Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for July 19, 2016

Griffin, Georgia native John Henry “Doc” Holliday killed Mike Gordon after Gordon shot up Holliday’s saloon in Las Vegas, New Mexico.

The 1996 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony was held on July 19, 1996 and competition started the next day.

The Georgia State Quarter was released on July 19, 1999.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

Floor fight!

Anti-Trump delegates and alternates (and probably some guests) attempted to call for a roll call vote on the floor of the Convention yesterday. If successful, the Convention would have ground to a halt, and some individuals might have cast votes for candidates not on the ballot or other than those to whom they are bound.

Here’s how the New York Times described it.

The convention floor momentarily turned into a scene of discord and boisterous dissent on Monday. Those who were opposing Donald J. Trump broke into booming jeers and chants of “Roll call vote! Roll call vote!” in an attempt to demand a vote by all 2,472 delegates on a procedural motion that is required before the convention can formally get underway.

Their hope was that by starting a lengthy process so late in the day — just a few hours before the convention’s prime-time programming was set to begin — they could embarrass Mr. Trump by delaying the convention’s opening speakers.

Delegates who opposed them appeared to have the advantage. And they responded with their own noisy shouts of “U.S.A.! U.S.A.!”

But after several minutes of confusion, and a couple of musical interludes by the band to kill time, the anti-Trump delegates appeared to have been stymied.

When the chairman called for a voice vote on whether to have a roll call vote, he ruled that the “no” votes prevailed.

From the AJC Political Insider team,

A majority of delegates in nine states, including Colorado, had signed a petition challenging a vote on the convention rules as set forth by the convention rules committee last week. Only seven were needed. The crux of the fight last Thursday was over whether to adopt a “conscience clause” that would allow delegates to ignore the primary or caucus results in their states and vote for the presidential candidate of their choice.

Debbie McCord, Second Vice Chair of the Georgia Republican Party and a member of the Georgia delegation wrote on Facebook,

Contrary to what some sourcs are saying, the majority of voting delegates supported the convention rules. Much of the “No” vote was coming from the alternate section, who do not have a vote.

Carolyn Hall Fisher, also a member of the Georgia delegation, wrote,

There is no bedlam here. There were people other than delegates voting against the adoption of the rules. Alternates were yelling aye. They can’t even vote. Media is overdoing it as usual.

David Guldenschuh of Rome wrote that about a third of the convention wanted to change the rules.

“The ‘yeas’ won, but a good third of the convention wanted to change the rules to release delegates from their commitment to vote for (Donald) Trump,” he wrote from the floor of the Quicken Loan Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. “It brought Georgia’s heavy hitters to their feet and the aisle.”

If you’ve been going to Georgia Republican State Conventions, this is nothing new to you. Happens every year.

Scott Johnson wrote about yesterday’s Georgia Delegation breakfast for the MDJ.

Monday morning began early with buses picking the delegation up at the hotel and moving downtown to the Wyndham. Sen. Johnny Isakson was scheduled to speak and we were told there would also be some surprise speakers. It certainly was a surprise when the first speaker entered the room with beard and bandanna. The crowd roared when Willie Robertson of the popular TV show “Duck Dynasty” stepped to the podium and proceeded to talk about his family and how they came to be one of the hottest cable shows. Following Robertson, we heard from Dr. Ben Carson. He was very personable man who sat at the next table with his wife, Candy. While in person he is soft spoken, at the podium, he delivers a hard-hitting conservative message. He did a magnificent job and many of us hope he has a role in the next administration.

As good as the two opening speakers were, Johnny Isakson can follow anybody and really got the biggest response from the crowd. He told about a UGA student who enlisted in the military immediately after Sept. 11, from whom he adopted the acronym IDWIC, meaning “I do what I can.” That soldier lost his life in the fight against terror, but Sen. Isakson has kept his memory alive by producing a commemorative “coin” with IDWIC on it. It was a touching story and he presented one of those coins to a small boy in the audience.

Angelyn Dionysatos writes that serving as an alternate to the Republican Convention fulfills a childhood dream of hers.

