Randy's Views

Even before Governor Sonny Perdue takes the oath of office for his second term as Governor, there are whispers about the 2010 governor's race in Georgia. Between now and then, Americans will elect a new President (and Vice President), and the Democratic Majority in Congress will face its first test. Yet, 2010 gubernatorial politics hangs in the air as the Georgia political parties and potential candidates maneuver in a non-election year to create the foundation for a statewide campaign still on the distant horizon.

For the political parties, the challenges in Georgia could not be more different. Republicans have an oversupply of potential candidates while the Democratic cupboard is largely bare. Georgia Republicans must cope with too many cooks in the kitchen while Democrats search for enough.

Georgia Republicans are eager to show their national counterparts the way, while Georgia Democrats are reticent to yield to their national party in spite of a tidal wave of victories around the country. And so, the maneuverings begin.

For the Republicans, there are four 'big dogs' (as some might say). They are House Speaker Glenn Richardson, Lieutenant Governor-elect Casey Cagle, Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine, and Congressman Lynn Westmoreland. Each has proven the ability to compete at the highest level.

Speaker Richardson has once again led the Georgia House Republicans to majority status in the Georgia General Assembly. He has made it look easy, but his team's successes are the product of hard work, steady focus, and good discipline. The over 100 Republicans in the House Conference fully understand the value and importance of his leadership. Look for them to fall in line as he shapes the political landscape with an eye toward 2010.

Lieutenant Governor-elect Casey Cagle proved that he can win statewide - both in a primary and in a General Election. Georgia Senators lined up behind him in 2006 and there is no reason to believe they will not do the same again in 2010. By re-assuming the traditional powers of the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, he will be a player when the General Assembly convenes in January 2007. This will make him a player in 2010.

Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine is a proven vote-getter. His populist approach toward the Office of the Insurance Commissioner has resonated with Georgia voters. His office touches a lot of people on a day-in, day-out basis. The simple accumulation of goodwill combined with the success of his statewide campaigns has made him one of the most formidable public officials on the Georgia political scene today.

Finally, Congressman Lynn Westmoreland is a conservative favorite. He has remained true to his core philosophy through good times and bad. His overwhelming reelection in the face of big Republican Congressional losses (after giving up some of his district in an effort to help win other seats in Georgia) has not gone unnoticed. In a primary, his conservative credentials could prove decisive. As a Republican nominee for governor, Georgia Democrats could only run from the left.

For Georgia Democrats, there are some interesting possibilities. As part of the new Democratic majority, Congressman Jim Marshall could assemble the resources and credentials to compete statewide. The question is can he wait until 2010? Continuing to fight off Republican challengers in his increasingly Republican district is probably not an option for him. On the other hand, he is often mentioned as a possible contender to Georgia Senator Saxby Chambliss in 2008. The choice between challenging an incumbent United States Senator and waiting two more years for an incumbent-free gubernatorial race will likely come down to the lay of the political land when 2008 rolls around.

Secretary of State Cathy Cox has forever changed the face of Georgia elections. Before Secretary Cox, Georgia was best known for ballot boxes stuffed with votes of dead people. Now, Georgia is known as the first state to transition to electronic voting machines. This change impacted Georgia elections in ways that will last for generations. Here are some of both the intended and unintended consequences of Georgia's move toward the 21st Century in elections.

No one should (or could) understate the degree of change that Secretary Cox implemented in Georgia. As Georgia's first woman to serve as Secretary of State, she transformed the electoral process. This required much more than just replacing paper ballots and lever machines with touch screen machines (known as Digital Recording Equipment).

Even before the massive undertaking of implementation, Secretary Cox had to convince the otherwise change-resistant statewide political machine intent on perpetuating power to authorize (legally and financially) the change. This meant moving from a system which they understood and controlled to a race and party neutral machine which calculated outcome. She had to convince them not only to trust her judgment as to the reliability of the system, but also to actually trust her with the process necessary to their political survival.

Upon approval, Secretary Cox then had to do something that had never been done before in this country. She had to actually implement a new computerized voting system. This involved purchasing the equipment, adopting the rules for its use, and regulating how county governments use the equipment. These were enormous undertakings.

The equipment was untested on a statewide scale. The rules had never been written before. Each county had been a local political fiefdom with separate electoral idiosyncrasies which were largely incompatible with consistent statewide rules.

In addition, most folks (including local election officials) were unfamiliar with computers. As a result, not only did voters have to be familiarized with electronic voting, but also local election officials had be trained. It is the combination of the degree of change (from 1950s technology to computers) with the scope of change (all the way down to individual voters) that is so impressive.

In order to make the change successfully, Secretary Cox had to convince voters to trust her. While there were the expected objections to change of this magnitude, voters did indeed make the transition. This was only after an unprecedented education effort that focused on helping Georgians feel comfortable with the "new fangled computers." Secretary Cox became one of the most recognized faces in Georgia politics. And, Georgians cast their ballots using electronic voting machines.

The risk for the existing power structure at the time appeared minimal. After all, the incumbent Governor at the time was Roy Barnes, and the Democratic Party of Georgia controlled the political landscape. With a commanding lead in the polls and in campaign resources, the 2002 election appeared to be the safest election to try something different.

