 2012
10:09 pm
The American people are sick of both parties.
They had their choice, a hard left dummycrat or a hard left Republican.
Why choose the imitation?
Next time around there will be no squish Republicans. Enjoy your lame duck ride, loudmouths. We got a filibuster for that.
JamVet
November 11th, 2012
10:10 pm
Obama lost an incredible 9 million voters from his 2008 haul.
Factually incorrect. Try again.
But what difference does it make?
You still got crushed.
Considering that most dummycrats are slobbering sycophants…
More of that winning GOP strategy.
Good job, Andy.
At this rate you may retake the White House.
In 2028..
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
November 11th, 2012
10:11 pm
EVERY entitlement is going to get reformed in 2016.
Every one of them.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
November 11th, 2012
10:15 pm
Popular vote 69,456,897 2008
Popular vote 62,088,847 2012.
OK, 7.35 million votes less.
B. Thenet
November 11th, 2012
10:17 pm
The only reason the amendment passed is because the description of it was a complete misrepresentation of what people were voting for.
Anyone who did not do an ounce of research on the subject would have voted for it in principle. If they knew that control of the charter school process was going to be stripped from local authorities and handed to a group of handpicked political insiders I suspect it would have failed miserably.
The idea that you could imply this is some kind of issue that could cause some GOP gains within the African-America community shows that you have not recovered from the Great GOP Delusion of 2012.
JamVet
November 11th, 2012
10:18 pm
Squish Republicans?
You just trotted out 18 different HARD core, FAR right wing, non-squishy types in the last two elections.
And every single one them got laughed out of the race as being unelectable. By your own party!
But keep grasping at straws to explain this most recent GOP bloodbath…
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
November 11th, 2012
10:24 pm
When did I start talking about the Senate or the House?
Try to pay attention, please.
cc
November 11th, 2012
10:27 pm
“EVERY entitlement is going to get reformed in 2016. Every one of them.”
If not sooner . . .
In fact, EVERY entitlement is going to EXPIRE completely, but the liberal losers still fail to understand it.
They will get the message, though, and maybe realize then that it was them who caused it.
MarkV
November 11th, 2012
10:31 pm
Tiberius @7:59 pm
We are not making you irrelevant, you have made yourself irrelevant.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
November 11th, 2012
10:32 pm
Using Chinese money to party on your children’s future and these lowlifes have the audacity to celebrate their depravity.
JamVet
November 11th, 2012
10:32 pm
…liberal losers…
An interesting choice of words, cc. Considering how liberals just smoked you Republicans. Who based on results, were the real losers.
OK, 7.35 million votes less.
Yep, you were only off by a tad more than 18%.
But again, it matters not.
Democrats are winning big with the demographic groups that are growing; Republicans are trying desperately to win with a shrinking base of voter groups.
To wit…
Moderates, who comprise 41% of the electorate, voted against Romney by a considerable 15%.
BHO – 56%, WMR – 41%.
Time for some serious self-examination and perhaps FINALLY realizing that trickle down, globally cooled, widespread, unfounded hatred of other Americans is the loser…
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
November 11th, 2012
10:44 pm
If my party was down in votes 8% with an incumbent running, I damn sure wouldn’t be aping, or back patting or babbling about how great I was.
I leave that to the dysfunctional.
Have at it, party girl.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
November 11th, 2012
10:47 pm
Ooops, another mistake, you libs were down 11% not 8%, with an incumbent running.
cc
November 11th, 2012
10:54 pm
JamVet:
“…liberal losers…
An interesting choice of words, cc. Considering how liberals just smoked you Republicans. Who based on results, were the real losers.”
Yes, JamVet, liberal losers who consider the past presidential election as “winning”.
I vastly underestimated the stupidity and greed of the majority of the American electorate.
You think that the celebrating will go on forever, the money will always be there to fund your progressive giveaway programs and the party will never end. The music is getting slower now, and the dancers are weary. The waiter is coming to the table to present the check and they no longer accept credit cards.
Get your apron on, JamVet. You’ll be washing dishes for a very long time.
Do you speak Chinese?
JamVet
November 11th, 2012
10:55 pm
You just got smashed, shellacked and crushed – from sea to shining sea – and you’re in total denial about this or that percentage?
Gawd, this is awesome!
