Game-changer: Sarah Palin endorses Karen Handel in GOP race for governor
We have a game-changer in the Republican contest for governor.
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin today endorsed former secretary of state Karen Handel and her “underdog” bid for the GOP nomination.
The Handel endorsement appeared on Palin’s Facebook page – the same manner in which she endorsed GOP candidate for governor Mary Fallin of Oklahoma last month.
Palin’s endorsement of Nikki Haley in the Republican race for governor of South Carolina was deemed crucial to Haley’s surge last month.
While Bill Clinton’s endorsement of Thurbert Baker in the Democratic race for governor today was a sure thing — the attorney general had stuck with Hillary Clinton in the ‘08 presidential campaign — the Palin endorsement has been touch-and-go.
Karen Handel
The popular former Alaskan governor was in town two weeks ago at a charity event. Handel’s rivals – former congressman Nathan Deal, state Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine and former state senator Eric Johnson of Savannah – all are presumed to have made entreaties to forestall or intercept an endorsement of Handel.
Palin specifically cited Handel’s focus on ethics and her persona as a “reformer” – both topics of her first TV ad last week, slamming all three major rivals.
You know that the GOP establishment has been lined up against Oxendine – seen as a more vulnerable candidate in a race against Democrat Roy Barnes. The Ox himself has talked about it.
If it’s seen as a Republican signal to consolidate their anti-Ox efforts, Palin’s endorsement could change the rhythm of the GOP race for governor. A reaction posted on the Facebook page of one Oxendine staffer:
To paraphrase Herman Cain, “They think we are stupid.” That is why women from outside of Georgia are coming in trying to tell us who to vote for. Surprise, they are all telling us to vote for the woman!
Certainly it will make last-minute fund-raising for Handel easier. According to finance disclosures released last week, as of June 30 she had only $667,840 on hand for media buys – one, perhaps two rounds of TV ads.
Karen Handel will be going for a photo with Sarah Palin -- something like this. Associated Press.
The Facebook endorsement directs supporters nationwide to the contribution page on Handel’s web site.
But the key will be whether Palin will make the trip to Georgia for a side-by-side appearance with Handel within the next seven days. Certainly, that’s what Handel will be shooting for. Think about the impact of a joint appearance by both Palin and Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, who endorsed Handel earlier this month.
Following is the full endorsement posted by Palin:
I’m proud to lend my support to a great commonsense conservative woman running for Governor this year in the Peach State. My recent visit back to this beautiful area allowed me to meet more of the patriotic Americans who call Georgia home and who are ready for a reformer to help strengthen their families, businesses, state and, ultimately, our United States.
“Karen Handel is that reformer. Throughout her career in public office – from serving as Chairman of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners to Georgia’s Secretary of State – Karen has brought the common sense fiscal discipline and positive change in government that is needed now more than ever.
“Though considered an underdog candidate (more power to her!), this pro-life, pro-Constitutionalist with a can-do attitude and a record of fighting for ethics in government is ready to serve in the Governor’s Office. She’ll balance budgets and help spur Georgia’s economy. Her plan will contribute to America’s roadmap which can benefit all of us.”
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137 comments Add your comment
Doug
July 12th, 2010
4:23 pm
Monroe @3:15. You are an itelligent young man and I don’t recall seeing you blog on Jim Galloway blog before. Do not blog or read the AJC blogs. Most of the blogging here are southern idiots that are locked into the 1950s They are hopelessly lost. They are a bunch of misfits. The good news is that most of them are older white men and they have less than 10 – 15 years to live. Their world is dying fast and they are in a death fight that they are losing, but they are desperate.
Conservative Thinker
July 12th, 2010
4:26 pm
Doug-
That was one of the most hateful comments I have seen. Obviously your mother didn’t wash your mouth out with soap even times in your youth.
Red
July 12th, 2010
4:29 pm
Paddy O – and you did not bother reading my post. Please tell me where I “push” her after repeatedly saying I am not. Or are you deflecting? I’m not mad at all. Frankly I know as much about her as what is made public. Perhaps the same scrutiny should be made of the other candidates as well. It seems you and others are giving passes at saying the other candidates are “running” their businesses in an executive manner. Feel free to prove those assertions as well. I’d like proof on what decisions they make – what they were, how peers felt about them, when the last time they made executive decisions, etc. Perhaps MCF can identify how he is so confident the other candidates have honestly revealed their executive experience as well. Again, as I said, apply the standard across the board. Ask the other candidates for proof of their resume’ as well.
