Good job to Mark Rountree for setting up and effectively using a Facebook group for Rep. Melvin Everson, R-Snellville, who is running for Georgia Labor Commissioner.

Rountree sent out a message to the group today thanking volunteers for their help at the GOP Convention in Savannah this past weekend. He adds that members of the group have:

“Helped lay the groundwork for a fast take off for the Everson campaign.”

This is one of those lessons that everyone should take note of…

Check out this story in today’s AJC.
Candidates kiss fewer babies, press flesh online

I’ll be referring to this article often in the next few months. Not enough of you candidates are doing this, especially Georgia House and Senate campaigns.  

Look for a series on candidate’s websites and how-to posts for internet marketing.  Did any conservative candidates learn from last year’s elections???

On Friday, I finally received a notecard from the Voter Registration Office – more than two months after I moved.  It revealed my Georgia legislators – Rep. Harry Geisinger, R-Roswell and Sen. Dan Moody, R-Alpharetta. 

Time to say hello.

Nathan Deal, candidate for governor, has picked up the endorsement of five Republican members of the Georgia Congressional delegation.

U.S. Representatives Phil Gingrey, Tom Price, Lynn Westmoreland, John Linder and Paul Broun have given their support for Deal’s bid for the Republican nomination for governor in 2010.

“Nathan has been an outstanding member of Congress and he is going to be a great governor for Georgia,” said Gingrey, who is chairman of the group of Republican House lawmakers from Georgia, known as the “G-7.”

Westmoreland, who served as a leader in the state House of Representatives before coming to Washington said Deal is respected for his leadership in Washington. 

“When Nathan speaks, everyone listens,” Westmoreland said. “He is respected on both sides of the aisle and never compromises his core conservative beliefs.”

Linder, who is a key sponsor of the Fair Tax, said Deal was an early supporter of the effort to replace the current income tax system. 

“When we began to line up supporters for the Fair Tax, Nathan was right there and has never backed away from his commitment to real tax reform,” Linder said. 

Price, a physician, said Deal is known for his efforts on healthcare reform as chairman and ranking member of the Subcommittee on Health. 

“Nathan has been instrumental in getting sweeping reforms for Medicare and Medicaid through Congress,” Price said.  

Broun said Deal has stood firm, even when that meant opposing his own party, president and party leadership. 

“If Nathan takes a stand, I’ve learned that he’s not going to back down or back away from it,” Broun said. “I believe Georgia needs Nathan Deal as it’s next governor.”

Deal, who served as president pro tempore of the Georgia State Senate before being elected to Congress is the only candidate for governor with both state and federal elected experience.

I read a Tweet from @SteveHandel a few minutes ago saying “exciting www.karenhandel.com”  The site has the below image on it. We’ll see what happens tomorrow.

According to one of my old newspapers, the Rome News-Tribune, local wack job and resident town cry baby George Anderson has filed an ethics complaint against John Oxendine, just in time for the money to be given back. Here is an excerpt from the RNT.

George Anderson, director of the Rome-based Ethics In Government Group, filed a complaint with the Ethics Commission this morning regarding money contributed to Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine’s campaign for governor. 

The filing lists 14 contributions Anderson contends are tied by legal connections to a common source.

 

One of these days, George will learn to mind his own business and keep his mouth shut.

Positive Commercials Highlight the John Oxendine Contract with Georgia

Atlanta, Georgia – Republican front runner John Oxendine has launched the first statewide radio commercials in the 2010 Georgia Republican Primary for Governor. These positive, issue-driven commercials highlight the John Oxendine Contract with Georgia.  Additionally, these positive commercials highlight John Oxendine as Georgia’s conservative leader who listens to Georgia.

In the commercial, John Oxendine provides a number for Georgians to call him and share their opinions on how we can transform Georgia and to ask to receive a free copy of the John Oxendine Contract With Georgia.

To listen to the commercial:

http://www.johnoxendine.com/media/contractwithga.wav

The script:

Are you tired of the same old status quo politics in Georgia?

Is it time for our leaders to put aside self-interest and listen to Georgians like us?

You’re right. It IS time.

Good news Georgia, there is one candidate for Governor who offers positive solutions – who understands real Georgia families and the issues that matter to us.

It’s time for a Governor who will hold state government accountable to taxpayers. A Governor who will put families ahead of special interests.

Georgia’s conservative leader, John Oxendine listens to Georgia.

Check out John Oxendine’s Contract with Georgia at johnoxendine.com; visit Facebook at John Oxendine for Georgia’s Governor or call 888 224-0480 to have your voice heard…. 888 224-0480

John Oxendine. Real solutions – real change. He’s the real deal. Yes, Georgia, The time is now. Call 888 224-0480.

