Cathy Cox C.C. Chm.: At very few times in history does a person in political life arrive at a time & place that is made for their skills & training.

The following is the speech Donalsonville businessman and Cathy Cox’s Campaign Committee Chairman Dan Ponder delivered during Cox’s kick-off rally for her 2006 gubernatorial race Tuesday in Willis Park in Bainbridge.

What a pleasure and an honor it is for me to be here today to offer my endorsement and support to Cathy Cox as Georgia’s next governor. When I left politics five years ago, I would never have imagined that I would become actively involved in a statewide race. I was content to be involved on a more local level with the races of several Republicans, including Saxby Chambless, Johnny Isakson and George Bush.

So today, I want to answer the question that many of you have on your mind. What is a Republican, with solid credentials in his party’s politics, doing chairing the campaign of a Democrat for governor?

It is a question that I love to answer because it gives me the opportunity to say why I believe that Georgia needs Cathy Cox as our next governor.

I believe that our state, and indeed our country, have succumbed to the politics of divisiveness, where honest debate and opinion takes a back seat to partisan politics. Personal attacks are accepted. Power is the paramount concern. Honest dissent, even within parties, is viewed with scorn and often not tolerated by leadership.

I believe that what is best for Georgia can indeed be what is best for all Georgians, regardless of their geographic location, their race, their socio-economic status or their party. I believe that we can hold those that represent us to a higher standard of governance, where bridges are built and not burned.

At very few times in history, does a person in political life arrive at a time and place that is made for their skills and training. I believe that Georgia is ready to make history by electing a person that does not represent the Republican Party, the Democratic Party or the Libertarian Party, but rather who openly runs on a platform of working with and for Georgians, all Georgians.

I won’t vote for Cathy Cox because she is a liberal or conservative. I will vote for her because she graduated from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, the University of Georgia School of Journalism and the Mercer University School of Law. She understands the role that education must take in our state’s future. She is a person with experience and values that transcends labels and enables her to see our state from different perspectives.

I won’t vote for Cathy Cox because she is from a small town, but rather because she also moves easily within the metro areas of our state. She grew up with small-town values, but understands the importance of Atlanta and other cities within our state and how for our state to be successful, all areas must prosper and grow.

I won’t vote for Cathy Cox because she was raised in a small family business, but rather because she has overseen an office that deals with the largest corporations within our state. She has taken the Secretary of State’s office to new heights within our state, leading the way by decentralizing offices, increasing efficiency by harnessing the power of the Internet and implementing our hugely successful electronic voting system.

Cathy doesn’t just make promises . . . she delivers results.

I won’t vote for Cathy Cox because she is a woman, but rather because she is a leader and role model for Georgians, male and female alike. I raised my two daughters to believe that if they set their standards high, worked hard and kept their focus they could be anything they wanted to be, including governor.

I won’t vote for Cathy because she is a woman, but I am very proud that Georgia has reached the point in its history where being a woman is not the issue, but rather which person will be the best governor for our state.

I won’t vote for Cathy Cox because she talks about her faith, but rather because she quietly lives her faith without judging others. Her high moral standards and personal character make her a leader of substance leading by example rather than words.

I won’t vote for Cathy Cox because I agree with her on every issue, but rather because she has a vision for this state. She is a big picture thinker who understands politics. To reach our potential as a state, she knows that we must find ways to be more inclusive of all Georgians. It is not about winning, but rather about leading.

And finally, I won’t vote for Cathy Cox because she is a Democrat, but rather because she is a Georgian. She is committed to working with all parties, to building up rather than tearing down, to hearing all sides and to keeping her door open to new ideas and solutions, regardless of who gets credit. Cathy doesn’t just say this, she actually believes it and understands that if we can unite people behind that kind of leadership that we can take Georgia to greater heights than we ever believed possible.

I stand before you today, not as a Republican supporting a Democrat, but rather as a Georgian supporting a Georgian. There is only one call that could have returned me to politics and that is the call of my friend, your neighbor and the right leader for this time in our state’s history.

Cathy Cox. She can be Georgia’s next great governor.—Dan Ponder

(4-22-05, The (Bainbridge) Post-Searchlight.)