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Political Insider

A word from ‘the least radical candidate’ on the ATL mayor’s race

11:29 am November 3, 2009, by jgalloway

State Rep. Ed Lindsey (R-Atlanta) sent out an e-mail to friends this morning:

Now this is funny – at least to me.

My friend Mary Norwood spent this weekend in the Atlanta mayoral race promoting her Democratic Party credentials and explaining away why she occasionally voted in the Republican primaries in recent years at her Buckhead Atlanta residence.

Lindsey cites an article from Atlanta Progressive News in which Norwood and her campaign explain:

In 2004, Norwood voted in the Republican Primary and the Republican Primary Run-off; this race included US House and legislature seats.

According to Norwood’s campaign manager Roman Levit, Norwood picked up a Republican ballot because in her State House district there was a competitive race between three or four Republicans and there was no Democrat in the race [the seat that State Rep. Ed Lindsey (R) holds], so she voted for the least radical candidate.

Lindsey continues:

In case you are wondering, I honestly take no offense – although I do wonder now if I was “the least radical candidate.”

A political friend of mine once described the closing weekend of a campaign as the Silly Season, when candidates stretched to the end of their ropes say and do things they would not ordinarily think of doing. He liked to say that no candidate in the closing days of a hard fought race should be allowed to drive heavy machinery or use a credit card.

I think that accurately describes things here in Atlanta the last few days judging from what was put out and said by all four leading candidates – Mary Norwood, Kasim Reed, Jesse Spikes, and Lisa Borders. They are all quality, serious candidates who could bring different strong credentials to the Atlanta mayor’s office.

However, instead of focusing on our fiscal crisis, crime, water, economic development, and transportation, they and their surrogates each have engaged in petty finger pointing of one kind or another. I trust each will regain their sanity tomorrow.

Editor’s note: Given the impending Atlanta mayoral election, instant commenting has been closed on the Political Insider blog. Readers are invited to submit comments on all posts, which will be published as soon as possible after review.

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12 comments Add your comment

Roekest

November 3rd, 2009
11:38 am

If Norwood is a Republican, she should be proud to say as much in public. For all the simple-minded Atlantans who think a Republican can’t run a “democratic city”: See New York City.

For years, NYC was run by Democrats. The end result: high crime, filthy streets, homeless everywhere (sound familiar Atlanta???). Once Rudy Giulliani took over, all was cleaned up. Now Bloomberg is on his way to a 3rd term (another Republican). Norwood can clean up this city and I hope she gets that chance. NO MORE CRONYISM!

Wow, Just Wow

November 3rd, 2009
11:49 am

Well said… let’s hope they regain their sanity tomorrow.

APN Editor

November 3rd, 2009
12:19 pm

Hi- this is interesting since I wrote that article.

Just a quick note of clarification- I have no idea whether she voted for Lindsey.

Lucas

November 3rd, 2009
12:25 pm

I’m pretty liberal, and I vote in both the Republican and Democrat primaries. Especially when the other party has a really good shot of winning. (Handel over Oxendine any day of the week, btw) They should lay off Norwood for exercising her rights.

Wow, Just Wow

November 3rd, 2009
12:33 pm

Bloomberg left the GOP. He is an Independent… just like Mary Norwood.

Atlanta_Tiger_Fan

November 3rd, 2009
12:39 pm

Vote for the white woman!

Mary Norwood for Private Citizen

November 3rd, 2009
12:44 pm

Norwood will BRING BACK the cronyism. Boy, you have to hand it to her, she has really pulled the wool over the eyes of North and Northeast Atlanta neighborhood activist types!

Will Jones - Atlanta Jeffersonian Exegesis

November 3rd, 2009
12:49 pm

Take a gander at Mary Bush Norwood’s chin and compare it to that of George H.W. Bush…the worst cronyism of all.

Get back to work

November 3rd, 2009
2:51 pm

I saw five city employees supposedly working on a hole in the middle of traffic standing around like they were at a football game party laughing and having a great time. I am hoping Mary will get the most out of our hard earn taxes we give to the city and stop taking all our tax dollars and letting those who don’t pay taxes get a free ride.

The Snark

November 3rd, 2009
2:59 pm

It’s a shame and a telling comment on the current state of the GOP that Rep. Lindsey feels he must apologize for being “the least radical candidate.” Lindsey is a fine public servant and the very type of considered, educated, intelligent conservative that used to make up the GOP rank and file.

The sooner the GOP gets over its infatuation with angry, narrow-minded purists and returns to people like him, the better off our political system will be.

Lifelong Democrat

November 3rd, 2009
5:35 pm

Why are people acting shocked at what has been common in Georgia for years? It’s called cross-over voting. When the Republican party was very small (the saying was they could hold their primary in a phone booth), Republicans voted in the Democratic primary to influence the outcome. Nowadays, it’s often the other way around — the Republican primary often has the most action. Democrats pick up a Republican ballot on primary day. Yes, I’ve done it several times, especially when there is some particularly loathesome candidate to vote against. No one is required to vote in the general election for the nominee of the party in whose primary they voted. There are always news analysts predicting how the cross-over vote will go. It isn’t new. It isn’t unusual. It isn’t illegal or unethical.

Jim

November 3rd, 2009
8:52 pm

Uh, no. Bloomberg ran as a Republican for his first mayoral term in NYC because it was the only way he could avoid running in a crowded Democratic primary field, not because he was a member of the Republican Party. He’s no more a Republican than a Democrat. Norwood is very much the same type of person, which is why she is getting a lot of support from all races and neighborhoods throughout the city. She’ll win because she is getting votes outside of Buckhead and gentrified neighborhoods of young white professionals.