###

(As appeared in The Atlanta Journal Constitution)

Over the last 30 years, Atlanta and Georgia have led the way for economic success and growth across the New South. This growth, however, has come at a cost as we have seen relentless traffic congestion not just in metro Atlanta but in other metropolitan areas around the Southeast. To ensure we do not become a victim of our own success, we must consider investing in a high-speed rail system throughout the Southeast as an innovative way to connect our cities without increasing the burden on our interstates and airports.

I am glad President Barack Obama has chosen to focus on high-speed rail because I have been a big believer for years that high-speed rail will complement the Southeast’s transportation infrastructure, reduce congestion on the interstates between the region’s economic centers and increase our competitiveness around the world.

What we must avoid at all costs, however, is a rail operation built on subsidies. That is a model that has not worked and never will. We need to fundamentally alter our method of capitalizing rail transportation and put it on a footing similar to that of airports, freeways and seaports.

Governments —- a combination of state and federal —- should acquire the right of way and build tracks with user fees to pay for upkeep, levied by private rail corporations that would succeed or fail on their own performance. Passenger rail lines should be privately operated on publicly funded infrastructure. Private operation will lead to a competitive and efficient passenger rail industry.

Have you ever thought about the difference between railroads and airlines? With passenger rail in the United States, you subsidize everything. With air travel, you and I as taxpayers pay for the runways at Hartsfield and the infrastructure at Hartsfield, but that’s where the public investment ends.

Delta, AirTran and other airlines risk capital and compete to deliver the services to move people from one city to another.

High-speed rail can succeed when projected ridership can support proposed operating costs. In 2000, Amtrak launched its high-speed Acela Express trains with service between Washington, New York City and Boston. At the time, 37 percent of travelers in the Washington-to-New York corridor took Amtrak while the remaining 63 percent traveled by other means. Today, those numbers are reversed. In addition, passenger rail ridership from New York to Boston has grown from 20 percent of travelers to 49 percent.

High-speed rail only works when trains go where passengers want to go and the number of passengers is large enough to support the operation. I believe the corridor from Washington to Richmond to Raleigh to Charlotte to Greenville, S.C., to Atlanta to Birmingham possesses the projected ridership to support rail service on a profitable basis, much like the Boston to Washington corridor.

There are estimates we could take 15 percent of the traffic off I-85 between Atlanta to Charlotte, and I view that as a very good utilization of federal investment.

With the presence of high-speed rail, Atlanta has the potential to be an anchor for multimodal transport. It could serve as the backbone off which other forms of transit such a light rail would connect regional communities. We have to think outside the box. We have to think intermodal. There is no reason why, in high-traffic areas, Georgia cannot take advantage of both light and heavy rail to make sure that people move smoothly and efficiently.

Republican Johnny Isakson represents Georgia in the U.S. Senate.

Campaign Update May 2009

From: Kathryn Ballou – Campaign Manager

To: Team Oxendine
________________________________

The political landscape in the Georgia 2010 Republican Party primary has experienced historic events since the unexpected withdrawal of Lt. Governor Casey Cagle.

A number of good people gave serious consideration to entering the primary. Likewise, many good people declined to move forward with a campaign.

It appears Congressman Nathan Deal and state Senator Eric Johnson, with their entries into the primary, have set the stage and settled the field of candidates.

The question is not which candidate are you for, but which candidate is for you?

We have great respect for both Congressman Deal and Senator Johnson and consider them formidable candidates who we will take seriously. Their addition to Secretary Handel and Commissioner Oxendine brings a set of four candidates who we believe can compete on a statewide basis. A fifth candidate is state Representative Austin Scott, who completes the current elected officials in the race.

We respect Ray McBerry. Team Oxendine understands he is sincere and passionate about those values he believes in and those issues that need to be debated.

Given the past several weeks, we realize that nothing is to be taken for granted when it comes to who might want to run against John in the primary. There are, however, a few facts and a few points we wanted to be sure we communicated with you, our grassroots leaders:

John Oxendine is in this race and will not be dropping out – period. John Oxendine is in it to win it. No matter how many times the opposition tries this tired and lame rumor, it will not alter reality. John Oxendine will be the nominee of the Georgia Republican Party for Governor in 2010.

John Oxendine is committed to a positive, issues-oriented campaign which empowers the grassroots of the Georgia Republican Party and the taxpayers of Georgia. Team Oxendine has been told to expect a series of personal, negative attacks from at least two of our opponents. Regardless of how negative any opponent goes, John and Team Oxendine will never, ever attack the personal life of one our opponents – we plan to stick to the issues.

Lies, rumors, and more lies – get used to them. You will be subjected to them on an almost daily basis it appears. Because John is a solid, Ronald Reagan conservative, who will offer positive solutions to Georgia’s issues, our opponents and the status quo will avoid entering into debates on the issues. All that will be left is to lie and spread rumors. We will hold the line and stay positive.

