Just because you saw it in a newspaper or on the Internet does not make it true. - Where is it written that Perdue will be the '06 GOP nominee?

In yesterday's ajc, Jim Tharpe, one of the best political reporters around -- while no doubt rushing to make the press deadline -- wrote:

"[Secretary of State Cathy Cox] will face Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor in the Democratic primary, and the winner of that battle will face Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue in the general election."

(ajc, 01-27-05.)

While Gov. Perdue certainly hopes that's the case, many in his own party are far from ready to sign off on this script.
_______________

Earlier this month Baxter & Galloway in the 01-10-05 PI wrote:

Uneasy lies the Republican crown: The pollster wanted to know what we thought of Mac Collins as governor

It was last Wednesday night when the young man from the polling agency called. From the questions, it was clear that the focus was on the '06 race for governor.

The surprise was that it concerned the Republican side.

The first matchup proposed by the man on the phone: Sonny Perdue, Mac Collins, Bill [Byrne, the former Cobb County chairman,] and Mike Bowers.

There was a question of who handled the situation with the state flag better: Sonny Perdue or Roy Barnes.

But the most important set of inquiries concerned a possible November '06 matchup between Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor, the Democrat, and Collins, the former Republican congressman and candidate for U.S. Senate.

We weren't able to reach Mac Collins for his thoughts. But it's clear that someone wants to know whether Perdue is vulnerable to a challenge from within his own party. And whether Collins is the man to do it.
_______________

At the same time the PI was writing this, Bill Shipp wrote (see 01-12-05 post):

In Georgia . . . the [Democratic] party's key issue is based on ridding the governor's office of Sonny Perdue and what many Democrats see as growing evidence of incompetence and misfeasance.

Two Democrats, Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor and Secretary of State Cathy Cox, already are staking out their anti-Perdue positions for a 2006 gubernatorial election.

Putting most of their eggs in an anti-Perdue basket could turn out to be dead-end strategy. Suppose former Congressman Mac Collins or former Cobb Commission Chairman Bill Byrne or even ex-Attorney General Mike Bowers unhorses Perdue in a GOP primary. Overnight, Taylor's and Cox's plans would become little more than shredder feed. Their stock as potential winners would plummet.
_______________

A 10-24-04 post entitled in part "Where is it written that Perdue will be the '06 GOP nominee?," referred back to a 09-07-04 post.

This earlier post first discussed some potential GOP candidates for Lt. Gov.; then encouraged Democrats not to waste time in coming forward if they wished to run for Lt. Gov. in '06; and then concluded as follows:

"And here's to wishing the Democratic party more motivation and better luck [in coming up with Lt. Gov. candidates] than it had in coming up with candidates for the U.S. Senate race.

"And as an aside, just because I did not mention the top of the ticket for the GOP does not mean Sonny Perdue is a slam dunk. Talk about his replacement began some time back, and it may gain momentum or fizzle out as time goes on.

"If it gains momentum, a strong possibility for his replacement -- Rep. Jack Kingston."

I gave some of the background for my 09-07-04 post comment on Rep. Jack Kingston in my 10-24-04 post by noting:

"The [statement in my 09-07-04 post] about a strong possibility for [Perdue's] replacement being Rep. Jack Kingston [is based on what I think is going on in Kingston's mind with regard to wanting to do something other than remain a congressman]. Kingston wanted to run for the U.S. Senate this time so badly he could hardly stand it. He was wise in not running. This is my basis for saying he might want to try Atlanta for awhile."

I confess that my saying Kingston's wanting "to run for the U.S. Senate" was "my basis for saying he might want to try Atlanta for awhile" is a pretty weak basis for such speculation. In truth it was intentionally evasive and cryptic.

Now the straight talk. It is no secret among his friends that Kingston would love to be governor of the state of Georgia. But Kingston has traveled and campaigned for and with Sonny Perdue in various campaigns, and for this reason would be reluctant to initiate a challenge against him in '06.

But, if we add a couple of factors to the situtation, I think things change considerably. Such as? Such as Mac Collins challenging Perdue. Then the whole picture changes. Kingston did not initiate the challenge to a sitting Republican governor. Someone else did, and if it is Collins or someone with Collins' stature, there is going to be the perception that the seat is open, and if you're interested, qualify.

Stay tuned. '06 has all of the potential to be a most interesting year, and not just from the Democratic side.

On a collateral issue, is Rep. Kingston concerned about reapportionment as Rep. John Barrow no doubt is or very much should be?

Despite Rep. Gingrey telling Baxter & Gallowy that he is happy with his 11th District that sprawls from Chattooga County in the north to Muscogee County in the south, he does not care for his district, and who can blame him. (see 01-24-05 PI).

As reported in the 01-23-05 PI, both U.S. Reps. Phil Gingrey and Lynn Westmoreland have floated maps with revised congressional districts, and would like to see some changes.

But with Kingston, I do not feel that this is much of a concern. If it is, he has not said much about it.