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John Oxendine invites Mary Norwood to debate an east Atlanta connector

3:51 pm September 14, 2009, by jgalloway

A campaign aide to John Oxendine, the Republican candidate for governor, just drove away from Mary Norwood’s office, after dropping off an unusual offer for the Atlanta mayoral candidate’s consideration.

Oxendine wants to debate Norwood on the issue of an east Atlanta connector, parallel to the current _ and crowded _ Downtown Connector.

“I don’t think this is a stunt. Oxendine believes that people are going to benefit from an issue-oriented discussion. It’s the basis for the whole brain-team concept that we have,” said Oxendine campaign manager Tim Echols.

Oxendine and another mayoral candidate, Kasim Reed, had it out over the same issue last week, mostly in this space. But the invitation for a public confrontation went only to Norwood. Why?

The idea is to pair the two candidates who, in repeated polls, lead in their respective races. “Not only is she the frontrunner, but she was also the first to really respond to it,” Echols said.

Early this month, Norwood _ who owns a robo-call company _ sent out a barrage of messages when the Oxendine idea of another interstate through Atlanta first gained prominence. Norwood was unsparing in her language:

“The absurdity of a proposal that would build a highway south from Lenox Mall through Morningside, Ponce de Leon, east Atlanta, and Grant Park, going down to the airport, is horrific. It would destroy our intown neighborhoods and I am adamantly opposed to it.”

The Norwood campaign confirmed the Oxendine visit and its purpose. But a spokesman was prepared to say no more than that.

Last week, when Oxendine and Reed were doing cross-contest battle, we theorized that the discussion was doing neither candidate harm, and could in some sense be beneficial to each. Oxendine is trying to score points with northeast metro Atlanta commuters. An Atlanta candidate mayor won’t lose points with intown neighborhoods for pointing out the errors of Oxendine’s ways.

Does the same calculus apply to Norwood?

Feel free to add your own, but two points come immediately to mind: First, a Norwood-Oxendine confrontation could have some benefit for the councilwoman. Norwood, who is white, at this point appears headed toward a runoff with either Council President Lisa Borders or former state senator Kasim Reed _ who are not white.

In such a contest, racial overtones are likely to be expressed in partisan terms. Republican and Democrat become code words for white and black. Norwood consistently calls herself neither red nor blue, but purple. Yet accusations of Republicanism loom on the horizon, and so it might be convenient to be seen publicly smacking around a GOP candidate for governor.

But there’s also the fact that Oxendine is talking about a public event _ not an exchange of quotes on a blog. Events are time-eaters, and every second that Norwood devotes to Oxendine is one not focused on her rivals. In politics, the main thing is to make sure the main thing stays the main thing.

The guess here is she’ll pass.

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22 comments Add your comment

NikoTSmith

September 14th, 2009
4:07 pm

http://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=ffKUPBdbB6E But wait! Mary is Atlanta’s Ultimate Crime Fighter!

GOP Don

September 14th, 2009
4:08 pm

The way Norwood performed last night, she should probably pass on the next mayoral debate as well.

Vivian

September 14th, 2009
4:15 pm

Ox’s motivation is simple…he chose the most absent-minded candidate so that he could whip up on her and add credibility to his side of the argument.

Vivian

September 14th, 2009
4:21 pm

Oxendine wouldn’t want to go against a skilled debater like Kasim Reed or Lisa Borders. It’s clear that Mary Norwood is the least informed and articulate candidate.

Wow, Just Wow

September 14th, 2009
4:36 pm

My cat Muffins could beat Norwood in a debate. Pick on somebody your own size, Ox…

Lucas

September 14th, 2009
5:07 pm

No one involved in this has proposed additional roads. Get Georgia Moving wants to install high-occupancy tolls on 75/85. If you want less traffic, you have to make driving more expensive. If you put in more lanes, it makes it effectively cheaper, and more people do it. It’s called “induced capacity.”

Ox is saying “I hate traffic enough to pave over your house.” What debate could they possibly have? It’s just a stunt.

The North Springs MARTA station has secured long-term parking for $7 a day, and daily parking is FREE. You don’t have to transfer anywhere, and it’s much faster than driving during peak hours.

realdem

September 14th, 2009
5:09 pm

Norwood being accused of being a Republican has more teeth than people think. Just look which primary she voted in most of the time.

Jasher

September 14th, 2009
5:14 pm

Norwood said in last night’s debate that she was “purple”. Granted, she said that with a “red” face. Rethuglican all the way.

WeGetPaidToBlogForBorders

September 14th, 2009
5:29 pm

All you paid Reed and Borders blogger need to consider something:

- Norwood not only supports gay marriage – she said she would publicly support a State wide referendum on it.

- The big developers haven’t given her any $ (unlike Lisa “I sold my soul to Cousins property” Borders). She’s viewed as a neighborhood preservationist.

