Wednesday, November 13, 2002
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Wednesday, November 13, 2002 |
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Seldom has crow tasted so sweet to me By CAL BEVERLY How sweet it is. The crow, I mean. The crow I'm eating after I wrongly predicted last week that Cleland and Barnes would win their races against Republicans Saxby Chambliss and Sonny Perdue. Seldom has the infamous fowl tasted so good to one who is so pleased to be wrong, this time. The postmortems have been interesting, but entirely composed of guesswork, since exit poll information still is unavailable. In that spirit of guesswork masquerading as informed punditry, I modestly offer my contribution to the growing pool of ignorance. So, who was surprised at Roi Roy's unceremonious shellacking? Everybody, including Sonny Perdue. Pre-election polling failed to uncover the residual tide of anti-Barnes anger. No one really knows how many folks voted against Barnes compared to how many voted for Perdue. I'd guess a lot. Note that Democrat Mark Taylor easily won reelection as lieutenant governor. If last week's voting had marked a true Republican tide, Taylor would have been swept from office as well. But give Perdue credit: He seized the moment, prodding conservative Democrat fence-sitters to change parties, or at least allegiance, guaranteeing a GOP-controlled state Senate for the first time since Yankee troops were garrisoned in the conquered territory of Georgia. I'll be frank: I did not think to see a GOP governor of Georgia in my lifetime. But with the clarity of hindsight, the lack of Democrat bench depth is remarkable. After Barnes, there is really no state-weight Democrat in view. Tom Murphy got tossed, leaving second-tier Demos in a scramble for control of the House of Representatives. East Georgia powerhouse Charles Walker, and his son, went down to defeat. That dearth of powerful Democrats may explain the AJC's mournful approbation of Secretary of State Cathy Cox for her steady handling of the state's first-ever exercise in electronic voting. The leftist center of Georgia sees Cox as the most likely successor to the fallen guv after Barnes' failed attempt to institutionalize Democrat voting districts in his raw-power demonstration of gerrymandering last winter. Consider that editorial as the AJC anointing of Cox for governor next cycle. Can a woman win back the governor's mansion for the Democrats? We're likely to find out in four years. Redistricting back to more sensible communities of interest may be the first fight in January's General Assembly session. That's when we'll see if east Coweta's Lynn Westmoreland (a former Fayette Countian) can bring home the big bacon as House Minority Leader for Perdue. The task is doable, since many House Democrats are unhappy with Barnes' crazy-quilt, misshapen House and Senate districts. If ever a stretch for power backfired, it was Barnes' grab for a decade of Democrat-controlled election districts. At least some of his damage is likely to be undone next year. Now, more crow. I underestimated Peachtree City's Kathy-with-a-K Cox as badly as any candidate since Jimmy Carter in '76. I think I underestimated Kathy-with-a-K as badly as the Democrats continue to underestimate George-with-a-W Bush. As with the Democrats vs. Bush, I don't know that reality is any cure for me. But, thanks to state teachers and that beautiful "R" beside Cox's name on the ballot, I now have four additional years to adjust to reality. I admit that I remain a skeptical student. So, what's it all mean for us Fayette folks? Mostly good things. A Republican county faces a harmonious future with a Republican governor. And a Fayette woman heads a massive department with the state's largest budget. Fayette politicians will get their phone calls returned. Some Fayette taxes may actually come back home. Fayette roads will get repaved and widened. Expensive, empty, commuter railroading through western Peachtree City will remain in the realm of science-fiction. GRTA retains its growl but loses its bite. The word "local" returns, not as a sneer, but as a solution. The AJC's Jay and Cynthia combo Atlanta's Burns and Allen is in a full-blown snit. With crow tasting this good, things could be a lot worse.
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