Tosh.No
July 12th, 2010
4:29 pm
Well if Palin is backing Handel, then I am backing anyone else!
Tosh.No
July 12th, 2010
4:32 pm
Which candidates are not republican or democratic? Cause I will never vote for either of those parties again in my lifetime. Let me look into that actually.
Red
July 12th, 2010
4:36 pm
This state is not third party friendly Tosh. Your options are limited.
Goodness Gracious Sakes Alive
July 12th, 2010
4:40 pm
Which is worse? 1 – Supporting Gays 2 – Lying about Supporting Gays? Clearly Sarah and Karen think option 1 is worse.
Genarlow
July 12th, 2010
4:44 pm
Johnson and McBerry have something for “under the age of consent”. Why didn’t Johnson spend as much time going after McBerry?
MoreChoicesFolks
July 12th, 2010
4:46 pm
Well, Red, Oxendine was the name partner in his firm — my guess is that meant he ran/managed the firm. Eric Johnson was a managing partner at Hussey, Gay, Bell & DeYoung — one of the most successful architecture firms in the southeast — “managing partner” usually means they managed something. Deal — all I said about him is he was in the Army and practiced law. Haven’t been able to find anything really substantive about what he did.
Johnson’s issues were over not disclosing the accurate amount that firm was paid — however, all contracts or state jobs were disclosed. He/his staff messed that one up for sure. Deal — well again nobody really knows whether his issues would have caused him trouble — he left before they could have a hearing. Oxendine — well his insurance buddies are blocking his ethics complaints in the courts for him — honestly, “ethics complaints are politicially motivated” as a reason to file suit? Either he did something wrong or he didn’t — why is he trying to hide it until after the primary?
I read every word of your post — and have addressed everything you’ve said. AND I STILL have done it without endorsing or leveraging for any one candidate — they all have problems which is again why my label is “MCF”. But, you still don’t answer the question — what did your candidate actually do that made her an executive? What was her title at CIBA?
Sorry Red but being in the legislature in GA is not a career and does not make someone a career politician. They are not paid to be politicians and nothing else. That is what the SOS, Governor, Congress members, atty general, etc. are. If you had just also worked “good ole boys” into your last post you would have proven my point 100%.
Cecil Phudpucker
July 12th, 2010
4:55 pm
Dagmar should run for governor. She likes muscle cars & motorcycles. Like I said, she has TWO major qualifications. I mean, if we have to have a woman governor, then why can’t we have one that is smokin’ hot? Handle makes me wanna barf.
MoreChoicesFolks
July 12th, 2010
4:56 pm
….and let’s see. David Poythress is a Lt.General, they dang sure run things,not that I would vote for him… Barnes has run his own business for 3 decades, DuBose Porter has run a publishing company… These are people with other “careers” you understand. Their primary careers are not politics. But wait — they are good ole boys right?
Kevin
July 12th, 2010
4:59 pm
I love Palin(she was the only good thing about McCain campaign), but it doesn’t change my vote. Still voting for Ox. bc he can beat Barnes in Nov. and that’s priority #1 to me. And as far as Obama, he may have degrees from ivy League schools but the place he learned his beliefs is “The Bill Ayers/ Rev. Wright Hate America Institute. Oh, and saul Alinzksy’s rules for radicals. As for Handel and her lack of formal education. I know plenty of ppl i went to coolege and grad. school with who are complete morons. Most lawyers for instance.
Paddy O
July 12th, 2010
5:01 pm
OK, Red does have a point – he is asserting gender discrimination on handel vs. the other candidates. The problem is Handel has a very thin resume vs. the other candidates. I don’t trust her, personally. I will not vote for Ox or Deal due to corruption connections. I lean toward Chapman, because he seems to me to be a decent fellow. I have a personal affection toward JOhnson after watching him in the Senate for the last few years – he seems to address things in an intelligent fashion, with a decent amount of thought. If Johnson wins the primary, I will vote for him. If not, I will most likely vote for Barnes, as I doubt Chapman will win the primary.
Paddy O
July 12th, 2010
5:02 pm
Also, Red, you push her by advocating her without addressing obvious questions in response to dubious claims.
no excuses
July 12th, 2010
5:03 pm
Why should we care who Palin endorses? She’s nothing more than an opportunist trying to be a celebrity. I’m sure Karen Handel is so honored to be endoresed by a quitter. Can’t wait for her to fade away into obscurity.
