Fayette’s Democrats insist party has begun a comeback locally

Tue, 07/10/2007 - 4:22pm
By: Kevin Wandra

If you mention the word “Democrat” almost anywhere in Fayette County, you may receive a sneer or laughter, perhaps even both.

Being a Democrat in Fayette County, a Republican stronghold, isn’t easy. But long-time Democrats who live in Fayette County and serve in leadership roles are optimistic that the county will eventually become more hospitable to Democrats and a place where Democratic candidates can actually win elections.

“Yesterday, we [members of the Fayette County Democratic Committee] marched in the Fourth of July parade, and it’s the first time in five years we received as many cheers as boos from the crowd. Usually we receive a lot more boos,” said Kevin Madden, a Peachtree City resident who is the vice chairman of the Fayette County Democratic Committee.

“I think it’s getting easier to be a Democrat in Fayette County,” Madden said. “Demographically, the county is changing. A good deal of people moving into the county from other states and counties are more Democratic, more independent, than people who have lived here for a long period of time.”

Madden personally knows how difficult it is to be a Democrat in the county, especially one running for office. He challenged state Rep. Dan Lakly in District 72 last year — the first time a Democrat ran for that seat since 1992 — but Lakly won easily, garnering 72 percent of the votes cast.

“What makes it difficult is fund-raising because we don’t have a large demographic base to appeal to,” Madden said. “I thought we had a good platform to run on, but our difficulty in fund-raising stymied our efforts to get the message out. I raised $18,000, but Lakly raised $48,000, which made it tough to get the message to all people. It was certainly a wonderful and educational experience as a rookie political candidate, though.”

Ernest Broadwell, a Peachtree City resident who is the Democratic chairman of the 3rd Congressional District, is confident that Democrats will eventually be able to win in Fayette County.

“A Democrat can win in the county, but it will take a lot of work,” Broadwell said. “Fayette County is a working community. Democrats better represent the working man in the county than do Republicans. The county is changing.

“It’s not going to happen overnight, though. The key to victory is to get excellent candidates, and they have to be willing to work harder door to door.”

Finding candidates is perhaps the local Democrats’ biggest obstacle. Judith Moore, chair of the Fayette County Democratic Committee, thinks she knows why.

“Being in the minority is tough because we don’t have many Democratic candidates,” Moore said. “One reason we don’t is people tell me they can’t win as Democrats in the county. People feel it’s impossible to be elected as a Democrat in Fayette County. My personal feeling is it’s because it’s a racial issue.

“Constantly, you see remarks that Fayette doesn’t want to be like Clayton County. They’re clearly talking about the minority citizenship.”

The local Democrats’ chances next year also won’t improve if they cannot get out the vote and solve the problem Madden experienced when he ran for office last year — raising money.

“We want to build the Democratic membership in the county,” Moore said. “We also want to build a treasury to encourage natural leaders in the county to run for the school board and county commission. That’s my goal — to build interest in the party and build money for the party.

“We’re looking at doing some fund-raisers that would attract attention. We’re still in the planning stages.”

Another daunting challenge Democrats face is convincing voters they aren’t what Republicans commonly portray them as — anti-religious, unpatriotic and all socially liberal, among other criticisms — in a county that prides itself on its patriotism and conservative social values. It’s a significant obstacle that Moore knows first-hand.

“Once, during door-to-door campaigning for Mike McGraw [a Democrat who lost his bid to unseat Republican Rep. Lynn Westmoreland in 2006], one of my neighbors, an older man, told me loudly and aggressively that Democrats are gay lovers and baby killers,” Moore said. “He said he would pray for my soul because I was voting Democratic.

“There are certainly religious groups that are anti-abortion and anti-gay rights that feel that all Democrats are pro-abortion and pro-gay. I tell them that it’s not so. People in the party have different views. We say we respect the rights of all people, to treat everyone equally.”

Madden’s Republican neighbors are not too dissimilar to Democrats, at least on social issues, he said.

“They’re more like Democrats on social issues,” Madden said. “The majority of people in Peachtree City are from somewhere else. They bring a northern sensibility to social issues, like abortion and gay rights. In their upbringings, they have been exposed to more different cultures than could be found in Georgia, and they brought their social mores with them.”

