The 2014 Georgia GOP U.S. Senate primary to succeed retiring Senator Saxby "Chicken Hawk" Chambliss (R. GA) keeps on getting entertaining:
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/...
In a new campaign ad businessman David Perdue, one of a handful of candidates competing for the GOP nod in the Senate race, presents his opponents and most members of Congress as wailing children.
"The decision in this election is very simple," Perdue said in the ad while a clip of screaming babies with the names Jack, Paul, Phil and Karen on their diapers is shown — a clear jab at Reps. Jack Kingston, Paul Broun, Phil Gingrey, and former Secretary of State Karen Handel who are also running in the GOP primary.
"If you like the results coming out of Washington right now, then pick one of these four professional politicians," Perdue continued. "It really won't matter because you know nothing will change."
Perdue goes on to say that he's tired of the "childish behavior" by lawmakers in Washington. - TPM, 2/5/14
Here's a little more info about the ad:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
Perdue released the ad, titled "Outsider," on Tuesday. His opponents are represented by crying infants wearing diapers and props -- including t-shirts naming each candidate, to make the identification more explicit -- to signify their connection to Washington, D.C., dysfunction.
Perdue has already put more than a million dollars into his campaign.
The ad was produced by Republican Fred Davis, who is known for attention-grabbing but also controversial political commercials. Davis has produced ads -- which also, perhaps not coincidentally, feature babies -- for Perdue's cousin, former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue (R). He also produced the infamous "I am not a witch" ad for Christine O'Donnell's failed bid in 2010 to represent Delaware in the Senate. - Huffington Post, 2/5/14
And here's some more info:
http://thehill.com/...
Perdue's campaign says it's part of a "substantial" six-figure ad buy. A source from another campaign tracking the buy says the ad is running in the Atlanta, Albany and Macon markets and initially has about $170,000 behind it, not a ton of money in the expensive state.
The ad is produced by infamous Republican admaker Fred Davis, who is known for his eye-catching and controversial commercials, and features footage from a five-minute biographical video Perdue's campaign released on Tuesday.
Davis's "Celebrity" ad for Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) presidential campaign slamming then-candidate Barack Obama won plaudits. But some of his more recent ads have drawn ridicule, including Delaware Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell's (R) infamous "I'm not a witch" ad and California Senate candidate Carly Fiorina's (R) "Demon Sheep" ad in 2010, and a Michigan Senate ad from 2012 many viewed as racist. - The Hill, 2/5/14
But will it work for Perdue? Maybe:
http://politics.blog.ajc.com/...
Do not dismiss this image out of hand.
In many ways, this is a page torn from Sonny Perdue’s 2002 playbook. Think back to a long biographical commercial that the Republican candidate for governor starred in. Fred Davis, the California political ad guru, did that one — and is the fellow behind David Perdue’s on-screen debut.
Sonny Perdue couldn’t get his on TV except during the wee hours. But incorporated in the lengthy video was the image of a giant rat stalking the state Capitol, dubbed “King Roy,” which became a hit on the GOP Tupperware circuit.
It’s likely that the crybabies, if they catch on, will see significant airtime. David Perdue has more money to play with than his cuz did.
But David Perdue has a lot of work to do over the next three-and-a-half months, according to a poll of GOP primary voters put out this morning by Citizens United Political Victory Fund, a group that has endorsed Broun in the race. The poll finds Gingrey in front, with 19 percent of the vote.
Trailing Gingrey are Handel (14 percent), Broun (13 percent), Kingston (11 percent), Perdue (8 percent), Eugene Yu (2 percent), Derrick Grayson (1 percent) and Art Gardner (less than 1 percent). The real winner is “undecided” with 28 percent of the vote. - Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 2/4/14
We shall see. Perdue has some tough competition and he's yet to state his stance on immigration reform:
http://www.peachpundit.com/...
11th District Congressman and Senate candidate Phil Gingrey announced today that he is opposed to the principles proposed for debate in the house. From the press release:
“I’m not sure who’s [sic] “principles” those are,” said Gingrey. “But they are not mine, and they certainly are not the principals [sic] conservatives want us advocating. Illegal immigration is one of the toughest issues facing our nation, but amnesty is not a sensible solution, and we simply cannot afford to tack tens of millions on to our unemployment lines in our current economic condition. Regardless of what Leadership says, securing the border remains my top priority when it comes to immigration.”