As a child, I was passionate about politics. (At age five, I declared to my grandparents that I was a Republican after watching a presidential debate.) I became politically active at 16, and since that time, Republican politics has, in many ways, become an identity for me. I currently serve as president of the Atlanta Young Republicans (the nation’s largest chapter) and as one of the vice chairs of the Fulton County Republican Party.

How I got to the RNC… After the 2012 convention, I decided that I would go to the one in 2016. I had no idea what that entailed, but I had set it on my mind. As we entered the 2016 election cycle, I thought to myself, “Why just go? I should participate.” In April of this year, I put my hat in the ring to be a delegate from the 6th Congressional District (a subdivision of the Georgia Republican Party) and was elected as an alternate. An alternate doesn’t actually vote at the convention but gets to attend and take part in most of it.

Most of my childhood dreams involved being Batman, but whatever.

Last but not least, Katie Frost spoke to the Newnan Times-Herald about her experience becoming a member of the Georgia delegation to the Republican National Convention.

She is part of the third generation of her family to serve as a delegate to a national convention.

Her family has been very active in Republican politics in this area, including her grandfather who served as chairman of the Coweta Republican Party and her brother who is the current chairman. She herself helped found the Coweta-Fayette Young Republicans and serves as the assistant secretary of the Third District party.

“I have dedicated the last five years of my life to advancing the conservative cause by helping elect quality candidates. I have served in a variety of roles, ranging from grassroots coordinator to campaign manager on 14 campaigns covering the entire Third District,” she said.

She has also been active in government service, working as an aide in 2014 to Rep. David Stover, R-Newnan, and for Sen. Marty Harbin, R-Tyrone, last year.

Jade Morey danced before a national audience with Stephen Colbert at the opening night celebration.

“I was up dancing to ‘Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog’ and I see a large light behind me and all of a sudden a crowd forms,” said Morey, a Houston County resident.

“Late Show” comedian Stephen Colbert then grabbed her by the shoulder and began to dance, directing her to the camera and to talk to it about Cleveland at the same time.

That song by Three Dog Night was the most popular song in the nation on the day I was born.

Joe Allen has received a runoff endorsement in Macon-Bibb County Commission District 6.

Congratulations and condolences to Shirley Marchman, the first African-American Mayor of Villa Rica, Georgia.

“It is an honor and a blessing to be the first African-American mayor of Villa Rica,” said Marchman, who represents the council’s Ward 1 which includes the Douglas County part of the city.

Marchman was appointed to fill the spot left vacant when former mayor J. Collins resigned and won election to a vacant seat in the Georgia House of Representatives.

Gov. Nathan Deal appointed former State Rep. Dusty Hightower to serve as a Superior Court judge in the Coweta Circuit, leaving his House District 68 position open. Collins won the seat in a special election.

Villa Rica’s charter did not allow Collins to serve as mayor of the city and run for the open state representative position, according to Marchman. Council members then elected Marchman to fill in as interim mayor until a special election Nov. 8.

On Friday, United States Senator Ted Cruz (R-GA) will campaign in Georgia for State Senator Mike Crane, who is in a runoff election for the Third Congressional District.

The one-time Republican presidential candidate will host a “Rally for Freedom” at Newnan Centre at 6 p.m., Crane’s campaign announced.

Cruz’s visit comes amid reports that he’s building the groundwork for another White House run in 2020. But even more critically for Crane, it’ll be four days before voters hit the polls in the 3rd District GOP runoff to decide whether he’ll face Democrat Angela Pendley in November in this deeply red part of the state. He’s up against former West Point mayor Drew Ferguson.

Georgia Congressman Doug Collins (R-Gainesville) spoke to the Gainesville Times about his experience at the Convention.

“My role is to be supportive of our party … and making sure we are moving forward with the conservative vision for America going into the fall elections,” he said on Monday after a schedule full of meetings and meet-and-greets.

As for concerns about Trump’s candidacy, Collins said the party is unifying despite its many competing interests.

“There’s not ever a perfect anything,” he said, adding that a difference of opinion can be healthy in politics. “We’re Republicans. We’re not Democrats who just simply march in line.”

With the balance of power on the Supreme Court at stake, among other issues, Collins said the GOP has to come together.

“At the end of the day … not letting Hillary Clinton occupy the White House again, that is the overriding goal,” he said.