Roy Barnes bets his campaign on rural Georgia
Last Tuesday night, for the third time, Roy Barnes won the Democratic nomination for governor.
With 66 percent of the primary vote in his pocket, the former resident of the Governor’s Mansion held up the front page of that day’s Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The lead headline, “State falls further behind,” was a reference to school test scores.
Roy Barnes greets supporters on Tuesday night -- before leaving for rural Georgia. Associated Press/John Bazemore
Barnes thanked his supporters, complimented his defeated opponents, and condemned Republicans who “gave tax breaks to special interests and then had to lay off teachers and shorten the school year to cover up their mistakes.”
And then he dropped off the face of metro Atlanta.
Not even an Aug. 2 visit to Atlanta by President Barack Obama will bring Barnes back. “He’s going to be in Middle and South Georgia,” campaign manager Chris Carpenter said Saturday.
Barnes has bet his campaign on rural Georgia — the one that turned its back on him in 2002 for his removal of the Confederate battle emblem from its place on the state flag.
“Roy Barnes told me about six months ago that if he wins this election he’ll have to win it south of Macon,” said Bobby Rowan, a former state senator and former member of the Public Service Commission.
On Saturday, Rowan was one of the organizers of a 12-county rally featuring Barnes, held in the little town of Enigma, just east of Tifton.
Rowan calls his hometown a “depressed agricultural mecca.”
“It’s sad down here,” he said in advance of the Saturday bash. Ingredients for what Rowan insisted was a bipartisan event included bottled iced water, iced tea, lemonade, watermelon and boiled peanuts.
“We’ve got some little girls that’s wearing T-shirts that say ‘Barnes chicks.’ They’re going to pass out 1,500 of these ol’ church fans,” Rowan said. “The last time something like this was had down in South Georgia was when Carl Sanders took on Marvin Griffin. That was 1962.”
That was the same year Rowan, now 75, was first elected to the state Senate.
But Rowan, known for his poetic drawl and populist style, was exaggerating. The last time we saw a gubernatorial campaign like this was in 2002.
A Democrat-turned-Republican state senator named Sonny Perdue picked out 70 counties in rural Georgia that, four years earlier, had voted for both Barnes and U.S. Sen. Paul Coverdell, a Republican.
While the Roy Barnes of 2002 worked from Atlanta and hardly ever shed his business suit, each Friday night would see Perdue on the sidelines of several South Georgia high school football games, shaking hands and slapping backs.
Those rural swing counties and a promise to put the 1956 state flag and its Confederate battle emblem up for a statewide vote formed the core of the effort that made Perdue the first Republican governor in 130 years.
Carpenter, the Barnes campaign manager, acknowledged strategic similarities between the Perdue campaign of 2002 and the Barnes campaign of 2010. “We’ve taken our campaign all across the state. Roy’s been to over 90 counties,” he said.
In last week’s balloting, Republican voters cast twice as many ballots as Democrats. But the Barnes campaign doesn’t believe the GOP grasp on rural Georgia is as strong as many think.
Carpenter is a great believer in maps. One of those on the wall of the campaign manager’s Marietta office shows the Georgia counties with Democratic sheriffs — 108 of 159.
The majority of these Democratic sheriffs work below the gnat line.
While it has a Republican sheriff, Berrien County — home to Enigma — is one of those counties that voted for Barnes in 1998, then swung to Perdue in 2002.
Rowan thinks his county is ready to swing again.
Neither Nathan Deal nor Karen Handel, the two Republicans left in the race for governor, has paid Berrien County a visit. Eric Johnson of Savannah won the Republican side of the primary in Berrien, followed by John Oxendine.
Rowan doesn’t think party labels will matter in November.
“We frankly don’t care anymore,” he said. “Partisan politics has passed us. Now, I wouldn’t be surprised if Roy Barnes could roll up a 60 to 70 percent win in our county.”
Margins of that size, reached in multiple rural counties, could offset balloting from the Republican-dominated counties of metro Atlanta. A heavy turnout for Barnes in rural Georgia would essentially crack the super-majority of white voters required for statewide GOP victories.
Rowan said the Confederate enthusiasts who dogged Barnes throughout the 2002 campaign are no longer a concern. “Sonny promised them a vote. They know they ain’t never getting a vote,” Rowan said.
But it is the economy of South Georgia that has leveled the playing field, the former legislator said.
“This whole election, it ain’t about a $3 tag, it ain’t about a chicken in every pot. It’s about a job for every man that’ll work. That’s the issue,” Rowan said.
He told of an unemployed friend who’d recently confessed that, while his neighbors thought him prosperous, he was about to lose his house.