Despite the many hurdles they face, Madden is optimistic that local Democrats will fare better in the 2008 general election than they have in the past.

“I think there will be a better showing of Democrats in the county in 2008,” Madden said. “We have a better batch of presidential candidates than the Republicans have, and it will likely influence independents to come out and vote Democratic. I think people are sick and tired of the Republican squabbles between Governor Sonny Perdue and the speaker of the House [Glenn Richardson] and tired of the Republican leadership not getting more done.”

Moore agrees.

“I think we’ll be stronger and have a better showing in 2008,” Moore said. “The poor performance of the current administration and current Rep. [Westmoreland] is to our advantage. It may be our best chance to win any seats.”

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Submitted by 30YearResident on Wed, 07/11/2007 - 7:31pm.

In my opinion it is directly atributed to the rapid increase in black population in the county who tend to vote 90% Democratic.

The county recently had about a 12% to 15% black voter percentage at the last election. We normally have about a 20% Democratic voter base in the county anyhow. Combine these numbers and the socialist Democratic party probably has point.

Voter turnout in 2008 is going to be the key for this county to maintain a conservative majority.

Submitted by thebeaver on Wed, 07/11/2007 - 11:10am.

“Being in the minority is tough because we don’t have many Democratic candidates,” Moore said. “One reason we don’t is people tell me they can’t win as Democrats in the county. People feel it’s impossible to be elected as a Democrat in Fayette County. My personal feeling is it’s because it’s a racial issue.

“Constantly, you see remarks that Fayette doesn’t want to be like Clayton County. They’re clearly talking about the minority citizenship.”

It's not a racial issue, Ms. Moore. We just don't want the same problems that currently plague Clayton County. You know, little things like gangs roaming the streets, terrorizing and killing innocent civilians. Things like unbridled growth. We also don't want to see our property values drop due to a bunch of thug-rappers moving into the hood.

Submitted by thebeaver on Wed, 07/11/2007 - 11:19am.

“I think we’ll be stronger and have a better showing in 2008,” Moore said. “The poor performance of the current administration and current Rep. [Westmoreland] is to our advantage. It may be our best chance to win any seats.”

So, what Ms. Moore is saying is that Democrat victory is contingent on Republican failure. The Democrats have no fresh ideas or plans of their own (Other Socialism and the welfare state), and have to rely on failure within the Republican failure to win votes. That is why the Democrats are rooting for U.S. failure in the Middle East - they know it will make the Republican party look bad, even though a lot of Democrats voted for the war.

nuk's picture
Submitted by nuk on Wed, 07/11/2007 - 8:38pm.

Westmoreland bumbled and embarrassed himself and still easily won in a landslide over a decent Democrat. That tells me that the Dems in Fayette have a LONG way to go and Westmoreland can only lose if another Republican challenges him.

NUK


Submitted by 1bighammer on Wed, 07/11/2007 - 10:08am.

with their insight into why they can't get elected in Fayette County. Never once did they suggest that maybe their views on the issues at hand just aren’t what Fayette County’s voters are looking for. Isn’t our government supposed to be, “By the people For the People”? Well, obviously the majority of the “People” in Fayette county are of the Republican persuasion since a Democrat can’t get elected. What Democrats don’t seem to get is the fact that their representation of people is not a “right” it’s a privilege. A privilege that voters can bestow upon them at election time, if they so choose. They can’t be forced into doing so.

It really shows just how out of touch Democrats are with the public when a statement like “Northern Sensibility” is used, like it will persuade Fayette County voters. Judith Moore’s statement ,” My personal feeling is it’s because it’s a racial issue”, isn’t going to win them any votes either. She may be partially right, although it’s not a racial issue, it’s a racial fact, that the majority of Fayette County voters are white republicans.

I don’t know about the rest of you but I’m about tired of both the Democrats and the Republicans. It seems that all they want is to win elections and gain or keep the power. Power that neither side has been able to do much with as of late.

Is there not one among us that truly loves this country and its people and wants to do what’s right for US? People are starving for a candidate for any office that isn’t in it for themselves or their party, they are in it for “THE PEOPLE”.