Who can win in November of 2010:

John Oxendine has received more votes in three of the past four general elections in Georgia than any other single candidate on the ballot of either party.

John Oxendine has demonstrated he can win in both swing counties and traditional Democrat counties in a general election. John regularly carries counties such as Dougherty, Muscogee, Bibb, and similar counties which historically vote for Democrats in November.

John Oxendine does not need to raise millions of dollars for the sole purpose of introducing himself to the Republican Party and general election voters. They already know and trust him.

We have three candidates who start off as regional candidates. They will have to raise several million dollars just to introduce themselves to Georgia. Can our Party really move forward with an unknown statewide candidate in this important election?

John Oxendine is a proven statewide fundraiser. According to the 2006, 31 December reports John Oxendine raised $2,307,854, Nathan Deal $1,107,572, Karen Handel $1,090,603, and Eric Johnson $769,975. John Oxendine raised $100,000 for the John McCain campaign and the Georgia Republican Party in 2008. We need a candidate who has proven they can raise the money necessary to win in November that candidate is John Oxendine.

To date, every independent poll has John Oxendine as the only Republican candidate for Governor who polls ahead of every Democrat. In the most recent poll by a left of center organization, the polled John Oxendine as the only GOP candidate defeating all the Democrat potential nominees (including former Governor Roy Barnes). This same poll has Karen Handel losing to all the potential Democrat nominees.

John Oxendine has almost 16 years of executive management in state government and over 7 years of management the private sector. Yes, one of our opponents claims she is the only candidate with private sector experience but her facts are about as accurate as her policies are conservative – not very.

The Polls:

Facts are stubborn things.

The fact is every single poll that has been released has John Oxendine in the lead among announced candidates. The latest poll by Democrat leaning Daily Kos has John Oxendine defeating every Democrat (including Roy Barnes) and Karen Handel losing to every Democrat (including Roy Barnes). All the polls show the other candidates in single digits in statewide name ID and approval ratings.

The fact is Karen Handel has not demonstrated that she would defeat any Democrat in the November election and her negatives are higher than her positives on statewide approval ratings.

The fact is both Eric Johnson and Nathan Deal will have to raise millions of valuable campaign dollars (in this stressed economy) just to mount a professional campaign to introduce themselves both to GOP Primary voters and General election voters.

The fact is our Party needs a proven statewide vote winner, with high approval ratings, who poll after poll demonstrates he can defeat all the Democrat candidates. That person is John Oxendine.

What is at stake:

The next Governor will deal with redistricting. Every single Republican seat at both the Federal and State level are at risk if we lose the Governor’s Mansion. Can you imagine Roy Barnes and company with the big seat at that table?

The next Governor will deal with hundreds of millions of Federal dollars relating to many projects and issues. Can you imagine Roy Barnes and company in charge of spending that money? Do you think any Republican county would see even one dollar?

The next Governor will deal with critical issues such as, transportation, water, education, and jobs. Can you imagine Roy Barnes and company making these important decisions? They think MARTA is the answer to transportation, the animals in Florida really do deserve our water, the National Education Association really does know how best to educate your child, and the answer to jobs is to fund a Federal government jobs program in downtown Atlanta.

The issues are too important to risk control of state government to a nominee who is not a proven grassroots, Ronald Reagan conservative with statewide executive management and who can work with both the House and Senate on behalf of the taxpayers.

The one candidate the Georgia GOP has that unites our Party, fights for our conservative values, and actually defeats Democrats in the General Election is John Oxendine.

The Bottom-line:

The Georgia Republican Party cannot take the general election for granted. Our party and the conservative movement face a serious decision in this Primary. Are we going to nominate a proven statewide vote winner, with the strong name ID, with the highest approval ratings in the state, and who has demonstrated he is a true conservative – John Oxendine? Or, are we going to nominate a person who only announced after Casey dropped out of the race and decided that Georgia needed them to run or the Governor’s chosen one?

Team Oxendine will run our positive, issues-oriented, grassroots campaign. Our opponents will do what they need to do and define themselves. We look forward to a positive campaign and uniting the Party for victory in November of 2010.

John Oxendine

Governor 2010

I cannot wait until former Gov. Roy Barnes announces his candidacy for Governor.  Nothing will fire me up more than a chance to blog about him. Buzz Brockway at Peach Pundit wrote about good ole Roy yesterday. Here is an excerpt:

On the Democratic side, whether it’s a go or a no-go for Barnes, his decision won’t be a big surprise, as there is considerable speculation that he will run and that he won’t. 

 

I certainly hope he runs. He will be excellent blog fodder.