Two stories worth reading by Walter Jones

Two stories by Walter Jones, of Morris News, illustrate why I think he’s one of the top three writers on Georgia politics today. You should follow the links and read them in their entirety.

Last week, the Atlanta Press Club hosted a forum on the future of the Georgia Democratic Party, and Walter had a great write-up.

Democratic Party Chairman Mike Berlon is betting on picking up statewide races next year, but some other prominent Democrats aren’t confident about his strategy.

Berlon is trying to broker an agreement between U.S. Rep. John Barrow of Augusta and Michelle Nunn, the daughter of former Sen. Sam Nunn and the head of a nonprofit organization.

“We no longer can afford to have these party primaries where we take six or seven Democrats and run them against each other and there’s nothing left but smoke and ruin in the end,” he said. “This time around, we’ve worked very hard to make sure that when the decision is made, these two candidates talk to each other and clear the field so we can move forward.”

But Steve Anthony, a political science professor at Georgia State University and a former executive director of the Democratic Party of Georgia, predicts Berlon won’t succeed.

“I’m conflicted about that approach,” he said.

As a follow-up, he addressed the predicted demographic changes that will be favorable to Democrats, and the tension between waiting for them to materialize, and wanting to do something right now.

Democrats tired of being in the minority aren’t content to wait for circumstances to reverse. They want to speed up political trends they perceive to be in their long-term favor. They just don’t agree on what to do in the meantime.Now, demographers tell us the tide has turned, and the current waves are bringing black, Hispanic and Asians who, along with younger voters, are swinging the scales back in the Democrats’ favor.

Experts predict the balancing point will arrive around the 2018 elections.

Until then, party strategists hope that in next year’s U.S. Senate race, Republicans will help by having a bloody primary fight that nominates a candidate so far to the right as to alienate independents.

However, waiting on demographic shifts and missteps by your opponent is too passive for politicos. They just don’t agree on what to do now.