“We sent women running back to the Democratic Party because they think we’re nutty,” Rep. Steve LaTourette (R – Ohio) said of comments about rape by Mourdock of Indiana and Rep. Todd Akin of Missouri, conservatives who both lost Senate races Tuesday in states won by Romney.
What War on Women?
JamVet
November 11th, 2012
11:01 pm
I vastly underestimated the stupidity and greed of the majority of the American electorate.
You should look in the mirror, cc. For a good long while.
Because you vastly overestimated your intelligence and character.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
November 11th, 2012
11:05 pm
Damn, you just hit on it, without any coaching.
obozo, biden, clinton are your candidates, your best, and they got far fewer votes this time around.
So if we pick someone besides a northeastern squishy, a “moderate,” I’m interested to see what happens.
cc
November 11th, 2012
11:11 pm
JamVet@11:01 pm:
I noted that you addressed only one small portion of my post, which is typical selectivity on your part and was expected.
LBB, Tiberius, I Report and all other fellow conservatives:
I bid you a very pleasant evening and will leave you to deal with the riff raff.
Good night . . .
ODD OWL
November 12th, 2012
12:58 am
All tax cuts are off the table for the foreseeable future… No capital gain tax rate for investment income… All earned income and investment income will be subjected to the new standard marginal federal income tax rate of 40%… The inheritance tax rate on millionaires and billionaires will be raised to 40%… All untaxed money squirreled away in offshore bank accounts will be confiscated by the federal Government… Share the wealth, tax the rich, pay down the debt…
ODD OWL
November 12th, 2012
1:33 am
Social security, medicare and medicaid are off the negotiation table in the debt battle… Our entitlement social programs did not contribute to the debt and the deficit and the President will not allow them to be cut in order to pay down Republican debt… Tax the rich…
bluecoat
November 12th, 2012
1:56 am
Provides for improving student achievement and pa rental involvement through more public charter school options.
House Resolution No. 1162 Ga. L. 2012, p. 1364
Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to allow state or local approval of public charter schools upon the request of local communities?
( ) YES
( ) NO
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
November 12th, 2012
6:23 am
“You just got smashed, shellacked and crushed – from sea to shining sea – and you’re in total denial about this or that percentage?”
And yet, Republicans GAINED governorships from sea to shining sea, now up to 31 out of 50.
Neither the party, nor most of it’s ideas, are out of touch with America.
A little tweak here and there, and a dumping of certain hard-core social conservatives, and it will be viable on a national level again. Of course, since the American Idol President is thankfully term limited, and no longer has the power to buy union votes, it will make 2016 easier.
Shine
November 12th, 2012
7:00 am
We are going to club Republicans over the head with this charter school crap in two years, especially if they are crazy enough to build new schools with state money while the current schools remain underfunded!!
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
November 12th, 2012
7:07 am
“We are going to club Republicans over the head with this charter school crap in two years”
Feel free to waste your time, Shine.
It will keep you out of our hair with the rest of your crazy schemes.
Numbers-R-US
November 12th, 2012
8:13 am
Ahhhh! The stench of Republican meltdown.
That Karl Rove rant is bound to be a classic. And Rasmussen was spot on too. 
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
November 12th, 2012
9:00 am
I suggest you liberals that are so intent on spiking the ball over this victory remember what happened when you overreacted to your 2008 win.
Your overconfidence cost you the House and your Senate super-majority.
independent thinker
November 12th, 2012
9:03 am
I hope I am, wrong but knowing politics of this state, I expect some politician’s buddies and family will benefit from the passage of this amendment.We already know the Romney family is profitting from charter schools.Ah but only if we had a businessman running the country and not some liberal socialist who wants to give free stuff to everyone. By the way how did that business man do in running a campaign compared to that community organizer?
JamVet
November 12th, 2012
9:07 am
Romney lost ALL eight states that were deemed toss ups. Moderates spanked him.
Immoderation is the new word for electoral loser.
Women will not make the same mistake they made in 2010, when they stayed home. The cons have them fired up.
And like many other fed up, protesting Americans they are not going to just sit by idly anymore while the Republican Masters of the Uterus get their reactionary way and send this land back to the days of Herbert Hoover.
Welcome to the future, GOP…
fair and balanced
November 12th, 2012
9:14 am
Dying to see what science curriculum the new Repub. for profit schools will teach- evolution of Adam and Eve?. Will there be courses on the evils of contraception and abortion? Will they teach economics of outsourcing and offshoring as well as economics of making most workers independent contractors with no benefits?
pr how about the benefits of the political science of hypocrisy- voting for and taking public benefits while telling the voters you are against the government giving away the the free stuff?
