I’m not a "facebooker," so I haven’t read the whole thing [linked below], but Jim has posted enough to get the gist of the story:
In the north Georgia grassroots, a Republican defection from Nathan Deal
Atlanta Journal Constitution
Political Insider
by Jim Galloway
October 1, 2010
Over at SWGA Politics, Jeff Sexton points us to something that has provoked much conversation within the ranks of the state GOP – please pardon the trademark violation. Mike Carter of Cleveland, Ga., a Republican activist and an Eric Johnson enthusiast during the primary, has resigned his spot on the state committee because of his concerns over Nathan Deal’s run for governor. Carter posted the news on his Facebook page:
I recently resigned as a GAGOP State Committee Member so that I could say the following without retribution from the GAGOP. This was a very regretful and most difficult thing for me to personally do! I took this position very seriously and faithfully served the GAGOP and was a very active Member of the State Committee. I attended every meeting and every possible activity and event as a Member of the Committee.I trust you as well as others can now see that I knew a lot more about Nathan Deal and his unethical, intentional and calculated misconduct when I began to point people to resources to do their own research as good honest Conservatives should do. Nathan Deal’s situation is not simply about helping a family member realize a business dream that failed. His family should be left out of all of this [I mean this from the bottom of my heart] this is about how he has handled everything as a US Congressman and now candidate for Governor of the state of Georgia.
Nathan Deal is a desperate man and we all know that desperate people do desperate things. We do not need a desperate man and the people he surrounds himself with holding and working in the highest office in this state! That is crystal clear!There’s more, but you get the flavor.
This is one of those situations in politics that I find hard, so I appreciate Mike Carter’s candid comments. I’m not opposed to Nathan Deal just because he is a Republican Conservative or because of his lack-luster performance in the US House of Representatives, though those would both be reason enough. Here’s the hard part. I’d oppose him if he were a Democrat. It’s not about his voting record, it’s about his basic unfitness for public office. He has chronically exploited his position in public life for personal gain. Even a loyal follower of the Republican memes knows it and has bravely said it. If Nathan Deal rides a tide of party line voting in Georgia, we’ll learn the wisdom of the saying, "The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior."
This man has hit the nail precisely on the head (as have many others with eyes to see and minds to think) but drives the nail home on account of his ‘natural’ inclinations and intellectual loyalties. His position and credentials are inarguable – one hopes that his thoughtful and heartfelt sentiment, along with his sacrifice (as it were) will be enough to assist the Great State of Georgia in avoiding a dreadful error of collective judgment. If this no-good, lyin, stealin, snake-in-the-grass sumbitch gets hisself elected, I’ll eat my hat.
Of all places, last night in casual conversation at the Atlanta Psychoanalytic Society dinner meeting, someone passed on a phrase I like very much and find appropriate to the Deal situation:
“Beware of electing a politician who is financially insolvent.” It would be like putting a starving man in charge of the pantry.