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3 MAR 04: KERRY ON
How many newspapers do you think will have the headline today: "KERRY CARRIES GEORGIA"?! And how many John Edwards supporters wish it would say instead, "KERRY OUT?"
If network TV reports are right, Senator John Edwards will give up the fight to become President today. Once again, the mill family falls short of ultimate success....
(Didn't John Edwards say just the other day he was staying in the race, no matter what happened on "Super Tuesday?" If you voted for him, does it feel good to know you chose a lying lawyer?)
Reporters in Atlanta say the election night party for John Edwards broke up quickly, and supporters never saw any vote counts from various states. When the chips are down, even U.S. politicians can start acting like North Korean ones.
The turnout in Columbus and across Georgia was described as "slow" for the Presidential primary. Which once again reinforces those bad Southern stereotypes....
It was curious to watch Columbus TV coverage of the primary results. One station was live at 10:00 p.m. with Nancy Boren from the Election Board. Another station reran its 6:00 p.m. newscast on Channel 16 for a second time - with reporters suggesting the polls still were open.
Nancy Boren admits some Muscogee County poll workers will need to be retrained, because a few dozen voters were given incorrect ballots. There was one set for Democrats, one set for Republicans -- and a third for those who care more about flags atop state buildings than leaders atop our national government.
As of Tuesday night, more than two-thirds of Georgia's voters preferred the latest state flag to the 2001 "historical" version. So perhaps that ends the jokes about "Six Flags Over Georgia...."
I talked by phone Tuesday with a woman who asked once the vote counts are final, we never talk about the Georgia state flag again. I should have told this woman to call every farm owner in Sumter County and make that request - to see how little that gets her.
The "Southern Heritage Association" claims the Georgia flag referendum was bogus, because the 1957 banner with the large Confederate battle emblem was not a choice. We heard the same sort of argument last week - from Nicole Kidman fans, about the Oscars.
BLOG UPDATE: The Rainbow/PUSH Coalition announced a campaign Tuesday to recall Muscogee County Sheriff Ralph Johnson. In many Georgia counties, people can't even recall the name of the sheriff unless it's election time.
Rainbow/PUSH leader William Howell says Sheriff Ralph Johnson fired Deputy David Glisson two months too late, over the Kenneth Walker shooting. We never realized the sheriff had so much in common with the owners of the Atlanta Falcons.
Georgia law says a recall election can be held if the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition gets 30 percent of Muscogee County's registered voters to sign petitions. This might happen, if the group convinces enough people Sheriff Ralph Johnson somehow is behind all the mill closings.
Dr. William Howell still is upset about Sheriff Ralph Johnson not releasing the "cop-cam" videotape of the Kenneth Walker shooting. Howell is convinced the tape will show David Glisson is "guilty." While he's at it, he should tell Gary Sheffield to stop denying he never used steroids with Atlanta's baseball team.
THE BIG BLOG QUESTION: We've posted a new web poll question asking whether or not Sheriff Ralph Johnson should be recalled. If you're concerned about this recall actually happening, keep one thing in mind - David Glisson lives in Salem, so he can't run for the job.
Here's what else we noticed on a busy Tuesday:
+ A giant Ten Commandments display was unveiled in Hamilton, across the street from the Harris County Courthouse. He challenge for county commissioners now will be to avoid coveting one of their own -- because "thou shalt not covet" is number ten.
(The new display cost $2,400, and was put up by the "Hamilton International Breakfast Club." It says something strange about this area when that club has been around longer the International House of Pancakes in Columbus.)
+ AFLAC announced it ranks fourth on Fortune magazine's list of "most admired" insurance companies. I'd tell you who the top three are -- BUT Fortune's web site only lets subscribers see that information. So it's at the bottom on my list of
most admired magazines.
+ Auburn University confirmed former President William Walker is still drawing his $270,000 salary. He's a "special counsel" to interim President Ed Richardson - even though he's on administrative leave until August, and hasn't met yet with Richardson! Now all we need are their Instant Messenger names....
COMING THURSDAY: E-mail from someone who denies he's an "Uncle Tom...."
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