Pick The Right Candidate

Opinion

An opinion by George McClellan:If you failed to attend the Gilmer Co. GA GOP/Tea Party sponsored senatorial candidate forum on Saturday, Feb, 1st, then you missed an exceptional opportunity to exercise your rights to free assembly by participating in the community involvement process of learning who is the best candidate you want to fill the soon to be vacated seat in the US Senate for the State of Georgia. I said ‘your involvement’ in choosing a candidate, not the political elites who have been doing it for us these many years.

At least eight candidates professing themselves to be conservative Republicans are contending for that one seat. I do not ignore the Democrat’s lone contender, Michelle Nunn, but she’s a democrat after all and wasn’t here. But, neither were Rep. Phil Gingrey, Rep. Jack Kingston or Mr. Perdue. These three may have had other commitments and admittedly, it is difficult to be in two places at the same time. However, they didn’t have staff representatives here either. I cannot guess if they had funding problems or simply chose to ignore little Gilmer County up here in the 9th district, it being a rural, mountainous, agricultural back water of little electoral value to the overall big picture of getting elected, but they weren’t represented. Over two hundred citizens did attend, including the field Rep, Bill Kokaly for Doug Collins.

Ultimately, the winner of this state wide contest will indeed enter the ranks of the political elites. It is important that whoever finally achieves that lofty goal be on the side of limited government, respect for the US Constitution, respect for life and has, not simply professes, but has a firm belief in personal responsibility. One also hopes the winner can avoid becoming infected with the dreaded Potomac fever. What the candidates said here was documented as fact and will always be available as a reminder to him or her should they go off the rails once elected, of what they promised. Potomac fever can be deadly!

Five candidates made time in their schedules to participate in this event which had been in planning for several months. They were: Representative Paul Broun, who is the only “true conservative”, because he told us so twenty-eight times, Karen Handel, who is a very successful past Chairman of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners and Georgia Secretary of State; Mr. Art Gardner, a non-political, well educated small businessman, whose remarks demonstrated a moderate trend; Mr. Eugene Yu, an enthusiastic American immigrant from South Korea, also a US Army veteran, small businessman and resident of Augusta, Ga., and Mr. Derrick Greyson, a black conservative whose answers to specific questions were direct, pointedly conservative and completely pro-America. He actually impressed the crowd by the clarity of his short, conservative answers.

Any of these five candidates who put themselves on the line for their ideals and beliefs, would probably do quite well as a Senator. The very impressive Karen Handel won the straw poll by a wide margin closely followed by Mr. Greyson. Admittedly, Gilmer County is among the most conservative districts in Georgia if not in the entire nation. Ms. Handel and Mr. Greyson both came off as favorite candidates fitting Gilmer County’s conservative expectations.

The grass root conservative Americans, of which the 9th CD is mostly composed, have one goal in mind, the restoration of a Constitutional America. It includes the repeal of the unlawful edicts of the current administration, the return of our education systems into the hands of local school boards, a return to the rule of law, the repeal of the odious Obamacare and a return to a sane and common sense government.

Our current government is in disarray. The Republican party has been gifted with another chance, a small one to be sure, to make this needed change possible. It cannot be done by attacking the very base of their constituency, the grass roots Americans, by calling them “wacko’s” and “weirdo’s” and dangerous thinkers. If any one of these candidates, who worked so hard to get our vote, can succeed in turning the ship of state, then we, as Gilmer County citizens will at least have done our bit. But we cannot do it if we are not informed. If you didn’t attend, do not let another opportunity slip by to pick the right candidate. Margaret Williamson and Sally Forest and their volunteers did a remarkable job in making this program a success and the contribution as moderator of former state senator Chip Pearson was splendid indeed. Remember, freedom is the goal, the Constitution is the way. Now, go get ‘em! (01 Feb 2014)

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