“That man is not Republican or Democrat. He’s a human being,” Rowan said. “But if you make him a promise, and he believes you might can help him, that’s where his vote’s going.
“He won’t even slow down to think about Republicans or Democrats. It’s too late for that,” Rowan said.
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141 comments Add your comment
Fire Eater
July 25th, 2010
8:08 am
For the GOP nominee:
1) IMMIGRATION – remind voters it is the DEMOCRATS who are to blame for the 550,000 illegal aliens squatting in Georgia taking Americans jobs and reducing wages.
2) CRIME – promise to enact a reform to Georgia’s death penalty law allowing for non-unanimous jury votes for death in the penalty phase of the trial to prevent travesties like the Whitney Land trial in Gwinnett county and the trials of the killers of Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom in Knoxville, TN. This measure is angrily opposed by Barnes core supporters.
3) MILTON COUNTY Advocate a major push for the re-creation of Milton county…again, this vital measure is vehemently opposed by Barnes core constituency…it would cut off intown and southside Atlanta from the cash to fund various “urban” schemes.
Any of these issues would put Roy Barnes on the spot…alienating White middle-class people and angering the urban mobs and their rabblerousing ministers.
Ga Values
July 25th, 2010
8:09 am
Nathan Corruption Deal has been a Washington Insider for 18 years, he has done little or nothing for Georgia but has made himself a multi millionaire. Just remember Deal’s middle name is CORRUPTION.
scott
July 25th, 2010
8:16 am
didnt know thier were so many multi millionares in georgia…it must be if you vote republican!!thats all they care about is making corporations and themselves richer while the middle class sinks into poverty as a wealthy white male and owner of my own company.. i do not understand this my fellow americans statistics show that the middle class has taking a whopping the past 10 years that they may not recover from(bankruptcys,foreclosures,high medical cost high cost for education,stagnant wages all while everthing goes up,no money for retirement etc..all republicans care about is the top 2% in the country while the rest of the 98% go paycheck to paycheck..i play golf with republicans trust me when i say they dont care about you!!!voting republican is not a status thing if you cant pay your mortgage or put food on the table..THE RICH IS GETTING RICHER AND THE MIDDLE CLASS HAS TAKEN A BEATEN AND WILL CONTINUE WITH REPUBLICANS…….
GI Dolly...
July 25th, 2010
8:18 am
The conerned black clergy will show up for Obama.
German Shepherd Dawg
July 25th, 2010
8:21 am
Dirk Digler,
Are you watching what’s been going on in Washington? Obama and the national Dems have given all new meaning to the word “fleecing.”
That B.S. just doesn’t sell anymore….nobody has any money left to buy it.
Retired English Teacher
July 25th, 2010
8:30 am
Oh yes, I remember you now in my Remedial class. Still blaming others for your problems in life. Get off the meth before Karen or Nate gets elected. Well maybe not, they may have you washing their dishes.
The Real Politico
July 25th, 2010
8:32 am
Fire Eater- What I always find interesting about your immigration argument is that it never has anything to do with the facts. Bush had a Republican controlled Congress and was not able to get immigration reform passed. No one ever promotes criminal penalties for those who hire illegals. No one would come here if they were not given jobs by business owners. Where is you outrage about that?
With regards to your Crime and Milton initiatives it’s pretty clear what that is about. Although why Georgians should base their vote on what happens in TN is odd.
Vince
July 25th, 2010
8:35 am
Georgians who vote for Barnes are easily fooled.
Jobs, teacher furloughs, pay cuts….none of these are affected by who sits in the governor’s mansion. They are results of a national, even international economic downturn. Do Barnes and bloggers who blame Perdue for the economic downturn really think the governor of Georgia has that much power? That worries me.
The flag problem: Many people agreed in 1999 that the flag needed to be changed. It was the sneaky, underhanded way that it was done that offended many of us.
Extreme partisanship: Remember the 2000 congressional district gerrymandering? Barnes was so intent on drawing weird districts to maximize Democratic strength and dilute what the citizens of Georgia wanted that even members of his own party commented that they had never seen a governor interfere with the process so much. The US Justice Department agreed.
Teachers. No teacher with any sense could vote for Barnes. Just before the 1998 election Barnes was asked by teachers if he would he touch tenure. He said repeatedly that he would not. Just weeks after the election he stated that he had experienced a revelation and that he wanted to end teacher tenure. Again, many people, even in education, thought that was a good idea, but to outright lie about it just to get votes was infuriating.
