UGA grad played role in year’s biggest political upset, Eric Cantor ousted by Tea Party’s David Brat | Online Athens

A 2008 University of Georgia graduate played a role in what may have been the biggest political upset of the year, at least so far — economics professor David Brat’s defeat of House Minority Leader Eric Cantor in Virginia’s 7th Congressional District Republican Primary.

UGA journalism and political science graduate Josh Jones’ media consulting company, Red Clay Communications, helped Brat shape the anti-immigration, anti-establishment message that helped oust the seven-term incumbent, Cantor.

“We provided some initial consultation on messaging, as well as developing the message, to make sure the anti-Cantor message was properly put together,” Jones said.

“We started on focusing the message around simply that Eric Cantor had a history of having working relationships that embraced the politics of both Obama and (House Minority Leader Nancy) Pelosi,” said Jones.

Brat, backed by Tea Party groups and notable conservatives such as Ann Coulter, soundly trounced Brat in the June 10 Republican primary with 56 percent of the vote.

But Jones, 29, doesn’t claim a lot of credit for ousting Cantor, who had been one of Washington’s most powerful politicians.

Jones and a partner conducted a poll after the primary election, and had their suspicions confirmed — many voters were voting more against Cantor than for Brat, an economics professor at little Randolph-Macon College.

via UGA grad played role in year’s biggest political upset, Eric Cantor ousted by Tea Party’s David Brat | Online Athens.