A New York Times piece on the campaign of Georgia's former and next governor Roy Barnes
From The New York Times:
Over the course of the summer, four men of a certain age looked around their respective states and registered displeasure. They concluded that they could do things better — yet again.
The four are former governors who have grown old enough since leaving office to qualify for senior citizen discounts at the movies. Now they want their old jobs back.
Roy E. Barnes of Georgia, has added a passel of grandchildren — six to be exact — since he sat in the governor’s chair.
In terms of the fun factor, being a governor right now may fall somewhere between having blood drawn and scaling fish. Budgets are in turmoil, housing markets remain rocky and high unemployment has hobbled nearly every state. California’s economy is one of the hardest hit in the country, with nearly $20 billion in budget gaps looming, and Georgia, Iowa and Oregon are like the rest of the nation, reeling from joblessness and debt.
The four former governors — all Democrats except Mr. Branstad, and with 10 terms of experience among them — say that they have no larger political goal beyond the return to the governor’s office, and that they were inspired by what each felt was an opportunity for a seasoned hand to steer his state through troubled times. In some cases, there was also a desire to right what they believe had been wronged in their absence.
“I’ve already lived in the governor’s mansion,” said Mr. Barnes, 61, who was ousted in 2002 after one term. “I don’t need another line on my résumé. I’m not seeking any higher office, and I don’t like flying in helicopters — I never understood how those things got off the ground anyway. I am running for one reason and one reason only, and that is to change a state headed in the wrong direction and to come back here and raise grandchildren. When you get to that point in political life, it is really comfortable.”
In the very nascent campaigns, all four men find themselves in fairly comfortable spots, with name recognition giving them a fund-raising edge over primary competitors. All are largely ahead in opinion polls.
Opponents say the comeback candidates demonstrate their state parties’ lack of a political bench. But the calculation that these former governors could win, coupled with the warm reception they often find on the trail, also reflects a desperation among constituents both for the go-go years of the past and for tested hands.
Mr. Barnes was defeated by the current governor, Sonny Perdue, in large part over his move to remove a Confederate symbol from the state flag, which alienated white rural voters. The Georgia legislature, dominated for decades by Democrats, fell firmly in the hands of Republicans in 2004.
“He has considerable political skills and is still a forceful speaker,” said Merle Black, a professor of politics at Emory University. “Part of his problems was he did more talking than listening when he was governor.”
Over the course of the summer, four men of a certain age looked around their respective states and registered displeasure. They concluded that they could do things better — yet again.
The four are former governors who have grown old enough since leaving office to qualify for senior citizen discounts at the movies. Now they want their old jobs back.
Roy E. Barnes of Georgia, has added a passel of grandchildren — six to be exact — since he sat in the governor’s chair.
In terms of the fun factor, being a governor right now may fall somewhere between having blood drawn and scaling fish. Budgets are in turmoil, housing markets remain rocky and high unemployment has hobbled nearly every state. California’s economy is one of the hardest hit in the country, with nearly $20 billion in budget gaps looming, and Georgia, Iowa and Oregon are like the rest of the nation, reeling from joblessness and debt.
The four former governors — all Democrats except Mr. Branstad, and with 10 terms of experience among them — say that they have no larger political goal beyond the return to the governor’s office, and that they were inspired by what each felt was an opportunity for a seasoned hand to steer his state through troubled times. In some cases, there was also a desire to right what they believe had been wronged in their absence.
“I’ve already lived in the governor’s mansion,” said Mr. Barnes, 61, who was ousted in 2002 after one term. “I don’t need another line on my résumé. I’m not seeking any higher office, and I don’t like flying in helicopters — I never understood how those things got off the ground anyway. I am running for one reason and one reason only, and that is to change a state headed in the wrong direction and to come back here and raise grandchildren. When you get to that point in political life, it is really comfortable.”
In the very nascent campaigns, all four men find themselves in fairly comfortable spots, with name recognition giving them a fund-raising edge over primary competitors. All are largely ahead in opinion polls.
Opponents say the comeback candidates demonstrate their state parties’ lack of a political bench. But the calculation that these former governors could win, coupled with the warm reception they often find on the trail, also reflects a desperation among constituents both for the go-go years of the past and for tested hands.
Mr. Barnes was defeated by the current governor, Sonny Perdue, in large part over his move to remove a Confederate symbol from the state flag, which alienated white rural voters. The Georgia legislature, dominated for decades by Democrats, fell firmly in the hands of Republicans in 2004.
“He has considerable political skills and is still a forceful speaker,” said Merle Black, a professor of politics at Emory University. “Part of his problems was he did more talking than listening when he was governor.”
posted by Sid Cottingham | 9:39 AM
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