Teachers, Part 2: Barnes introduced his A+ Reform Act. Teachers had many concerns about it. Namely…the use of high stakes standardized tests to promote students and to award teacher raises. He thought that teachers who worked in high risk/under performing schools should get paid LESS. We wondered about his insistence that mentally disabled students achieve at grade level. When teachers tried to explain their reservations about the Act to him he responded by saying, You are in danger of losing my respect and the respect of the people of Georgia. So, we stayed quiet and responded at the polls three years later.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
The Real Politico
July 25th, 2010
8:42 am
Anyone who thinks that a Georgia governor has no affect on the education budgets of school systems is un-informed at best or purely disingenious. Perhaps a conversation with your school superintendent would be in order.
There is no flag problem. Those people who still have an issue with it should move on.
Any teacher who is still upset over something that happened 8 years ago and thinks that teachers are better off today is probably retired and no longer in the system. If you ever cared about the children of Georgia put that behind you and look through the prism of today and not of the past.
horace mann
July 25th, 2010
8:43 am
Hey coach Vince- Still preaching the Reign of Terror? Maybe Anger Management class?
Virginia
July 25th, 2010
8:48 am
Ya’ll may want to take a look at Virginia. The commonwealth typically elects some form of split party government and has a pretty good record of education and job growth. Just something to think about – should Georgia hand the reigns back to all Republicans?
Vince
July 25th, 2010
8:49 am
@The Real Politico
The Governor has an affect on the budgets…but not so much on the money that comes into the coffers from which the budgets are derived.
Counties are given a certain amount by the state and then the local districts supplement that amount. If the state, or the local body, doesn’t have enough money coming in to meet the budget then the budget must be cut. Economics 101
Vince
July 25th, 2010
8:51 am
@Horace Mann…Thanks for the compliment. I think coaches are great people. I kind of like it when kids call coach by mistake…but I never did anything so worthy as to deserve that moniker, except with the local non-school sports associations.
The Real Politico
July 25th, 2010
8:52 am
The last time I checked the Republicans have the “reins” in the mansion and both house of the General Assembly. How’s that worked so far?
Vince
July 25th, 2010
8:53 am
@ Virginia
In a perfect world everyone would be an Independent…like me! However, there are way too many non-thinkers who would rather be told what to do. It is easier than thinking for themselves.
dagnabit
July 25th, 2010
8:54 am
Sonny is the gooberhead that changed the state flag without a vote. Meanwhile gov. sonny gooberhead bought some property for half price. The rest of you republicans try doing that.
Vince
July 25th, 2010
8:56 am
I don’t notice much about who has more seats than the other. With our economic collapse during the last few years I do not think they they done any worse, or better, than anyone else could have done. Hard to do things when you have no money.
I look at character and ideas instead.
The Real Politico
July 25th, 2010
8:56 am
Then your first point holds no water. The reduction of state funding as determined by the governor and his General Assembly has a negative affect on school budgets. Thus cuts at the local level resulting in teacher cuts and larger class sizes. Anyone who thinks that’s not important does not care for kids or has theirs in private school.
School 101
horace mann
July 25th, 2010
8:59 am
Can’t talk now coach, admininstrator, former teacher Vince. gotta go to church. Hey, going to church would certainly help you state of mind.
roughrider
July 25th, 2010
9:00 am
Barnes ignored the wishes of rural Georgia when he changed the flag. What makers him think that rural Georgians will trust him now ? Has he changed his spots? We don’t need a ” has been ” or a ” never was ” as Governor.
The Real Politico
July 25th, 2010
9:03 am
What kind of voter does not know who has had leadership in the General Assembly? What kind of due diligence is that when deciding who’s responsible for the situation the state is in? The economic collapse did not come out of no where. It was caused by business greed that the middle class is paying for now.
It’s no wonder why we’re at this place.
The Real Politico
July 25th, 2010
9:04 am
roughrider-Better to have a crook and what?
Vince
July 25th, 2010
9:08 am
@ the real politico
BUT if there is no money to be had…then what? Raise taxes? Is that your answer? Raise taxes on people who are already struggling? If that is your answer, or Barnes’, then just be honest about it.
My point is…and it really is a simple one….The economic collapse has caused less tax money to come into the coffers. That is not the fault of a governor or a legislature. You cannot spend money you don’t have.
By the way, all of my kids have attended public school and I still have two in high school and one at a public state university. I currently am a public school educator. I have dealt with the cuts closely and personally.
J.B. STONER
July 25th, 2010
9:08 am
yall miss my a$$ dont you….
Vince
July 25th, 2010
9:11 am
Voters who are not blinded by party bias don’t bother to pay attention to who controls the legislature. That’s who.They actually take the time to study each candidate’s stand on issues and vote with their brain…not their bias.
