He had heard of the small but enthusiastic Democratic Party in Oglethorpe County, so Jim Martin, our Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, stopped his Road to Change Bus Thursday afternoon in Crawford while on his many-day tour across Georgia gathering votes in what is now a very close race against incumbent Saxby Chambliss. With him was Jim Powell, Democratic candidate for District 4 State Public Service Commissioner, who we learned that afternoon had just been reinstated on the ballot by the Georgia Supreme Court after being disqualified by Republican Secretary of State, Karen Handel.
We were a small group waiting for them in Crawford, the largest town in the county. We were mostly local party members, a few newcomers like myself, a few volunteers from Athens (the next stop on the Tour), and several local and state candidates. These included Marylin Stone, running for re-election in County District 2 to the Oglethorpe County Board of Commissioners, Tim Riley, candidate in State District 47 for the State Senate, and Bobby Saxon who is running in District 10 for U.S. House of Representatives.
We were at the new Oglethorpe County Democratic Party Headquarters, a converted two-bay service garage in the old B&B Tire Building on the main street. The weather was brilliantly perfect and the bay doors were up so we were in and out following after volunteers and organizers. The space belongs to Lori Glinski who has a reality office in the rest of the building. The building is near the notorious single traffic signal in this northeast Georgia county, which was established in 1793 and has four municipalities and a population of about thirteen thousand in its 441 square miles. In national elections, the county normally votes Republican by about three to one.
Love those hand-made Obama earrings that Agatha is wearing! The applique is a copy of the Time cover of 23 October 2006.
These are some of the notables in the obligatory group photo opportunity, but here everyone was smiling and pleased with their companions, their neighbors, and the holiday. From the left, Sarah, Past Chair Ray Schofield, Chair Laura Floyd, Commissioner Marilyn Stone, Gisela Gresham, Randall Hicks, State Senate Candidate Tim Riley, and Lori Glinski.
Finally the Road to Change Bus arrives! Hum ... It seems there is no Jim Martin sign outside; the few we had were stacked inside except for one or two liberated by a greeter.
Although Martin and Powell were running well behind schedule, the casual talk outside only gradually moved inside for a few comments by the candidates. Delbra Favors started it with one of her graceful gospel songs and was followed by Commissioner Marilyn Stone, State Senate Candidate Tim Riley and Public Service Commission Candidate Jim Powell.
And then Jim Martin gave us a few words of encouragement. Here perhaps Jim is mentally comparing himself to Barack or he is wondering why the national campaign has not visited Georgia in the last three months or he is considering what to do about that, but if so he kept any such sorts of thought to himself.
And Chair Laura Floyd was obviously pleased with the results. And so were we all.
This was my introduction to a ground campaign. I came because of activist friends and I expected something like a rally. I was not disappointed to find it something quite different. The folks and the candidates were calm and serious, even friends known to be excitable. Imagine this sober dedication in countless places where volunteers are trying to push back the years-long darkness, one vote at a time.
The mail on Thursday and Friday contained mail from the Republican National Committee and The Susan B. Anthony List smearing Jim. Jim Martin is an Orange to Blue Candidate and really needs the support to respond to this trash.
On the web:
Oglethorpe County Democrats
Jim Martin for U.S. Senate
Orange to Blue ActBlue Page
Bobby Saxon for Congress