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
November 12th, 2012
9:18 am
“Dying to see what science curriculum the new Repub. for profit schools will teach”
The same one all public schools do. Haven’t you been paying attention?
“Will there be courses on the evils of contraception and abortion?”
No. Stop confusing private schools with charter schools.
“Will they teach economics of outsourcing and offshoring as well as economics of making most workers independent contractors with no benefits?”
If any school teaches economics it would be a miracle. Same as if they taught American history.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
November 12th, 2012
9:20 am
Ever notice that “independent thinker” and “fair and balanced” always show up at the same time, and post the same themes when they do?
independent thinker
November 12th, 2012
9:37 am
Yeah Tiberius keep hallucinating and we both think it is people who are narrow minded and unable to deal with reality like you that caused the GOP to gets its rear end burned in a landslide .
Obama 2012-332 EVs
George W. 2004-282 EVs (only because he stole Ohio with Rove’s help)
Deal with it
There is better places to for you to get your daily reality check than Rush and Glenn.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
November 12th, 2012
9:38 am
John Q, despite your contention that we are the same, we do not post the same, nor do we show up at the same time. Nor do I subscribe to LBB’s use of insulting terms for Obama.
You’d know that if you had any intelligence.
Nice try, but epic fail.
They BOTH suck
November 12th, 2012
9:41 am
To all the veterans; Thank You
Happy Veterans Day!!!!!!!!!
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
November 12th, 2012
9:42 am
non-independent and no-thinker, I do not listen very often to either Rush, and never listen to Glenn Beck.
But keep falling back on that failed argument since you have nothing else to argue with.
And if you wish to continue to use the Electoral College as your measure for a “landslide”, feel free to do so. It doesn’t change the fact that this was a 2 1/2 point election.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
November 12th, 2012
9:52 am
John Q, you really are an ignorant liberal (isn’t that redundant?)
See, I can throw out insults without and substance just like you, John Q.
Fortunately, I can also post substantial comments as well. You? Not so much.
Your next substantial post will be your first substantial post.
Black Label
November 12th, 2012
10:02 am
John Q
Next Tiberius will say that he “accepts your surrender”. I guess he thinks he is winning something on this blog. Maybe Kyle gives him a free week of the AJC dead wood edition each time he makes his declaration. If nothing else, it makes him feel good about himself. Have to start somewhere.
independent thinker
November 12th, 2012
10:03 am
Thank you to all our veterans out there on Veterans Day. Sorry that the loser /draft dodger of the GOP dissed you folks and lumped you in with the 47% Thank god we have Michelle and Jill Biden to remind us o fthe sacrifices of our veterans and their needs as a result of the two Bush wars, Maybe Michelle and Jill can get Queen Anne to join them now that she has all that free time on her hands ( except for the horse, managing her millions made on Delphi as a result of Obama’s auto bailout and her car elevator.) Might help her see what it is like to have family members put heir lives on the line for their country.And thank you Dems for featuring veterans at every opportunity during the election..
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
November 12th, 2012
10:06 am
“Might help her see what it is like to have family members put heir lives on the line for their country.”
I’m sorry, but I must have missed the “time served in the military” when reading the resumes of Barack and Michelle Obama.
Barack Obama
November 12th, 2012
10:36 am
Just a brief word to my fellow progressives:
Let us not forget that the battle has just begun. We must be ever-mindful of the task before us and apply ourselves accordingly. We are about the business of remaking America! Soon the wealthy will be stripped of their wealth and that wealth shall be distributed to the proletariat. Our true gains shall be made after we destroy the economy and the damnable capitalistic system.
Before all of this occur, we must first disarm the citizens…and I am working on that through the United Nations.
The proletariat shall rule! Unfortunately, you shall be equally poor…but we are about fairness, aren’t we?
FORWARD!
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
November 12th, 2012
10:43 am
Still waiting for that first post of substance from you, John Q . . . .
MarkV
November 12th, 2012
10:53 am
Looks like more people are catching up on how Tiberius keeps repeating the same, tired expressions to belittle opponents or pretend he is winning arguments, but he still is not getting it.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
November 12th, 2012
11:01 am
Looks like MarkV is still trying to become relevant on this blog while pretending to make any substantial posts.