Georgia Politics, Campaigns & Elections for May 20, 2013

We’re still recovering from what we call a “Convention Hangover,” which is like a regular hangover but without being preceded by the better part of a bottle of bourbon. We’ll try to hit the high points from the Convention today, and continue with analysis the next few days.

Congratulations to John Padgett, Chairman of the GAGOP

Congratulations to Georgia Republican Party Chairman-elect John Padgett for winning election on the second ballot by 946-637 over Alex Johnson of DeKalb County.

Pro-tip for future candidates for Chairman: be sure to schedule your public acts of heroism early enough before the vote for the position you’re seeking, so as to influence the votes of Delegates.

Had B.J. Van Gundy helped police restrain a visibly crazy member of Occupy Athens poor soul on drugs earlier or had the media picked it up sooner, it might have made the difference.

BJ Van Gundy will leave Athens as an honorary junior police officer due to his help in keeping at bay a Duluth man allegedly high on LSD and creating a disturbance in a downtown hotel.

As the officer struggled to restrain Rios, Van Gundy offered his help and kept Rios pinned to a wall until other officers arrived.

“The guy was starting to get the better of the cop a little bit,” Van Gundy said Saturday at the state GOP convention, where he sought to become the next chairman of the Georgia Republican Party, but lost.

The rest of the offices filled:

First Vice Chair Michael McNeely
Second Vice Chair Ron Johnson
Secretary Debbie McCord
Assistant Secretary Kirk Shook
Treasurer Bob Mayzes

The Seth Harp Factor

In a surprise to many, former State Senator Seth Harp withdrew his candidacy for Chairman from the podium and urged his supporters to vote for John Padgett. According to zpolitics.com, no one was more shocked than Senator Josh McKoon, who gave a great nomination speech for Harp.

Harp was responsible for one other pivotal moment in the Convention: it was his call for a determination whether a quorum was still present that resulted in the automatic and immediate adjournment of the Convention on determination that fewer delegates than the required half remained on the floor.

Resolved: We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Resolutions

One of the results of the loss of quorum on the floor was that all resolutions passed out of the Resolutions Committee died. We heard on Saturday morning from a member of the Resolutions Committee that ten resolutions were voted out, three of them crazy. We’ll post the full text of each resolution on the GaPundit.com website after reformatting the copy we got and numbering the resolutions, and we’ll discuss them a bit in the coming days.

But for now, the resolution on Common Core that didn’t receive a floor vote is here.

Jim Galloway wrote:

Gov. Nathan Deal owes Seth Harp a basket of flowers. Or at least a thank-you note.

By calling for a quorum in the final minutes of the state GOP convention on Saturday, the former state senator from Columbus saved the governor from a rebuke by from the Republican grassroots over Georgia’s participation in Common Core educational standards.

The actual text of the Common Core resolution includes this:

Be it further resolved that we appreciate Governor Nathan Deal’s principled Executive Order issued on May 15th which strongly recognized the need to honor the constitutional sovereignty of the people of Georgia over education and the urgent need to protect student privacy.

So rather than a rebuke of Governor Deal, I’d characterize it as a reconciliation offered after some heated debate over Common Core.

A few minutes with Allen West: Part Two

Part two of my interview with former Congressman Allen West is live on GaPundit.com now. Here’s an excerpt.

GaPundit: “How do we, as a Republican Party, get beyond the balkanization of America and talk to Black Americans as individuals?”

Allen West: “We need to start talking to people about principles. We need to start talking to people about the opportunities they want to have for themselves, and they want to have for their kids. Everybody wants that. No one wants to be a failure. Everyone wants to try to be a success.”

“So, we talk to individuals about how we revitalize our inner city communities.”

“I go back to my neighborhood, it’s been decimated.”

“When you talk to people in the Black community about better schools, school choice is the number one issue in the Black community. That’s a conservative issue, that’s a winning issue, but how many times did you see Mitt Romney or Paul Ryan talk about it? As a matter of fact, how many times did you see them go into the Black community?”

