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2006-06-29 Home Front: Politix
Justice Department Clears Georgia Vote ID
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Posted by Steve White 2006-06-29 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11130 views since 2007-05-07]  Top

#1 bout time. In my opinion, this is the biggest threat to our freedom that we have ever faced. Voting prevents fighting. If the votes don't matter - eventually fighting will ensue.
Posted by 2b 2006-06-29 09:39||   2006-06-29 09:39|| Front Page Top

#2 Rantburgers, I need your help. The Georgia voting ID post is a good place for me to talk about my dilemma: a friend of mine is running for Congress in GA-6, and he's playing for the other team.

A little background, he's a friend through sports and a mutual love of radio. He's an old-time "radio guy" who's deejayed at many, many radio stations over the last 30 years or so, and he's got that great "radio guy" voice. I always liked chatting with him about the bizness and politix of radio, the real inside-baseball stuff.

A few years ago he and his brother ended up in NYC, helping to found...Air America. Gah! He got downsized out of that fine organization about eighteen months ago, ended up in Atlanta, and decided that the only way he could get back to DC (where he did most of his deejaying) was by running for Congress.

Mind you, he has told me face to face that "Bush knew" about 9/11 and all the rest.

Now I'm getting emails from his campaign, asking for money and a vote in some "Democracy for America" poll. I have no intention of assistinghim in any way, but I wonder if I have any responsibility to actively work against him. And I admit I'm a little sad, 'cos I want all my friends to be happy and successful, but he's a straight-up nutroots guy and I don't want him writing my laws.
Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious  2006-06-29 10:18||   2006-06-29 10:18|| Front Page Top

#3 Sea - that's quite a delimma. Take it from someone who knows - nobody is all good or all bad. You don't have a responsibility to actively campaign against him but you don't want him writing your laws. My humble advice is that you do exactly what you are doing now - be honest when asked about him but don't feel that his defeat is your own personal responsibility and don't actively campaign against him unless it is something that you feel you need to do.
Posted by 2b 2006-06-29 10:31||   2006-06-29 10:31|| Front Page Top

#4 You don't live or vote in GA-6 so why take this any more seriously than any of the other 434 races? Let the people of GA-6 choose the Rep they want. I doubt it'll be a nutrooter. New friends are to hard to cultivate.
Posted by Nimble Spemble 2006-06-29 10:32||   2006-06-29 10:32|| Front Page Top

#5 I was gonna suggest that you meet him for lunch next time he gets up your way - and poison his iced tea or something...

But the reasonable responses above tell me I shouldn't.

Heh.
Posted by Unavising Tholugum6632 2006-06-29 10:35||   2006-06-29 10:35|| Front Page Top

#6 Sea, old friend or new:

If he is a threat to the safety and security of the United States, he is no longer a friend.

Were someone beloved to me (even my youngest brother) to spout such crap as the nut-roots people do and try to position himself in a place where he would have power to directly affect policy, then I would feel morally obligated to prevent that - and that includes quietly and clandestinely handing over all the dirty laundry on him to his opponent if that is what it takes.

I've already had that split with a cousin back east who was running for state house there over abortion and taxes and welfare and imigration and gay marriage (she's a laundry list nutroots liberal). And I didnt tell the pro-life opponent any particular facts, just where to start digging for interesting things about her. Enough pressure came to get her to back out of the caucuses.

Posted by Oldspook 2006-06-29 10:55||   2006-06-29 10:55|| Front Page Top

#7 I wish I had some of his dirty laundry, but I really don't. He's a good guy. Though I never dated him, some of my friends did, and they still blush when we talk about him. He's (I think) at least a second amendment guy as he maintains his status as a deputy marshal in a Georgia police dept.

I appreciate all your thoughts.
Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious  2006-06-29 11:06||   2006-06-29 11:06|| Front Page Top

#8 Seafarious---your so-called friend will exploit your friendship to further his ends. You must have a solid basis for a friendship. I wonder if sports and radio are a strong enough basis. Good friends are ones that would give their lives for you, and vice versa. I had a few like that. The rest are chaff. Let the wind take them. [/Dr. Laura moment]
Posted by Alaska Paul">Alaska Paul  2006-06-29 11:11||   2006-06-29 11:11|| Front Page Top

#9 Sea - if you decided to run for congress as a conservative Republican, I'm sure your friend would do free voiceovers for ads, right? No? well then.....
Posted by Frank G">Frank G  2006-06-29 11:27||   2006-06-29 11:27|| Front Page Top

#10 Invite him out to Maggiano's in Buckhead and have a nice meal and some vino. Don't let politics get in the way of a good friendship.
Posted by Besoeker 2006-06-29 15:45||   2006-06-29 15:45|| Front Page Top

#11 normally I'd agree, Beso - but considering that he's buying into 911 conspiracies and wants to be a lawmaker - it seems like more is at stake here.