TonyF's picture
Submitted by TonyF on Wed, 07/11/2007 - 7:14am.

"Democrats better represent the working man in the county than do Republicans".
Working at what? Making more babies to increase the size of the check? Working-up more drug deals? Working on the fears of respectable people? Sounds like someone actually believes the Demo-tripe.

"The memories of a man in his old age, are the deeds of a man in his prime.You shuffle in the gloom of the sick room,and talk to yourself as you die."
(R. Waters)


Submitted by dollaradayandfound on Wed, 07/11/2007 - 3:03pm.

Someone on here said that the majority of Fayette voters were republican because it was the thing to be and was not a racial issue.
Now anyone knows that it is a racial issue, at least in Fayette county.
It is felt by republicans that their taxes are high because the democrats (read: ......) are on welfare. Also they are all criminals, or mostly so.
I don't know what any of that has to do with a national election anyway. What a Podunk place like one county in Georgia has to do with the big picture has little meaning.
Issue, other than race, are what is important. What can be done about a person's race? Nothing! Much can be done about issues.
We are scared to death of communism, socialism, and the destruction of the upper middle class.
That is the problem.

Submitted by Dalmation195 on Wed, 07/11/2007 - 7:03am.

Here we go again. Someone saying that race has something to do with why democrats can not get elected in Fayette County. It is astounding to think that even today , 2007, that you still have to fall on that crutch when your message does not resonate with the voters. Race has nothing to do with why we do not want Fayette County to be like Clayton County. We do not want the crime and over development that has plagued Clayton County since the days of Charlie Griswell on the Board over there. During that time, Clayton County was majority white, and they still had those problems.

The overwhelming majority of residents in Fayette County are hardworking taxpayers who do not want any additional confiscatory taxes levied upon us. We work for our money. It should not be given to government for social experiments and wasteful spending. ***Don't get me wrong, the Republicans have not been good stewards of our money on either the State or Federal level as of late, but maybe that will change.***

Let's address another issue. Your better list of candidates are for appeasement of terrorists whose only goal in life is to destroy our way of life. Under the Democrat's plan, we will either be dead or waking up to the sound or morning prayers.

They each want to repeal all of the tax cuts that have been instituted in the last six years. Well I don't know about you but I received a tax cut, and I am by no means wealthy. I have a good job, and I work for a rich man. I have never been employed by a poor man. I want my employer to have as much money as he can earn so his business can prosper, and therefore I can too. THE DEMOCRAT MONTRA: LET'S JUST TAX THE EARNERS IN THIS COUNTRY UNTIL WSE HAVE MORE PEOPLE RIDING IN THE WAGON THAN WE DO PULLING THE WAGON.

Now isn't that something?

And furthermore, how do you think you will ever get elected in Fayette County with the comment that some of the transplants into Fayette County bring a "NORTHERN SENSIBILITY" to social issues. What are you trying to say, that we southerners have no sense when it comes to social issues? Just we don't follow lockstep into the footsteps of Kerry, Kennedy, Boxer, Feinstein, Reid, et al does not mean that we do not have the sense to make up our minds about what is right and wrong. Maybe some of you need to talk to people like my grandparents who instilled traditional values into their families like work hard and support yourself among hundreds of others.

We welcome all of you yankees into our little piece of eden here in Fayette County, but leave the views of Clinton, Carter, Schumer, Biden and the like above the Mason Dixon Line. We are sensible down here, and if you are going to be a carpetbagger, GO HOME!

Don't let your excuse fall on skin color when it is merely that your message does not resonate with the earners of the country (and county)!

Submitted by dollaradayandfound on Wed, 07/11/2007 - 3:36pm.

Fayette county hasn't got enough northerners and their sensibility yet.
As soon as they mix and assimilate more better, everything will be much more better.
Losing the 1860s war really put a damper on the locals, but the mix is improving the situation!
All we need are more smokey factories and local bars just outside the factories, where all the major decisions are made.
Hiding that liquor and drinking it secretly works on a man's mind.

Cyclist's picture
Submitted by Cyclist on Wed, 07/11/2007 - 9:21am.

I think her statement is a little insensitive as there was no mention of my left coast sensibility.


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