It’s the lack of bi-partisanship and this game of one guy must beat up the other that has gotten us into our current mess. That, and people spending more money than they have.
Richie
July 25th, 2010
9:12 am
The people of south Ga will not vote for THE Roy boy.What a loser.
Vince
July 25th, 2010
9:13 am
Nothing wrong with my state of mind J.T.
The Real Politico
July 25th, 2010
9:16 am
The answer is that the tax revenues are down due to job cuts. So the state decided to lower the already dwindling revenues by laying off more tax payers. Thus a downward spiral is made worse. Then lower school funding caused schools to further increase the number of the unemployed. Still fewer taxes paid. I am fine with a temporary removal of tax exemptions on food until we recover.
At some point positive action is required and not just a knee jerk reaction.
Thanks for your public school service. Off to church now.
Bottom Line
July 25th, 2010
9:16 am
is that state-wide elections go as Cobb goes. Even though King Roy is a Cobb Co home boy he will not carry his home county and therefore will not win in November. King Roy does not have all the answers and hopefully Georgians have long enough memories to recall his last term in office.
Republicans outnumbered democraps 2 to 1 in the primary and if we are unable to hold that lead in November we don’t deserve to win. It is interesting that old Roy is running away from Obama, obviously not wanting to be seen with him. Hopefully, Deal and Handel will take every opportunity to tie “The King” and “The Prince of Change” to one another.
We put ol’ Roy to pasture once already! Why bring him back? It is a pretty sad commentary that he is the best the dems could come up with in this day and time.
I’m an over 50, white, male and I voted for Karen Handel because I’m ready for a REAL CHANGE for GA and I didn’t see that coming with Deal, Ox, or Johnson. Don’t forget for all us “old white Republican guys” there are just as many or more Republican women who I believe can’t wait to elect a female governor. GO KAREN!
The Real Politico
July 25th, 2010
9:20 am
Last, I promise.
You have to vote in a Republican or Democratic primary. So by default you are made to be partisan. I have found that Republicans have a tendency to say they vote on the issues and not the party. But all their votes appear on the Republican side Hmm…if it walks like a duck…
Vince
July 25th, 2010
9:24 am
I didn’t vote in the primary. Refuse to label myself.
Vince
July 25th, 2010
9:25 am
…and tax revenues are down, mainly due to foreclosures
Miller
July 25th, 2010
9:41 am
Roy is entertaining but he comes across as arrogant at times. Unfortunately, he is also a trial lawyer. It would be hard for me to be able to trust him in anything as I view that class of people as less-than-honest to begin with. They’re all about justice (as long as they get their 40% cut). Disgusting. I’d prefer to see someone with some business background as Governor but it looks unlikely. If Handel can handle running the dysfunctional Fulton County, I would imagine that the State would be a piece of cake. We’ll see.
JSH
July 25th, 2010
10:00 am
He’s had his chance and blew it. He made a deal with the devel (Atlanta) when he changed a perfectly good flag, he screwed every teacher in Georgia, and he’s a “slip & fall” lawyer.
A vote for Barnes is a wasted vote.
TruthBe
July 25th, 2010
10:14 am
Barnes is nothing more than a liberal lying democrat. He lied about our very honorable battle flag so that he could get the black vote.
Keep doing this GOP
July 25th, 2010
10:24 am
Since the repugs have been in power……………………
Raised taxes due to elimination of the Govenor’s exemption
Raises taxes by increasing fees on various liesences
Passed resoulution wanting to succeed from the U.S.
Passed resolution outlawing micochip implantation anywhere on the body
Cut 4 billion dollars in education (even before the economic collaspe )
Approved 100,000 tax cut for that only the govenor could benefit.
Repealed the strongest preditory lending act in the country
Gave a 436 million dollar tax break to Kia so they could build a plant
so close to the Alabama line that those citizens will benefit almost as much as Georgians
will without picking up the tax burden.
Vowed to vote on an ethics bill ……………..still waiting.
Has overseen the state unemployment rate go higher than the national rate 24 out of the last
25 months.
Has seen the largest teacher layoffs in state history.
Now why in the hell would i vote Republican????
ATLshirt.com
July 25th, 2010
10:46 am
YAY, All of these Democrats are going to VOTE for another GOOD OLE BOY as Governor of Georga..
Roy Barnes, Just another Good Ole Boy doing all he can for Rural Georgia and nothing for the poor black folks in Atlanta….. Way to go Democrats !!!
Garrett2009
July 25th, 2010
10:58 am
I find it laughable that some people here are so concerned about a state flag, a piece of cloth, instead of jobs and education. The only flag that all Georgians should be concerned about is the American flag and our troops that are defending THAT flag.
