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Andrew Young endorses Kasim Reed in ATL race for mayor

11:42 am August 18, 2009, by jgalloway

Former Atlanta mayor and U.N. ambassador Andrew Young has jumped into the race for mayor — on the side Kasim Reed, a state senator.

The Reed campaign said radio ads featuring the Civil Rights veteran will begin airing as soon as this afternoon. You can listen to the spot here.

The endorsement by Young could prove helpful to Reed on a number of fronts:

— First, though a veteran state lawmaker who twice managed Mayor Shirley Franklin’s campaign, Reed has never run citywide, and may lack name identification with habitual city voters. Reed, who just turned 40, is on the young side of the mayoral field. Young tells of meeting Reed while he was a student at Howard University — endorsing not just Reed, but a general shift in the leadership of the city.

— Reed’s chief rival for the African-American vote and a slot in any runoff contest is Atlanta City Council President Lisa Borders, who carries a civil rights legacy through her parents and grandparents.

An endorsement of Reed by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. top lieutenant allows the state senator to match Borders. Keep in mind that Reed’s campaign manager is a former aide to U.S. Rep. John Lewis of Atlanta, so Young’s endorsement may not be the last by a Civil Rights veteran.

This is Young’s second entry into a political fray in two days. On Monday, Young endorsed former Dougherty County prosecutor Ken Hodges in the Democratic primary for attorney general.

The race for mayor of Atlanta is non-partisan. Reed spokesman Reese McCranie said a formal endorsement by Young is likely next week. Below is the transcript to the radio ad:

About 20 years ago I met a young man who impressed me a great deal. He was in the process of putting together a student run foundation that would help college students to help themselves and help those who were less fortunate stay in school.
I took the liberty then of saying I hope you finish your education and come on back to Atlanta where you grew up ‘cause in about 20 years we’re going to need a mayor like you.
Now that young man has come back to Atlanta. He’s been in our state senate. He improved legislation for women’s health. He’s worked with the city and the state to helpus with our water and sewer sales tax. He’s helped to cut property taxes for seniors and raised their homestead exemption to $40,000.
I hope you will join me in electing Kasim Reed the next mayor of Atlanta.
Thank you and God bless you.

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27 comments Add your comment

Jack Smith

August 18th, 2009
11:58 am

you can also read about Andrew Young’s endorsement of Ken Hodges’ here: http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/young-endorses-hodges-for-117788.html
and here http://www.albanyherald.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=5630

NickNick

August 18th, 2009
12:12 pm

Yawwwwwwwwwwwn!

Hodges - Obama Liberal

August 18th, 2009
1:25 pm

Ken Hodges can now stand next to Kasim and proudly proclaim his true identity as an Obama liberal. Ken has been working hard to portray himself as a republican disguised as a democrat. Now we know the real truth. In spite of Andrew Youngs endorsement, Ken Hodges still has to explain to the black community the Kenneth Walker fiasco in Columbus. His strategy to pander to the African American vote likely just cost him the conservative Republican cross-over vote.

Jimbo Nash

August 18th, 2009
1:34 pm

Ya’ll a be sorry if you follow wise ol’ Andy…remember he thought the President was too young! Reed was a third rate state senator at best. Anybody but Reed. Bill Campbell light I’d say.

Coastal Cavalier

August 18th, 2009
1:41 pm

Do endorsements from politicos and newspapers have the value they once did?

Will Jones - Atlanta

August 18th, 2009
1:59 pm

Forty years old and never married but not “out”: Is Kasim Reed another Vernon Jones?

Hey Andy, If you’re such a faithful follower of Dr. King, how much effort did you expend trying to hang Nixon and Bush1 for killing him? And just what did you do to raise the alarm when Bush2 was cheated into office and committed 9/11?

Aaron

August 18th, 2009
3:06 pm

Wait you mean he did not endorse a white person? WHAT A SHOCKER!!! If the thugs in Atlanta would realize how much a white person could clean up Atlanta, they would be in much better shape. It all started going downhill when the first black mayor took charge of Atlanta.

LiptonSoupYetStillRoyalByVirtueOfTheQueen

August 18th, 2009
3:17 pm

While the crazies (bill white/will jones) continue their rants against the evil bush/clinton regime, and attacking the pope (no problem with it), they offer nothing in solutions. A white person needs to lead atlanta. Black people who happen to be politicians have proven to be failures. Jackson, Young, Campbell, Franklin have all been instrumental in destroying atlanta.