Kevin
July 12th, 2010
5:07 pm
All u people who are calling Palin a quitter………she has more balls(if that’s the right word to use for a woman) than all of ya’ll or 99% of the pols in either party put together. She killed Biden(admittedly no brain surgeon) in the debate. And wasn’t afraid like mcCain and others to ask tough qustions about Barry’s friends like Ayers, Wright, flager, etc.
VP Corporate Communications
July 12th, 2010
5:09 pm
Handel was VP of Corporate Communications for CIBA. Worked with her and she was great. She rose up thru the ranks rapidly.
As a female though, I’m not a fan of Palin supporting Handel. Men/Women are already afraid to vote for a woman and Palin’s gun totting, teenage pregnancy/abstinence nonsense is a sad thing.
If Handel would give entrepreneurs a tax break and support business growth then I’m behind her. Until one of these candidates – on both sides- owns up to how they’re going to promote business growth then I’m on the sidelines….
Any input on this from the gallery would be helpful.
Monroe
July 12th, 2010
5:21 pm
C from Marietta – I am not, and never will be, a spokesperson for a president or any politician as a matter of fact. Blind loyalist? I beg to differ. I didn’t vote for Obama (or McCain). Just because I agree with a politicians decisions and understand that they are the most logical choices as I see it. There are also things that Obama does that I don’t agree with.
As for the tax issue, how are you going to replace a $9 billion dollar revenue program (state income tax) with something as minimal as a state sales tax? Explain that one. Have you lived in any of the states that replaced their income tax with a sales tax? If so, was it during a recession and how did they fill the gap in the budget?
Conservative Thinker – Who said anything about Kerry? I never said I supported Kerry, nor did I associate myself with him by claiming to be a Democrat or liberal. I was simply comparing the academic pasts of Obama and Bush is all.
Genarlow
July 12th, 2010
5:28 pm
Johnson addresses things in an intelligent fashion????
The Race For Governor « Chamblee54
July 12th, 2010
5:33 pm
[...] today, he was, reluctantly, supporting Karen Handel as the lesser of many evils. That was before Sarah Palin endorsed Mrs. Handel. To begin with, the Georgia Governor’s race is none of caribou [...]
Red
July 12th, 2010
5:39 pm
Managing partner? What did he manage? I’ll expect the same scrutiny given to Handel on that one. Because on his campaign site, Johnson just lists ‘architect’. I’d like to know specifically what he managed. Deal and Ox ‘practiced’ law….any cases? Records? How do their peers rate them? And how long ago was their last case? How long has it been since either did anything in the private sector? I see Ox’s past filled with nothing but political ties even dating back to Joe Frank Harris. Being handed daddy’s law practice doesn’t offer proof of experience either.
You are basing the others’ experience under assumptions and offer no proof of them either. Strange that a standard given to one candidate is not offered across the board. As for the Dems’ qualifications, I never mentioned them. Not sure why they came up.
Paddy O – pointing out flaws in your argument and pointing out items in someone’s past does not mean I am ‘pushing’ them. That is an ignorant assumption on your part. Merely holding you to applying a standard to all candidates does not mean I advocate one candidate over the other. Adding to my own statement repeatedly that I support none but yet you and MCF ignoring that leads me to believe fact is beyond you.
You lean to Chapman based on him “being a decent fellow” – wow. There is substance. Johnson addressing things in an intelligent manner – care to elaborate? As was mentioned the Genarlow case was not exactly Johnson’s best and brightest moment. Frankly I have yet to see much in his rhetoric that matched his history in the legislature. Again, these who have been in positions in government to change things have little to show for that. When given the opportunity, all have failed. Some less than others. And that is the dilemma of the GOP. Having the executive and legislative with little to show leaves little to be desired.
khc
July 12th, 2010
5:45 pm
conservative thinker….kerry and bush had similar grades at yale maybe a point to bush…but given how many brain cells he killed with his drinking….i’d bet kerry would test better at their advanced ages…..kerry did beat him in the debates by most political pundits but not by a landslide. and gore had an sat about 150 pts more than bush…..
what a party bush, barton boner, blunt, bachman……geez louise
khc
July 12th, 2010
5:48 pm
kevin how’d you get in grad school?
Legend of Len Barker
July 12th, 2010
5:54 pm
This is the most amusing thing I’ve read in a while.
As we get closer to the primaries, the Republican candidates are going to have differentiate themselves from one another. The magic words of “tax cuts” and “Obamacare” are in everyone’s ads. And since Handel has opened the negative-towards-your-own-party thing for ads, this could be fantastic.
