Wednesday, November 25, 2009

20. Peanut Politics Comments on EdinGA

From Keith McCants blog Peanut Politics at http://peanutpolitics-keith.blogspot.com/

Porter has run a terrific campaign thus far & getting lots of traction from voters all over the state. He is a very engaging individual, very likable, has a strong grasp of the issues, especially education, which he is very passionate about. I received an email a couple of weeks ago asking why he (Porter) isn't running for State School Superintendent. I responded that if he becomes governor, he would be able to make a much bigger impact in regards to education. State Sch. Superintendent has it fair share of influence, but not like the governor has. Porter, being from middle georgia has a distinct advantage when it comes to rural voters. That's in my opinion lies his greatest strength. If he can tap that middle Georgia base, he has a good chance of becoming the nominee. Stay Tuned.
_______________________

     Keith's comments where posted in response to the following article found on the Daily Kos.  We met the man who wrote the entry for the first time at my good friend Celia Larson Murray and her husband Walter's home where I gave a speech. Someone forwarded me his article written the next day:

GA’s Next Governor: Dubose Porter (D)

Digg this! Share this on Twitter - GA’s Next Governor: Dubose Porter (D)Tweet this submit to reddit Share This

Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 11:25:29 AM PST

Until last evening, I was unaware of some of the causes of our state’s troubles and how much could be rectified by competent, spirited leadership.
My wife and I were fortunate enough to be invited to a "Meet and Greet" with Georgia House Minority Leader Dubose Porter. He believes he’d make a good governor and I agree.
Here’s what I learned.
Being able to spend an hour or two with someone can give you at least a general feel for a person. After a polite mingling amongst the local dignitaries and possible donors, the hostess then formally introduced Mr. Porter. He spoke for perhaps fifteen minutes, generally stating his positions as reflected on his websites. But sometimes it’s not so much what a man says, but how he says it.
His website doesn’t begin to describe the breadth of this man’s knowledge or his overwhelming passion, especially when discussing education.  It has to be experienced in person. Dubose knows the minutiae, of how things work. I think any truly dedicated person that devotes over a quarter of a century of his life to the betterment of Georgians is going to have a very thorough grasp of discerning need from pork, fairness from greed. He knows all the players, what their positions are and how to move legislation. He just needs a bully pulpit to do it and the governorship will certainly give him the mandate to achieve much needed reforms and relief for our citizenry.
In speaking with his wife and trusted advisor, Carol, I found a person intimately acquainted with legislative history and cause and effect in the state. She understands the motivations of the opposing party extraordinarily well but succeeds in conveying her opinions without sounding partisan.
Mr. and Mrs. Porter are Democrats; however they more emphasize a spirit of commonality of purpose, dedicated to the betterment of all the state’s citizenry.  My impression is that they are VERY genuine people motivated by a true sense of service- something that has been lacking in the top echelons of our state for some time now.
I don’t mean to come across as a shill, far from it. I will point out however that sincerity and integrity are in short supply, especially given the temptations of high office and the powerful demands associated with such service. I also feel that few are qualified for the offices they seek and often their dismal performance bears out this conviction. So pardon me if I get a bit lavish when I do discover the genuine article shaking my hand, listening intently to my questions and giving solid comprehendible answers that make sense.
Dubose Porter is electable. He’s not from Atlanta, and he’s well known and respected by his constituents, 76% of which returned him to office recently. He is popular with his colleagues in the House and having been Zell Miller’s floor leader, (back when Zell was still himself!) knows how to motivate them.  I believe anyone meeting him would have a hard time turning down a vote for Dubose simply because he really does have some hard won answers to the tough and divisive issues plaguing our state.
 
I’m excited about finding someone with the experience this man brings to the table, the passion of his convictions and the steadfast altruism of his motivation. Sam Nunn obviously thought highly of Dubose Porter. I’ve always thought highly of Mr. Nunn, the protégé of Richard B. Russell, a friend of FDR, so it’s not real hard for me to ask my fellow Georgians to pay attention when Mr. Porter speaks, contribute what you can to keep him going and let’s get him through the primaries.
Here’s Dubose Porter’s website. http://www.porterforgeorgia.com/

______________________________

Needless to say we appreciate his comments.

ShareThis