AtlantaBytes

August 18th, 2009
3:20 pm

I’m guessing Aaron is getting ready to hear some fairly lively responses. I won’t worry about Aaron as an individual ignoramus.

However, we should all take note that while we’ve “come a long way.” Aaron is a prime example of the real racism that has existed in the city for many years. And how that racism, on both sides, still exists and manifests itself in city politics and elsewhere.

He also serves as an example that that racism is still alive and well here. We should all be mindful of this sad reality and work everyday to come together as human beings and residents of Atlanta.

We should hope to have a mayor and a city that wants a better quality of life for ALL of its residents. And that starts when the individuals at work in the city work toward a better quality of life for ALL of those around you.

Aaron

August 18th, 2009
3:34 pm

Well “AtlantaBytes” do you know why that is the case? Who causes 99.9% of the crime in Atlanta? Especially murders, robberies, drug selling, etc. Why would we LIKE those people? If it were all white people doing it, I would hate them too. It’s funny how there are no problems in East Cobb, Forsyth, Alpharetta, etc.

Will Jones - Atlanta

August 18th, 2009
3:34 pm

“— Reed’s chief rival for the African-American vote and a slot in any runoff contest is Atlanta City Council President Lisa Borders”

Really? The people on all sides of Atlanta who have shared personal and heartfelt testimony of Mary Norwood’s worthiness to be Our Mayor, to me, have all been Black. Given her associations I thought she might be a bit “too” white, but if good and decent Black Atlantans vouch for her, that’s good enough for me.

I look forward to seeing how the campaigns shake-out.

Courtney

August 18th, 2009
3:42 pm

So will Kasim be an incompetent moron like Young?

Robert Schreiber

August 18th, 2009
3:57 pm

The leading candidates for Mayor of Atlanta have all been informed that successful completion of Atlanta’s sewer Consent Decrees depends on projects which violate Georgia and federal laws. Creating a City Council that operates in compliance with all city, state, and federal law is a hallmark of competent city government.

A petition was presented to Judge Thrash and copies were sent to all current elected officials. Mayor Shirley Franklin does not want voters to understand the petition or even know about the petition.

The petition challenges the lawfulness of some of Atlanta’s Consent Decree projects and it is based on a legal decision from a higher Court than Judge Thrash.

There are many conflicting interpretations of the issues. If elected as Mayor of Atlanta, will Kasim Reed commit to restoring competency to Atlanta city government by asking Judge Thrash to issue a ruling regarding the lawfulness of the Consent Decree projects?

Roekest

August 18th, 2009
4:00 pm

Civil Rights was 40 years ago. I’m tired of having every black politician associated with Civil Rights, especially when they are too young to even remember those days. That would be like me always invoked the American Revolution. Civil rights have been achieved, enough of the bellyaching, already.

AtlantaBytes

August 18th, 2009
4:04 pm

Aaron you are now a great example for why education is the key to a better world. The problems you describe have nothing to do with race. Those are socio-economic problems.

“It’s funny how there are no problems in East Cobb, Forsyth, Alpharetta etc.” – They have some of the wealthiest populations in the MSA.

It is no secret that crime rates in poorer areas of Atlanta are higher. This is the same in every civilized place on the planet.

Talk about race, religion or any other distinguishing characteristic, but war and crime is about the haves and the have nots.

Owl Gore

August 18th, 2009
4:08 pm

Shocker!! Ken Hodges is sunk. So “journalist” (nudge, nudge Jumbo G) should look into his ownershipship in The Cab Stand, a night club in Albany, GA 1990’s, and a cerntain drug issue. Ken is a sellout and he is NO conservative.

ghostwriter

August 19th, 2009
6:44 am

Better Kasim Reed than Clark Howard. Look what happened to us (and our 401Ks) the last time we were duped into voting for a self proclaimed fiscal conservative.

ghostwriter

August 19th, 2009
6:49 am

Aaron,
The reason there are “no problems” in East Cobb, Forsyth, and Alpharetta is because we don’t do enought racial profiling in this country (see Billy Mays).

ghostwriter

August 19th, 2009
7:22 am

Aaron,
Other reasons there are “no problems” in East Cobb, Forsty, and Alpharetta is that we are very selective in how we enforce drug laws. In the inner cities we have SWAT using storm trooper tactics and barge into homes of 80 year old women while in the suburbs we send in our Governor and our U.S. Attorney General to have town hall meetings. Did you ever think that the meth epidemic in the suburbs is a result of the the crack down on low level dealers? Did you think suburbanites were going to do without their drugs? The meth epidemic is a good example of the market at work. When supply is interupted, consumers find a new product or another source. We incarcerate low level drug dealers and allow suburban users to go to celebrity rehab centers.