Vince
July 25th, 2010
11:02 am
@ Garrett….
Many of us are not concerned about the state flag. We are concerned about the manner in which it was changed and the lack of respect for the citizens of Georgia that it exemplified.
Vince
July 25th, 2010
11:05 am
@Keep doing this GOP
three reasons to give that consideration:
1. Democrats had complete control of Georgia for 120 years leading up to 2002. You think everything was peachy keen here before that year?
2. Roy Barnes lied to teachers in 1998 just to get their votes. How do you respond to that?
3. Roy has great ideas. I would respect him more if he told me how he planned to raise $3 billion in revenues before next year in order to reinstate teacher raises and end furloughs and layoffs.
Kay
July 25th, 2010
11:15 am
There has always been a stigma attached with living “south of ANYWHERE”. All **** flows south so they say….but guess what? When your capital is in the northern part of the state everything is south!!
I live in West Central Georgia (one hour south) of Atlanta, but most of the people you mention Thomaston Georgia to in Atlanta have never heard of it, and will reply “Oh, that’s South Georgia..right?” Oh well, if you aren’t part of A-town, I guess you don’t exist???
Ian
July 25th, 2010
11:43 am
1956
x x
x x
x x
x
x x
x x
x x
The Goobernator
July 25th, 2010
11:46 am
@4 Jacks, I agree with you, I consider my self an independent, and am looking for new leaders. Ironically, I vote more dem because the repubs are, to borrow your quote “forcing (their) ideals on a populace that is not in agreement with (them)…”
@ Fire Eater. Do you really think we have enough ‘Americans’ ready to do manual labor for low pay? Are consumers ready to pay more for goods and services to support a decent wage?
We gave tax breaks to Wal-Mart so they could set up shop in our towns, sell up poorly made goods that wear out in 1/8 the time of normal products. They lowered wages, forced independent stores to close, and forced companies that do business with them to move overseas in order to meet their high volume and relentless demands to keep providing them with more product at lower cost. The result is lower quality and faster filling of our landfills with their imported crap.
Bottom line
July 25th, 2010
11:53 am
You can put lipstick on a pig, and it’s still Roy Barnes.
Billy Joe Poteet
July 25th, 2010
12:09 pm
I’m not sure who the next Governor will be. I think that Barnes will have great difficulty carrying the rural counties in the “other Georgia” with a majority of white voters. The people down here will treat him politely, as we do nearly everyone visiting, but that doesn’t mean he will get our votes. Barnes impressed us during his last stint as Governor with his arrogance – which is not a character trait much admired down here.
In these rural counties of the “other Georgia”, party affiliation of local county officials is of little note. When it comes to state and national offices, it becomes a VERY important factor.
Yes, sir, they may shake ol’ Roy’s hand, listen to his spiel, wish him well and then vote for his opponent.
King Rat
July 25th, 2010
12:41 pm
Jim, I need some more coffee.
Face it
July 25th, 2010
12:45 pm
Picking the best candidate from this lot is like picking the best girl to take home from last call at the bar, and your choices are so horrific that you’re totally sobered up. Then to top off the horror, if you choose not to choose, one’s going to end up at your place anyway.
Nightmare on Elm Street should be so scary.
Winfield J. Abbe
July 25th, 2010
12:47 pm
“Barnes has bet his campaign on rural Georgia — the one that turned its back on him in 2002 for his removal of the Confederate battle emblem from its place on the state flag.”
Everyone must remember this dictatorial act for the selfish Chamber of Commerce in Atlanta and also remember that Barnes is a gutless coward, a liar and a lawyer too. Do not return this non representative of the people of Georgia to office. He had his chance, and once is enough. Please Georgia citizens prove you are not so dumb as to return him to office.
T Knight
July 25th, 2010
12:52 pm
Fight amongst yourselves over Nathan and Roy. Neither deserve to be governor of Georgia. Karen Handel has the business experience to move this state through a really tough time. Roy and Nathan are both attorney’s. We don’t need any more attorney’s screwing up our state and local government.
I’m voting for Handel to handle the issues that come from building businesses and bringing good paying jobs back to Georgia.
Billy Joe Poteet
July 25th, 2010
1:06 pm
Mr. T Knight, I believe you might have something there. Mr. Deal has questionable ethics relalative to confusing his personal business dealings and his position in the Congress. Ol’ Roy is a known quantity from his last try at being Governor and has alienated an awful lot of voters – who still remember. Ms Handel, I believe, has the ability and ideas to make Georgia a very good Governor. I’m far more willing to give her a shot at the job than either a man of questionable ethics (Mr. Deal) or a man of no ethics at all (Mr Barnes).