What Oxford? Majette owes McKinney an apology for her lost seniority? -- I can't believe you put it this way!!!

-- Ben Smith in the 8-9-04 ajc describes Sunday final round of debates as "possibly the testiest of the campaign."

"I think she owes Ms. McKinney and the voters of the 4th District an apology for costing that district 10 years of seniority with Republicans' help," Oxford said.

Many voters in DeKalb County, which make up most of Majette's 4th District base, are angry at her for sharply different reasons. Anti-McKinney voters are upset because Majette did not run for re-election, while McKinney loyalists are angry that Majette beat McKinney in the first place.

-- Oxford's attack attack suggests that he is far behind Majette, Black said. According to an Oxford campaign survey conducted days after the primary, Majette led 54 percent to 34 percent, with 11 percent undecided, the candidate said Sunday.

Merle Black, an Emory University political scientist, said Oxford is "playing with fire" with such an attack. "It's either an attempt to get Majette voters to vote for [Oxford] or to reduce the turnout," he said. "He wants to split the African-American vote in the Atlanta area and then beat her in rural Georgia."

-- [And on that pitiful "non-voting" record.] Oxford skipped 15 of at least 20 possible elections during the same period. Among those he missed were the 1992, 1996 and 2000 general elections in presidential years and the 1998 and 2002 Georgia gubernatorial general elections, according to the state's voter database. [But hey folks, at least he did vote twice in 1994. Smith notes that Oxford's "sparse personal voting record, which includes two GOP votes in 1994.]

--Sid's thoughts: What in the world was Oxford's staff thinking to have Oxford say that Majette owes Cynthia McKinney an apology? This goes beyond desperation and the time-honored strategy, when behind, go negative and attack.

I confess to some (all right, a lot of) personal anger at Majette for abandoning her Congressional seat. But for Oxford to articulate this anger as being that Majette owes Cynthia McKinney an apology for costing the 4th District 10 years in seniority, makes me mad at Oxford.

In effect, he appears to be saying he is on Cynthia's side. Not a smart move Kevin and Kevin.

Tomorrow I vote against Oxford, not for Majette. Let's do it, trusting that in the next important race, we can vote for someone.