All of the Republican candidates have plenty of mud to sling at one another while Barnes has pretty much wrapped things up on the Democrat side. The Republicans could end up destroying each other.
This could be some great entertainment.
MoreChoices Folks
July 12th, 2010
6:18 pm
Red — managing a professional practice – particularly one that size — means being responsible on a daily basis for the livelihoods of 500 to 600 people (200 professionals and support staff) — if you don’t get that nobody is ever going to be able to explain it to you. Johnson was more than a 10% managing shareholder in the firm so you do the math.
Agree with you on Ox though — I don’t know if he has ever actually earned anything in his life. I made that point in a previous post.
VP for Corp. Communications — interesting to see if anyone from CIBA (I’m assuming CIBA is Ciba Vision) can corroborate. That would be of interest to us undecideds – at least this one. CIBA website does not list that as an actual title or executive position — nor anywhere on it’s webpage.
Red — my scrutiny of Handel on this blog is because it’s about Handel. Yes I am scrutinizing everyone’s resume — haven’t found such outlandishly ambiguous statements in others. Frankly, kudos to Johnson for saying architect for the sake of brevity when he COULD say he was a managing partner (i.e. executive) and actually be telling the truth.
If Handel had simply listed her job with those companies I’d say the same — instead she implies she was an “executive” when she apparently had no executive responsibilities — at least not the way the rest of the world defines executive.
Nathan Deal says he's 'disappointed' by Sarah Palin endorsement -- and accuses Karen Handel of supporting gay 'outreach' | Political Insider
July 12th, 2010
6:18 pm
[...] This morning’s endorsement of Karen Handel by former Alaskan governor Sarah Palin has already ratcheted up the tension level in the Republican race for governor. [...]
Parnell
July 12th, 2010
7:30 pm
Yes, “A Waste Is a Terrible Thing to Mind” as the saying goes. (I did get that quote right, didn’t I?). Too many bloggers on this site fit that aphorism.
G. Parnell
Dooley
July 12th, 2010
9:08 pm
Can you believe this crop of candidates???? We’ll give the Tea Party endorsement to whomever gives us the most money!!!
08hayabusa
July 12th, 2010
11:55 pm
For all of you Palin haters here’s a little insight for you if you care to read it.
http://08hayabusa.blogspot.com/2010/06/sarah-palins-executive-experience-real.html
ymchoo
July 13th, 2010
2:01 am
Snow White leads The Seven Dwarfs………
The GOP will soon be known as the Party of Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs with Sarah “Snow White” Palin leading such GOP Dwarfs as Huckabee, Gingrich, Pawlenty, Thune, DeMint, Romney and Ron Paul. When Snow White leads, The Seven Dwarfs follow.
khc
July 13th, 2010
7:43 am
the only reason palin has had any success is she does realize what d.a. most americans are and appeals to their wants and desires…..she’d be a wonderful carny
Conservative Thinker
July 13th, 2010
9:31 am
khc-
If Kerry’s grades had been higher than w’s I’m sure your response would have been quite different. My only point is/was that Bush wasn’t stupid. Heck he was elected Gov and Pres twice and you and I weren’t. Disagree with his policies all you want, I do, but leave the unintelligent nonsense at the door.
Conservative Thinker
July 13th, 2010
9:33 am
khc-
Your 7:43 post would fit perfectly into what I would write with the substitution of Obama with Palin. Glad you are the fount of all knowledge.
James Davis
July 13th, 2010
11:53 am
@qwerty I couldn’t agree more…. this endorsement will only hurt Handel.
Shawn
July 13th, 2010
1:28 pm
Game changer, yes! Just like Palin changed the game for the GOP in ‘08.
Handel will NOT get my vote, NO WAY! There is no way I will ever vote for anyone Sarah Palin endorses. Ever. Because with friends like Sarah Palin…ah, you know the rest.
(And to think I actually believed Georgia would be dodge the Palin/Tea Party circus!)
Handel: Gay parents not as ‘legitimate’ as straight ones | Georgia Elections News
July 15th, 2010
1:17 pm
[...] candidate Karen Handel, endorsed by Alaska’s most famous conservative, says gay parents can’t do as good a job as straight ones in an interview with 11Alive [...]
GH
July 20th, 2010
10:30 am
Karen Handel? No college education, no job experience, she isn’t even articulate, and she has yet to finish a term in office. She’s a job-hopper that someone has talked her into thinking she is qualified to be governor. Good grief! Georgia has enough problems…….