I haven't seen this on Daily Kos today, but if it has, I apologize.
About a week ago, I wrote an article detailing Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss' vulnerability for his 2008 reelection bid. Last week's article Chambliss is probably best-known around these parts for his shameful association of Max Cleland (a triple-amputee Vietnam hero) with Osama Bin Laden in his 2002 TV ads. He was last seen running neck-and-neck with former Governor Roy Barnes in an independent poll (42-40%), leading many to wonder who could be a strong candidate to knock off Chambliss.
Dale Cardwell was not one of those discussed. Still, his candidacy is worth keeping a close eye on, for he might be able to do the trick.
Georgia US Senate race tracker
AJC Article today on Cardwell's entry
On Friday, Dale Cardwell ended an 11-year stint as an investigative reporter at WSB-TV.
On Saturday, he became a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, looking to knock off Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss.
Surprise.
"It’s been so doggone hard to keep this under wraps," the 44-year-old former journalist said. But he’s done it.
Cardwell, a six-time Emmy winner, will formally announce his candidacy on Monday at his campaign headquarters in College Park. He joins DeKalb County CEO Vernon Jones as the only Democrats yet to express public interest in the ’08 race.
The article goes on to include Cardwell's TV biography, some of his apparant talking points and a surprising line of attack on immigration. Here are some snippets:
The first issue he mentioned to us was the immigration reform bill now before the U.S. Senate, and hammered out with the assistance of both Chambliss and Johnny Isakson.
Cardwell called it an "amnesty" bill that’s aimed at satisfying corporate interests. "Georgia has to be freed from this illegal invasion that’s holding down salaries," he said.
Notice how Cardwell frames the issue of immigration: It's a corporate-sponsored "illegal invasion". It's pure populism, and it might well appeal to a conservative "DINO" Georgian who used to vote Democratic on the statewide level, and might do it again. I personally don't like the way it sounds - but then again, I'm from a completely different political world than Cardwell's.
Cardwell on why he is a Democrat:
Says the new candidate: "If you boil both parties down to the salt, the Republican motto is survival of the fittest. The Democratic motto is do unto others as you would have others do unto you."
Cardwell says his Southern Baptist upbringing would never let him embrace social Darwinism.
Cardwell also brought out a biography-style press release, which shows that he's been an equal-opportunity investigator in the press. Among the people he's gone after in the news are Zell Miller, Governor Sonny Perdue, and DeKalb County CEO Vernon Jones. Interestingly enough, Jones is running for the same seat! Can you see the fists flying in a debate? Finally, Cardwell mentions that he is a born-again Christian. This, too would be interesting, as it appears his campaign message will use his faith as a reason to vote Democratic.
Mind you, he's far from the "perfect candidate". I don't know where he stands on the rest of the social-issue spectrum, but he probably isn't very liberal on them. I'll wait and see to find out where he stands on Iraq and foreign policy. And as I said, I don't agree with his rhetoric on immigration in calling it an "invasion". However, it should be noted on that count that Chambliss has angered many Georgia conservatives with his support of the Immigration Bill currently in the Congress. A populist Democrat like Cardwell could be the ticket to winning back conservative votes.
Needless to say, the Georgia US Senate race just got interesting.