I'd say keep doing what you are doing. Tell everyone what a great guy he is ... except for ....then tell them the crazy things he has done. That is dirty laundry and if he doesn't come clean with it the public does have a right to know. Unless he is a total fraud and slickster, he shouldn't mind you advertising his point of view.

That said, remember that just simply witholding your approval does carry weight.
Posted by 2b 2006-06-29 16:17||   2006-06-29 16:17|| Front Page Top

#12  He got downsized out of that fine organization about eighteen months ago, ended up in Atlanta, and decided that the only way he could get back to DC (where he did most of his deejaying) was by running for Congress.

Charming though he no doubt is, and separate from his politics, the man is a Carpetbagger. And a recent one at that. What odds the Atlantans will choose him over a local boy/girl more likely to actual know about their cares and concerns?

Seafarious, you can certainly politely decline to support his campaign either with money or otherwise, on the principle of not getting involved in politics where you can't vote. If you want, send him a personal note mentioning that it's always good when people get involved in politics, hope that he didn't throw his hat in too soon after the move, and leave it at that. Possibly even express the confidence that the will of the people will prevail. If anyone asks you, you can tell them he came to Atlanta after his Air America venture failed -- you needn't express your opinion of that august institution -- people will understand his positions from that, and your position is none of their business. If any of his blushing ex-girlfriends ask, say you sent him a personal note when you found out he was running (if you choose to do so), and possibly express concern that this move so soon after he arrived might be seen by the locals as carpetbagging...

The only time I went to Greece, we shared a ferry ride and subsequently three days of beach house rental with some college kids -- two cousins and the girlfriend. Some years later, we got a letter from one of the cousins, now a young actor in New York City, asking us for money for a very-off Broadway play he'd written and wanted to produce. It's only prudent for such people to try to hit up everyone they've ever met, even just for cocktails the one time, in case they might turn out to be helpful. And generally the recipient of such attentions gives more weight to it that the supplient.

Do you think the gentleman in question has a real shot of winning? Or is he essentially indulging himself by putting his name forward -- in which case your action or inaction will have no significant impact? What odds that his opponents don't know that he was involved in Air America? If you feel truly uncomfortable that he is even in the race, send an anonymous note to his opponent mentioning the Air America thingy -- as Oldspook says, "just where to start digging." More than that shouldn't be necessary.
Posted by trailing wife 2006-06-29 16:56||   2006-06-29 16:56|| Front Page Top

#13 It's hard to say how well he is or isn't doing. He's *not* running against Cythia McKinney, but he is the (I think) only Dem running against a GOP incumbent. The incumbent has a GOP challenger, though. He doesn't make a secret of his relationship with Err America.

He's got some good press on DKos, but not by Kos himself, just some of those diaries. He has a picture of himself with Max Cleland, and (I think) an endorsement by Howard Dean.

He may be doing well in the polls, or not. It's hard to tell with the nutroots; they claim they're winning up to Election Day, then they claim the GOP cheated.

Anyway, I appreciate y'alls thoughts while I decide what I need to do next. I may contact "The Radio Equalizer", who did all that nice work with Michelle Malkin on Air America's money issues.
Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious  2006-06-29 18:37||   2006-06-29 18:37|| Front Page Top

#14 Sea:
Good friends are hard to find. It’s important to remember what you are: his friend. You’re not a potential constituent, you don’t work for the Republican Party, and you’re not a professional pundit. It’s kind of difficult to imagine your buddy winning this election in any case. Let me explain where I’m coming from. I’ve lived in San Francisco for many years. I have a number of close friends whose political views are close to totally insane - but, as lame as it sounds, they aren’t bad people. Just misinformed, weak, and weirdly provincial in that San Francisco kind of way. They’re dumb but I love ‘em all the same.

Being pushy about my political views has cost me friendships that I’ve come to miss as I’ve grown older. If your friend already knows that you have right-leaning beliefs, he will understand when you don’t actively support him. Politely remind him if he doesn’t. You both like sports and radio? Then talk about that stuff when you get together, not politics. There’s nothing wrong with that, and in the end all you’ve got in life is friends. Politics isn’t everything in life.

Nobody loves a buddyf&cker. John Kerry lost the 2004 presidential election partially because of his reputation as one. Don’t be one yourself. If you behave like a standup guy your friends will defiantly notice that a Republican has behaved that way. It matters.


Posted by Secret Master 2006-06-29 20:09||   2006-06-29 20:09|| Front Page Top

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