I spotted this YOU LIE! bumper sticker in east Cobb this afternoon. You gotta love east Cobb Republicans…

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I promised the volunteers a full version of this image. Please see it here: Rep. Tom Price and Volunteers

Well I went to my first political rally in many many years today and despite a few rain showers in Dacula, the event was very nice. Attendees were able to meet a handful of statewide candidates including some for the big office under the Gold Dome. 

 

I got there a little after 12 and was in the food line when the speeches started so I had a front row view for Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine, Rep. Austin Scott, R-Tifton, Ray McBerry and Rep. Melvin Everson, R-Snellville.  Oxendine, Scott and McBerry are running for Governor and Everson is running for Labor Commissioner. Other statewide candidates were there but I got busy eating and mingling and missed most of their speeches. I left around 2:15 p.m. and I don’t know if Sec. of State Karen Handel, Sen. Eric Johnson, R-Savannah or U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal showed up, the rest of the candidates for Governor.

 

I was able to snap a few pictures so look below. I look forward to attending more of these local rallies so I can get to know the candidates, the staff, the consultants and ultimately the kingmakers…

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’ll publish press releases, interview candidates, draft my opinions about issues, but what I really want is to talk to the kingmakers. You know who I’m talking about. The campaign consultants. The seasoned veterans that put on the big show. The ones who live off of campaign adrenaline. The money men. The gadflies. Those are the characters I want to hear from. 

The kingmakers are the ones who pull reporters aside and give them the real story, before and after the interview with the candiates. The kingmakers I knew were the ones in the back of the crowded room, with subtle smirks on their faces. I’ve been out of the game for a few years. I need to understand how it’s played in a digital, wireless world. 

So pass a few names, emails, Twitter addresses or Facebook profiles to me. I’d like to see who the players are.

I’ve chosen the Wordpress theme to use and slowly started to tweak things here at the 120Politics.com blog. 

Just an idea of what I’m going to be talking about in coming months and years…

Georgia House and Senate news and campaigns for seats in Cobb, Cherokee, Fulton, Gwinnett, Douglas and Paulding – and any others that seem interesting or relevant. I’ll be discussing statewide and federal elections in regards to north metro candidates or local reactions to those campaigns. 

Twitter will be part of my social media to spread the news, so please follow me at https://twitter.com/120politics.

Also, check out the About 120Politics page here to learn more.