Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Insignificant

Insignificant. That's what Saxby Chambliss's chief strategist, Tom Perdue, had to say about Jim Martin. According to an article published yesterday on Politico, Perdue asserts that Martin, as person and as a candidate, is the most insignificant opponent in all his 30 years in politics. That was after Perdue compared Jim Martin to his dog.

If that won't make you get out an vote, either today or on Tuesday, I don't know what will.

True, Jim Martin didn't think he was a special case deserving deferment from serving his country in Vietnam, like Saxby did. And, true, Jim Martin has never sought to make a name for himself, instead preferring to stand up for the little guy, unlike Saxby who has spent his time using hundreds of thousands of dollars of special interest money to finance luxury golf vacations for himself and his lobbyist friends. Jim Martin's never been a high roller like Saxby, and he never will be. I know him. He just doesn't have it in him. Thank God.

But insignificant? I guess that all depends on what you think is important. Saxby thinks that it's insignificant when families can't afford to take a sick child to the doctor, but Jim Martin doesn't. That's why Martin helped create PeachCare. And, that's why Saxby voted against expanding the program just last year. And, I suspect that the women who was able to find safety after becoming a victim of domestic violence, or the sexually abused child who was able to find help from the kind professionals at a child advocacy center, or the family that is now able to get mental health services for their child all think Jim Martin's leadership on those issues is significant, no matter what Saxby says.

Truth be told, it's not just Jim Martin who Saxby views as little more than a gnat threatening to disrupt his precious golf swing: it's all of us who work for a living, struggle to make ends meet, hope to be able to take our child to the doctor when he or she is sick and occasionally need a little help to make it through. Saxby and his machine think that we're all insignificant. That's why in Saxby's world, banks get bailouts, but hard working American workers? They just get blamed. And workers who dare to blow the whistle-they get grilled by the champion of Big Sugar when they dare to testify before Congress.

We have come to expect the nastiest, most mean-spirited attacks from the Saxby and his operatives, and there is little doubt that with the Palin Paranoia machine headed to Georgia, we're about to hear a whole lot more about who Martin pals around with and how dangerous he is. Never mind that it would be tough for someone so insignificant to be very dangerous. Such non sequiturs have never been a problem for Chambliss, who has made one thing clear: he will do and say anything to win. And if that's what you want, all you have to do not show up to vote. That's what republicans are banking on-that you will stay at home, so stuffed with turkey that you will still not be able to move by Tuesday.

In fact, in the same Politico article, Chambliss supporter and Cobb County Republican Party Chair Scott Johnson was surprisingly candid in his admission that the current weapon of choice for Saxby is, in a word, fear. Johnson said:

“The fact that we’d be giving Democrats a blank check is the biggest motivator for us to get Republicans to the polls,” said Cobb County Republican Party Chairman Scott Johnson. “If we have to motivate with fear, that’s what you have to do to win.”


We appreciate your honesty, Scott.



Now, all ya'll - GET OUT AND VOTE.

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3 comments:

Tina said...

Well, I have to admit that Republicans do scare me, but mainly when they are actually in office...they value ideology above and beyond everything else. Hard to figure, really, because voting Republican hasn't really benefited most Georgians.

Amy Morton said...

By the way, congrats to you on becoming new President of the Georgia Federation of Democratic Women! The group is very lucky to have you.

Anonymous said...

This is a bit off-topic but I didn't see any other way to contact Georgia Women Vote.

With Sarah Palin's campaign visit to your state on Monday, Georgians will once again be exposed to her mindless blathering and off-putting arrogance. Many on the left believe she is the Republican gift that keeps on giving while others hope she would just go away.

Several weeks ago, I posted a petition online entitled "Dear Sarah Palin, Please Shut Up Already," partly as an attempt to save our country from further embarrassment and ridicule, and partly as a therapeutic outlet for those in the latter camp who weren't sure if they should scream or cry. Since then I imagine the petition might also have the unintended consequence of encouraging Governor You Betcha to just keep yapping away — which might make it more appealing to those in the first group whose long-term goal ameliorates any suffering.

I invite you to check out the petition at: http://www.petitiononline.com/1113nov8/petition.html

If you think it might be a good way for all Georgia progressives to either welcome the Governor or say "adios" to her, please spread the word on this blog and to other terrorists you pal around with :)

Many thanks.

Alan G.