Creative Loafing: 'Big Guy' the better primary campaigner; Cox would be the better governor

In endorsing Cathy Cox for governor, Creative Loafing writes:

We thought Secretary of State Cathy Cox was going to be a great candidate for governor. We thought she had the political skills to run a respectable, issues-based campaign. We thought she could dodge Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor's negative campaigning.

We were wrong.

Cox spent most of June getting her butt kicked. Her clumsy, often contradictory responses to media questions created real doubt about whether she has the political savvy to navigate a Republican-controlled Legislature. Her inability to stay on message, and her failure to paint a clear vision of the future left many presumed Cox supporters wondering, "Is this it?"

The most harmful Cox campaign fiasco started in May when a Fulton County Superior Court overturned the state's gay marriage ban. After criticizing the proposed same-sex marriage amendment two years ago, Cox rushed this year to announce her opposition to gay marriage. Then, she supported Gov. Sonny Perdue's call for a special session of the Legislature to draft a new amendment. Then, Cox said she regretted her campaign's response to the court's ruling. Then, she went on a CL radio show and said she thought the state was ready for gay partner rights. Finally, her campaign announced she was opposed to civil unions.

By the time she was done, Cox had lost the support of much of the gay community and the endorsement of the state's largest gay rights group, Georgia Equality (which opted not to endorse either gubernatorial candidate). She's now earned a reputation as a "flip-flopper," a label that helped doom John Kerry in his bid for president in 2004.

Of course, gay marriage was just the tip of the iceberg. In an age when TV ads are everything, Cox's commercials have gotten lukewarm reviews. Equally important, she's been easily distracted, spending more time responding to the Taylor campaign than talking about her own issues.

Speaking of Cox's issues, do you know what they are? You're not alone. Cox's website says she's dedicated to passing new ethics legislation, improving schools via private-public partnerships and making health care affordable. But newspaper headlines have been more concerned with Cox's confusing views on gay rights, the lawsuit Taylor filed against the secretary of state's office seeking documents pertaining to an anti-fraud ad campaign, and other politicking.

Cox has proposed a handful of specific programs -- offering incentives for Georgians to put aside money for retirement and developing a biofuels program for the state. But none have captured the public's imagination nor have they been able to cut through coverage of her campaign's missteps.

We thought we knew what we were getting with Cox: an effective manager and an engaging speaker with a progressive social platform. Now we don't know what to think. Her campaign has been that bad.

Which brings us to Mark Taylor. The Big Guy. With Taylor, we think we know exactly what we're getting. He's an old-school Southern politician, out shaking hands and kissing babies, always smiling. Taylor will stand up for Democratic values, because he values party loyalty -- and power -- above all else. He'll navigate the stormy waters of a Republican-controlled General Assembly because he's a skilled politician.

Taylor's commercials have been clever and issue-based. He's criticized Cox for a long-ago legislative vote against removing the tax on groceries and for an alleged personal vote (which Cox disputes) against creating the lottery that funds HOPE scholarships. He's proposed PeachKids, which would provide health insurance for every Georgia child, and Georgia Rx, which would entitle elderly and uninsured state residents to discounts on prescription drugs. And Taylor has secured the endorsement of the teacher's union, a ripe plum.

If there's one thing this political season has demonstrated, it's that when it comes to campaigning, Taylor trumps Cox any day. So why not endorse Taylor?

One reason is that we believe Taylor's negative, partisan style isn't good for Georgia. He wields power with a temperamental shortsightedness that breeds enemies. That's what happened when he built a close allegiance with corrupt Sen. Charles Walker and drove then-Democratic Sen. Sonny Perdue into the hands of the Republican Party. Such a screw-unto-others governing philosophy hardly establishes Democrats as the principled alternative to Republican abuses of power.

We still believe that, once the campaign is over and the smoke clears, Cox will be the best person to lead the state of Georgia. She ran the secretary of state's office effectively and efficiently. She has demonstrated a commitment to reforming the state government and pushing for ethics reform. And she has a genuineness that is rare in politics, and that is even more noticeable when she's standing in a room next to the polished and borderline smarmy Taylor.

Being governor is about more than just getting elected. It's about representing the people. And we think Cathy Cox is the best person for the job. All the same, here's hoping that she learns a few campaign tricks between now and November.