You calling her a Republican is laughable.

Save us

September 14th, 2009
6:01 pm

It is clear that Oxendine will do or say anything necessary to inflame the rabble. He thinks he’s found the holy grail of cheap publicity by pitting Atlanta intown neighborhoods against folks in outlying counties. So cheap. So transparent. And who does this “arch” conservative think paid for 95% of the pavement laid in this state. Guess: the federal government. And I’m sure the feds will certainly smile upon a grandstanding buffoon as governor when the time comes to dole out hundreds of millions for future road projects.

GoOx

September 14th, 2009
6:24 pm

True leadership from my man Ox

realdem

September 14th, 2009
7:28 pm

hey we get paid…guiliani and bill oreilly support gay marriage. mary is an Republican Buchead housewife with too much time on her hands.again , CHECK HER VOTING RECORD!

newA

September 14th, 2009
7:31 pm

I’ve heard Norwood votes republican in the primaries. Is that true?

Will Jones - Atlanta Jeffersonian Exegesis

September 14th, 2009
7:59 pm

Her family is Roman Catholic and her maiden name is Bush. What did you expect?

don't be stupid

September 14th, 2009
8:32 pm

Of course Mary Norwood is republican. This is a fact. She has voted republican in the last two presidential primaries. Mary and John Ox have cooked up this scheme of getting earned media for him because he has nothing noteworthy to say on state politics and the Mayor’s race has gobbled up all of the political media attention. So, if Mary entertains his offer–she comes up smelling like a rose. Hence both of them get what they want–she publicly beats up on her Republican friend and he gets his name on t.v. and print. What a hoot. Now they don’t really believe the masses are gonna believe this b.s. do they?

Daedalus

September 14th, 2009
10:10 pm

A Pox on Ox.

Peachtree Road

September 14th, 2009
10:42 pm

Mary will do fine. I think Lisa would do better :)

sm

September 14th, 2009
11:59 pm

Norwood, Borders, Reed, etc should not take this bait. There is no use in debating this thing with Dumb as an Ox. Do not give that douche any extra publicity. We all know that nothing remotely like this ill-conceived, moronic idea of a parallel connector would ever be built. Besides the fact that this would do nothing to relieve traffic (as was pointed out above), the idea that the same Georgia GOP that wants to go to war over any eminent domain issue would allow this to happen. The cost alone of all of the property along such a route is absurd. Let the Ox play with himself.

retiredds

September 15th, 2009
2:25 pm

I find it interesting that the Ox would be proposing a parallel connector while our neighboring states will be eating Georgia’s lunch because they are laying tracks, light and heavy rail, for the future. It is too bad that we are saddled with the current crop of local political yokels while North Carolina and Tennessee are moving rapidly into the future. Any body have a spare mule to loan Oxendine?

REL

September 15th, 2009
9:08 pm

What difference does it make what party primary Norwood prefers? Unless of course, you question her position on key issues beyond campaign rhetoric.

DW

September 16th, 2009
1:55 pm

I agree with retiredds. Trains are the solution. Also, isn’t it odd for a gubernatorial candidate to debate a mayoral candidate? It’s a slap in the face to both Oxendine’s and Norwood’s opponents.

Bob

September 29th, 2009
1:41 pm

Before she can even finish running for Mayor of Atlanta Mary Norwood is setting her sights on higher office. Recently, she released a robocall against John Oxendine, who is the front-running candidate for Governor of Georgia, against his transportation plan. It stated:
“The absurdity of a proposal that would build a highway south from Lenox Mall through Morningside, Ponce de Leon, east Atlanta, and Grant Park, going down to the airport, is horrific. It would destroy our intown neighborhoods and I am adamantly opposed to it.”
Putting aside the strengths and weaknesses of this proposal, why is a candidate for Mayor calling out a candidate for Governor? Because she thinks she has the Mayor’s office wrapped up and is already planning her next political move into the Governor’s office. Mary Norwood has used her past 8 years in Atlanta City Council as a continuous campaign to be Mayor of Atlanta. She voted against public safety because it was politically expedient for when she ran for Mayor. She voted against helping the homeless because it was politically expedient when she ran for Mayor. And, if she is elected Mayor, she will continue to do what is politically expedient so that she can run for Governor.
At a time when Atlanta desperately needs to build relationships with the State to fund transportation, to fund public safety, to create new revenue streams; can we really have a Mayor of Atlanta who the Governor hates? Can we really afford a Mayor who is only making decisions based on what will get her elected Governor?
Mary Norwood says that she’s running for Mayor because she could get what she wanted accomplished in City Council. Next she will be saying that she is running for Governor because she couldn’t get what she wanted to accomplish as Mayor. We need a Mayor who brings solutions, not excuses and blind political ambition. We need a Mayor who stands for Atlanta.