Taylor camp makes first slipup, and an intentional one at that

According to the ajc's Political Insider:

The Georgia Press Association is assembling here this Wednesday evening, and word is spreading that Mark Taylor, the Democratic candidate for governor, has nixed his scheduled debate with primary rival Cathy Cox.

They shouldn’t feel singled out. Taylor was a no-show at last month’s gathering of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, also on the coast.

We haven’t talked to the Taylor’s camp. But allow us to hazard a few guesses on why they passed:

— Taylor feels like he’s got a comfortable lead in the polls. No need to give Cox a forum to attack him.

— Cox is a journalism school graduate of the University of Georgia. This group already has an affinity for her. Why waste time?

— Here’s the cruelest interpretation: Like the Chamber, the press association is part of Georgia’s establishment. And the Georgia’s Democratic party is no longer an establishment party. The GPA, which is dominated by the state’s smaller weekly and dailies, most in rural areas, no longer reaches the voters who decide the Democratic primary.
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Prior to the week of qualifying, Cathy Cox's campaign had the momentum in the Democratic primary race. Since then, one misstep after another has left her campaign on the defensive and resulted in some of her initial support moving either to the undecided column or over to Taylor. But all of the pundits agree that there is plenty of time remaining for the race to tighten.

Meanwhile Taylor has stayed on message.

However, I think his campaign made its first slipup -- intentional or otherwise -- yesterday in deciding to cancel his scheduled debate with Cox at the Georgia Press Association in Savannah. I expect we shall be reading about it tomorrow in various dailies.

But an even more accurate indication of the current thinking of the Taylor camp in going face-to-face with Cox should be revealed at the upcoming Georgia Municipal Association meeting also in Savannah. I do not anticipate that Taylor will cancel as he has at the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and Georgia Press Association annual meetings.