A lowly state race in GA
Written by Benaiah on May 22nd, 2006Fresh off the heels of Mark’s primary victory in PA, I want to turn your attention to a State primary race for Lt. Governor here in Georgia. State Senator Casey Cagle is fighting an uphill battle against Christian Coalition founder and lobbyist Ralph Reed. On name recognition alone Reed should win in a wash but because of Ralph’s tendency for the seedier side of politics this race is going down to the wire.
Why should you care about the Lt. Governor’s race down in Georgia? Well it’s simple. Ralph Reed represents the establishment wing of the GOP that works more for increasing power instead of pushing the conservative agenda. From his dealings with Jack Abramoff using Indian Casino money to stifle competition for his client, to his long history of dirty politics to elect moderate Republicans over their more conservative opponents. Most noticeably Ralph Reed worked for Mitch Skandalakis over the more conservative Clint Day in the 1998 Lt. Governor’s race in Georgia. Skandalakis lost the general election and dragged the GOP ticket down with him. The loss is attributed to the slash and burn campaigning spearheaded by Reed. Skandalakis later plead guilty to corruption charges and spent 6 months in jail. Reed has even gone so far as to lease a red pickup truck for this election. I can’t help but point out that Janet Reno tried the same thing in her bid for the governorship of Florida.
I am tired of Ralph Reed’s win at all costs type of politics. I want something better. That is why I support Casey Cagle. Casey Cagle is not a firebrand like Tancredo or Coburn, but he is a solid conservative with a proven conservative record. As the State Senate finance chairman, Cagle has sponsored legislation lowering taxes, and fought against eminent domain abuse by helping pass the Private Property Protection Act which essentially negates the disastrous Kelo Supreme Court decision here in Georgia. Casey Cagle also helped to pass the toughest illegal immigration laws of any state in the country. He is the leader we need for Georgia.
I hope what happened in last weeks primary in PA is a predictor of what’s to come around the country. Conservatives need to send a message: Republicans need to start acting like Republicans. Georgians can send a message July 18th by voting for Casey Cagle.
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I thnk you guys have completely lost your minds. Yes, I said “you guys” as if you were one collective mind that regards yourselves as more pure than the remainder of the party.
One minute you say you want DeWine to lose in Ohio. DeWine may be a wimp, but he has voted consistently with Republicans on issues that are important to the movement. Take President Bush’s judges for example, the Patriot Act, and tax cuts that have benefited our economy.
In this one post, the author criticizes Ralph Reed for “losing” a general election in Georgia and “dragging down the GOP ticket” with him.
Sounds exactly like what you guys were gonna do with Pat Toomey in Pennsylvania. Or how about Laffey in Rhode Island?
Lastly, you attack Reed’s character without warrant. He has been an excellent proponent of the conservative cause, and he has done nothing wrong. He isn’t the first person you have attacked without warrant and he won’t be the last one. This blog thrives on trying to demonize conservative heroes.
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I would add that I was a fan of Toomey’s politics, a huge fan. I stayed up past midnight watching the returns on Drudge. But democracy is about more than just one person. True positive gains for the conservative cause can only happen at the grassroots. Electoral gain (”beating Arlen Specter”) without corresponding public opinion gains for conservatives cannot be maintained in the long run.
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For the record I’ve been the pro-DeWine minority report here, I just don’t post often.
Two things: Specter did nothing to help Bush win PA, for all we know Toomey would have put him over the top. Secondly, there’s no possible way you can say that someone who got as far in the CR organization as Reed did has done “nothing wrong”.
I don’t think we spend an inordinate amount of time “demonizing conservative heroes” here, rather I see us operating in the best of the iconoclast tradition, destroying Republican golden calves that have lead us all astray. Would you really have us be another way?
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Reed helped organize the Christian right into a viable force. I can not fault him for that. That was a huge accomplishment. But it is what Reed has done sense that is troubling. He has chosen to position himself as the vicious hatchet man in many of political races. He has chosen to associate himself with corrupt individuals.
The point of this blog is to promote conservatism and to point out when Republican leaders go astray. Check out our purpose statement in the About section.
We value priciplae over party and will stand true even against conservative icons like Ralph Reed.
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if Ralph Reed is a “conservative icon” well then we are all lost
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Like it or not many of the rank and file view Ralph that way.