“Georgians are fed up with elected officials who promise to stand-strong on issues just to give in to pressure from special interests when they get to Washington. Throughout my tenure in Congress, I’ve fought to strengthen and uphold our nation’s immigration laws – not ignore them like President Obama and Harry Reid. As your next Senator, I promise to continue that fight.”
Gingrey joins the two other House members running for the Senate in opposing amnesty. Jack Kingston posted this on his campaign Facebook page yesterday: “I will not support an immigration bill that includes amnesty for illegal immigrants.” - Peach Pundit, 2/4/14
And Tea Party Congressman Paul Broun (R. GA) has really been stepping up his craziness:
http://politics.blog.ajc.com/...
We have an odd convergence this morning. Both U.S. Rep. Paul Broun and Georgia Democrats are demanding that other GOP candidates for U.S. Senate join a conversation about the need to impeach President Barack Obama.
Apparently, both see it as a path to Broun’s Senate nomination.
This episode began at a tea party-infused Gilmer County GOP forum for Republican Senate candidates in Ellijay on Saturday, with this question from the audience: “Obama has perjured himself on multiple occasions. Would you support impeachment if presented with a vote?”
Broun, Eugene Yu and Derrick Grayson all raised their hands. Karen Handel and Art Gardner did not. - Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 2/4/14
http://www.thedailybeast.com/...
But to write off Paul Broun as a factor in the race to fill Georgia’s open Senate seat is to misunderstand both the doctor-turned-congressman and the state he is trying to represent.
While Georgia’s changing demographics may be sending the state toward more purple-than-red territory eventually, it remains decidedly Republican (with no statewide Democratic officials), deeply religious, and dominated by so many Tea Party groups that candidates often complain they can’t keep track of them all.
Enter U.S. Senate candidate Dr. Paul Broun, who also has deep ties to Tea Party groups and a voting record so conservative that the Club for Growth named him its No. 1 Defender of Freedom in all of Congress. Not to mention his religious conviction as a strong born-again Christian saw him declaring on the floor of the House that “the Holy Bible is true, it is literal, and it is God’s direction for all of us.” (See “pit of Hell” above for Broun’s biblical interpretation of evolution.)
With three months left to go until the state’s Republican primary, Broun (pronounced “Brown”) is badly underfunded, yet still sitting near (but not at the top) of several polls that show none of the candidates in the crowded Republican field breaking away from the pack.
A poll of likely GOP primary voters released Tuesday shows Rep. Phil Gingrey leading with 19 percent support. Former secretary of state Karen Handel ranks second with 14 percent, while Broun places third with 13 percent. The remaining candidates, including Rep. Jack Kingston, trail behind for now.
But that same poll, which was commissioned by Citizens United’s PAC and conducted by the Polling Company, also reveals important details about who the GOP primary voters are likely to be in May: 82 percent self-identify as conservative, with 48 percent calling themselves “very conservative.” Of all of the candidates, Broun was picked as “the most conservative candidate in the race.” And a significant majority, 62 percent, said they want the next Senator from Georgia “to work closely with Sen. Ted Cruz.”
If an electorate is looking for a Ted Cruz compadre, it wouldn’t have to look much further than Broun, who sponsored the bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act; declares “no room for compromise” on the Second Amendment; and boasts a Washington office so full of taxidermy he shot himself that it’s been called a “cross between a zoo and a pet cemetery.”
With Georgia conservatives on the hunt for one of their own, Republican Party insiders are increasingly worried that the outspoken Broun could run a competitive race against the better funded, more business friendly candidates like Rep. Jack Kingston or businessman David Perdue. If Broun were to win, Republicans worry he’d lose to likely Democratic nominee Michelle Nunn, whose father, Sam Nunn, represented Georgia in the Senate for 24 years.
Even if Broun doesn’t win the primary, party strategists worry he’s hurting Republicans in the process. “The concern is that he could pull the whole field to the right,” said a long-time Republican fundraiser. - Daily Beast, 2/5/14
It's going to be a long nasty primary and that's why this is a top seat for Democrats. If you would like to get involved with Michelle Nunn's (D. GA) campaign, you can do so here:
http://www.michellenunn.com/