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Cracker Squire

THE MUSINGS OF A TRADITIONAL SOUTHERN DEMOCRAT

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Location: Douglas, Coffee Co., The Other Georgia, United States

Sid in his law office where he sits when meeting with clients. Observant eyes will notice the statuette of one of Sid's favorite Democrats.

Thursday, May 29, 2014

From the Cracker Squire Archives: Wyc Orr, an impassioned Democrat and a great party spokesman, passes on the 2008 U.S. Senate race.

From a 7-24-2007 post:

I appreciated Wyc Orr calling me yesterday to let me know that he had decided against making a run for the U.S. Senate next year.

His decision not to run is the subject of a post today in the AJC's Political Insider.

Wyc and I became friends when we were in summer camp together in the Army at Fort Bragg one long, hot summer in 1969, the summer the Eagle landed on the moon. And we continued our friendship afterwards.

Wyc is as solid as the U.S. dollar and the Rock of Gibraltar. His word is his bond. His integrity beyond question and never in doubt. And he is smart, very smart. He was the first in his class at the University of Tennessee Law School, which puts him in the elite among the elite.

Just two weeks ago Tom Crawford of Capitol Impact wrote:

Wyc Orr, who’s spent more than three decades practicing law in Gainesville and doing some politics on the side, . . . has become a popular figure in Democratic circles because of stirring speeches he’s made to groups of party activists in recent months. He shuns the defeatist attitude that comes from losing control of the governor’s office and the state legislature, and contends that Democrats should take credit for a lot of the progress Georgia has made in recent decades.

“When Democrats are reminded of their great heritage and what it has done to build modern Georgia and modern America, they take great pride in it,” he says. “They’re thrilled by it . . . . Modern Georgia is a testament, in many ways, to wise, progressive Democratic leadership.”

Orr’s positive take on Democratic politics has energized young party activists who are pressing him to get into the 2008 Senate race against Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss. A website has been created to draft Orr for a Senate campaign and petitions are being circulated across the state to drum up support.

Like the late Hubert Humphrey, Orr is a happy warrior who loves the game of politics and inspires that same zest in the people with whom he comes in contact. While he hasn’t said yes to those who want him to run for the U.S. Senate, he is not counting out the possibility either. “I intend to watch this with interest over the next year and see how things develop,” he said. “Who knows what the political landscape will look like in six months, let alone a year?”

Wyc is passing on the upcoming Senate race, but I know he will remain the same impassioned Democrat and great party spokeman he has always been. Wyc, we appreciate you and what you have done and will continue to do for the Democratic Party of Georgia.

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