Martha Zoller: 5 Things I learned at the 2013 GAGOP State Convention

Our friend Martha Zoller was a beehive of activity this weekend, promoting her website zpolitics.com, nominating John Padgett for Chairman of the GAGOP and serving on the Resolutions Committee. She also took the time to write about her experiences. It will run exclusively behind the paywall on InsiderAdvantage.com until Friday, when it becomes free on zpolitics.com. Until then, you’ll get a teaser from us every day.

First, and most important, we’ve got to find a more streamlined process for checking in delegates and moving up alternates. If you are required to be there in line by 10 am, but we don’t start voting on things until 3 pm, that’s a problem that deters young people with families from being a part of the GOP. Outreach and growing the party is my number one goal for the next two years, and a streamlined process is one of the top issues. Bert Guy, long time Republican activist, told me about a process the Southern Baptist Convention uses, and I’m going to take a look at it.

Georgia Young Republicans State Convention

The Georgia Federation of Young Republicans elected their 2013 Board:

Chairman Meagan Hanson
Vice-Chair Joseph Brannan
National Committee Man Senator Josh McKoon
National Committee Woman Angelyn Dionysatos
Secretary Katelyn Ledford
Treasurer Joe Pettit

Congratulations as well to Angelyn Dionysatos, who was awarded GYR Woman of the Year and Joe Pettit, who was awarded GYR Man of the Year.

Sean Hannity backing Jack Kingston for Senate?

New Chief Judge of Georgia Court of Appeals

Congratulations to Presiding Judge Herbert E. Phipps of Albany, GA who was elected unanimously by his peers to succeed Chief Judge John J. Ellington as Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals of Georgia. Judge Phipps will be sworn into the new position on June 25 and assume the position July 1, 2013.

Judge Phipps served as a Judge of the Superior Court of the Dougherty Judicial Circuit before his 1999 appointment to the Court of Appeals by former Governor Roy Barnes and has since won three statewide elections to the Court. Judge Phipps also presided in the State, Magistrate, and Juvenile Courts of Dougherty Count since beginning his career on the bench in 1980.

Judge Phipps earned his undergradtate degree from Morehouse College, his law degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law and his LLM in the Judicial Process from the University of Virginia School of Law.

Events Calendar

Tonight

7 PM DeKalb Young Republicans May Meeting – Marlow’s Tavern, 4156 La Vista Road,Tucker , GA, 30084.

7 PM Rome Young Republicans May Meeting – Buffalo’s Southwest Cafe, 440 Shorter Avenue, Rome, 30165.

7 PM Cherokee County GOP: Forum on Parliamentary Procedure – Northside Hospital Conference Center at the Bluffs, 1130 Bluffs Parkway , Canton, GA, 30114.

7 PM Barrow GOP: May Meeting with Representatives Terry England & Regina Quick – Winder Women’s Club, 15 West Midland Ave, Winder , GA, 30680.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

10 AM Congressman Tom Graves: Dade County Connection Day – Administrative Building, 71 Case Avenue , Trenton, GA, 30752.

10 AM Congressman Tom Graves: Paulding County Connection Day – Administrative Complex, 240 Constitution Blvd. , Dallas, GA, 30132.

11:30 AM to 2 PM Atlanta Tea Party / Georgia Tea Party Patriots Protest at the Georgia State Capitol – Georgia State Capitol, Washington Street Side, 206 Washington Street Southwest, Atlanta, GA, 30334

Protesting IRS, JUSTICE DEPT. VIOLATION OF RIGHTS OF AP AND BENGHAZI

NOTICE: Make sure your signs are not on sticks or stakes, wood or metal. If your group would like to join us, please let us know. There will be protests across our nation on this day.

1 PM Congressman Tom Graves: Walker County Connection Day – Courthouse Annex, 101 South Duke Street , Lafayette, GA, 30728.

Saturday, May 25, 2013

9-10:30 AM Bartow GOP: Meeting to Commemorate Our Fallen Veterans – Bartow GOP HQ, 162 West Main Street, Cartersville , GA, 30120.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

The Georgia Republican Event of the Year will be the Walton County Republican Barbecue hosted by Chairman Roy Roberts from 5 to 8 PM overlooking the edge of the known world at Nunnaly Farm, 54 Nunnaly Farm Rd, Monroe, GA, 30655. Tickets are $10 each.