Rex D

August 19th, 2009
10:46 am

Andrew Young is a statesman with nothing left to prove to anyone. His work as Mayor set up the Olympics coming here which was a major boon for our city in many ways. These are facts. With that said, he knows your legacy is often pinned to your last move, and he certainly would not step out on the limb for Kasim Reed to be Mayor of Atlanta if he did not believe in him.

Get Real

August 19th, 2009
11:06 am

Isn’t the police and other agencies currently looking for a white woman who was kidnapped in the northern suburbs? Didn’t a lawyer from Cobb just get sentenced to prison for running a Madoff? I would’ve thought there was no crime outside of Atlanta if not for all the toothless meth addicts. Yeah right. White collar or black collar, crime is crime.

Anow!

August 19th, 2009
12:04 pm

Regarding the article, the most pertinent comment came from Rex D (not that the rest were not entertaining debates). Andy Young’s endorsement leads me to believe Reed is the best person for the job. How can one not respect that man’s judgment (not saying its perfect, but definitley worthy of respect)?

From my following of the race so far, I think Borders is going to drop out soon… She has not received any major endorsements, her fundraising has been second-rate, and last month she shuffled the leadership of her entire campaign.

Remember, she dropped out last year this time. I don’t think she really wanted to be Mayor then; and I don’t think she really wants to be Mayor now.

Interestingly, it appears Reed has more bi-partisan support than Norwood. Additionally, Reed’s endorsements have been much more powerful than her’s. My prediction is Reed and Norwood in the run-off; Reed wins the run-off by a suprisingly significant margin.

Watch Yourself

August 19th, 2009
1:47 pm

Aaron and Lipton Soup you two are clowns and the intelligent readers on this blog should stop responding to your stupidity and nonsense. We all know the meth problem in this state and around the rest of the country is being carried out mostly by whites snd the murders in Florida involving the couple that adopted special needs children was equal opportunity, so let’s please drop the ignorance that black people and black leadership perpetuate crime.

Kaism Reed, by far, has the most bi-partisan and racially mixed group of supporters and Mary Norwood is nothing more than Buckhead’s version of Sarah Palin. Do your homework and get a life. Atlanta was a cowtown before progressive mayors came in and the African-American leaders have carried that legacy well.

Will Jones - Atlanta

August 20th, 2009
3:37 am

You Reed fronts, what is it about his having never married at 40? You speak for him, you must know him. Please explain his personal/moral make-up. Is he gay? Asexual? Immature? Vernon Jones was an obvious sex deviant, how about Kasim Reed?

'I'll see your Civil Rights vet, and raise you seven clergy' | Political Insider

August 20th, 2009
5:47 pm

[...] this week, Atlanta mayoral candidate Kasim Reed snared the endorsement of former congressman, two-term mayor and U.N. ambassador Andrew [...]

brecko

August 22nd, 2009
8:42 pm

Does anyone really believe that an endorsement means that’s the best candidate. It’s no skin off the endorser’s back either way. It’s all a game.

What Atlanta really needs is an accomplished businessperson who is widely respected and who would be “above the fray.” Not a politician, but someone who know how to manage a large, complex enterprise. Someone who could spend the couple of millions needed to run a successful campaign without having to go around “hat in hand” cutting back room deals with contributors and cronies, a la Michael Bloomberg in NYC.

I think that Arthur Blank, or someone of that calibre, is exactly what Atlanta needs right now.

I recently talked to an “insider” who has benefitted greatly from airport concession contracts, ect. and he thinks that Atlanta is in BIG trouble. Business as usual, as we now see from Atlanta’s recent budget woes, has not worked for a long time and trite endorsements from the same old cast continue to lead the city down a road of decline.

A politician recently married a prostitute and with three weeks had pulled her down to his level. ;-)

An Observer

August 28th, 2009
9:53 am

All Black folks in Atlanta are not going to be drinking the kool-aid on this one. It is time for a change in the ATL and just because a candidate is Black does not mean that he/she will be the best person to clean up and straighten out the major problems happening in the City of Atlanta. Vote for the BEST candidate that will benefit the CIty!!!!!