On election night in 2002, the computers calculated the votes that were cast, and Roy Barnes lost. Since then, the technology has evolved and questions have grown regarding the reliability of electronic voting machines. But these issues should not diminish the accomplishment of Secretary of State Cathy Cox in transforming elections at a level that would change the face of Georgia for generations.

Change, change, and more change - that is the theme for 2007. Some changes are small. Others are historic. Here are some, or maybe not.

Certainly, the most reported changes in the news are the changes in the United States Congress. Virtually every American who watches any cable news or reads a newspaper knows that Democrats have captured control of both Houses of the United States Congress. These changes mean new committee chairmen, a different legislative agenda, and heightened Congressional oversight of the Executive Branch. It will be real political change.

In addition to political change, there are social and geographical changes. Notably, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives will be a woman for the first time in history. This will be a dramatic shift for the once male dominated House. There will be issues, big and small, which will surface that heretofore never made the radar screen.

In addition, the Speakership will move from rural Illinois to urban San Francisco. The types of issues that predominate discussion in liberal San Francisco, California are very different from those in moderate Plano, Illinois. Make no mistake - it will be a dramatic shift in the agenda for debate on the floor of the House of Representatives.

The center of power will also move west. With a Speaker from California, and a Senate Majority Leader from Nevada, things will be different. When the 109th Congress began, the Senate Majority Leader was from Tennessee and the House Majority Leader was from Texas. Look for the center of political power to change from a Midwest-Southern view to a West coast-Northeastern perspective.

There are historic parallels that make for some interesting emerging developments in the new majority. When the Republicans won in 1994, seeds of dissension emerged when there was a contested majority leader's race in which the Speaker-elect had a preference. Some believe that divisions from that race eventually led to an attempted coup attempt against the Republican Speaker.

Fast forward to 2006 - after the Democrats won, there was a contested majority leader's race. Like 1994, the Speaker-elect weighed in. Like 1994, the Speaker-elect's candidate lost. Whether these dynamics will lead to a similar mid-term challenge from within the Democratic Party remains to be seen.

One thing is certain, however. The new Speaker will have to keep one eye focused on her flank as she tries to move her new majority forward. Some believe cross-eyes cause stumbling.

The challenge does not stop there. There are over fifty blue dog Democrats in the new Democratic Majority. The gap between their centrist views and the Speaker's liberal approach is far greater than the gap that existed between moderate and conservative Republicans. Managing this diversity of opinion within a legislative conference can prove difficult.

Winning the majority and staying in the majority are two great motivating factors for bridging differences. As Republicans learned, however, political bridges can only last so long and go so far. After that, personal interests take over.

Of course, in the Senate, the differences between majority and minority status are not as great. The power of individual Senators is simply too great.

Chairmanships will change. But, the filibuster remains. So, the elusive sixty votes required for cloture continues as the thread of consistency from the last Senate to the next. It will just be differentfaces complaining as nothing gets done.

James Brown had style. The ‘hardest working man in show business’ is working a different crowd now. He was seventy-three. He died on Christmas Day, probably the only day he had off. He worked from childhood to grave. On Christmas morning, he sat down, laid back, and sighed. And now he rests.

There was little time for rest for him. He was born on May 3, 1933 in South Carolina. It was not an easy time for an African-American male in America. At sixteen, he had been arrested for burglary, convicted, and sentenced to prison where he served three years at the Georgia Juvenile Training Institute in Toccoa, Georgia. His future seemed inevitable. But it was not.

“Please, Please, Please” was the song that set him free from a life that appeared headed toward nowhere. In 1956, King Records signed the young Brown and his group and distributed the song which sold a million copies. James Brown loved the crowds and the crowds loved James Brown. It was like a feeding frenzy – the crowd fed off of the energy of Brown and Brown fed off the energy of his fans.

His shows were captivating – and they were shows. Entertainment was the centerpiece, and James Brown was a master entertainer. By the time the James Brown show came to an end, every one was exhausted, except James Brown. Just when it appeared that the show was over, and his band was pulling the plug on the ‘Energizer Bunny’ Brown, there would be one more song, one more dance, and one more shout.

James Brown was who he was – a black man trying to make in America in a time when that was not very easy and even less likely. He sang “Say It Loud - I’m Black and I’m Proud.” He recorded it in 1968 – an important time in American history for him to be heard. But, he never abandoned his place as a part of American history. In the same year, he recorded “America is My Home.” And, sealing the deal, his recording of “Living in America” was a Top 10 hit.

Somehow, it made sense that a man who grew up in an Augusta brothel would have a song entitled “Get Up – I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine.” From age 6 until he left for jail, James Brown lived with his great-aunt Honey, who ran a brothel. It might also explain his Top Ten hit “Hot Pants – She Got to Use What She Got to Get What She Wants.”

It was not until after he was fifty that his industry would recognize his accomplishments as an entertainer. In 1986, James Brown was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1992, James Brown received the lifetime achievement Grammy.

In 1965, James Brown had two hits. One hit was a song that most of America never understood, but really liked – “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag.” The other one was a song that everyone understood – “I Got You – I Feel Good.”

James Brown did not live a perfect life. He did live an overpowering life. He squeezed every second out of every day. James Brown was the Godfather of Soul.

In 1969, James Brown recorded a song entitled “I Don’t Want Nobody to Give Me Nothing.” What he got, he worked for – now he can rest.