Georgia Democratic legislator bucks party with Trump endorsement

[left-of-center2012]

Source: The Hill

Georgia state Rep. Vernon Jones (D) broke with his party on Tuesday by endorsing President Trump’s reelection bid, citing the president's handling of the economy and support for historically black colleges. Jones told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he was not switching parties but praised Trump’s policies on certain issues.

“It’s very simple to me. President Trump’s handling of the economy, his support for historically black colleges and his criminal justice initiatives drew me to endorse his campaign,” Jones told the newspaper. “This is not about switching parties. There are a lot of African Americans who clearly see and appreciate he’s doing something that’s never been done before,” Jones added. “When you look at the unemployment rates among black Americans before the pandemic, they were at historic lows. That’s just a fact.”

In a statement, Jones highlighted Trump’s criminal justice reforms, such as the First Step Act and granting clemency to Alice Marie Johnson. “A generation of African American families have been devastated by draconian policies that Joe Biden supported and voted for when he served in the U.S. Senate,” Jones said in a statement to CBS 46. “A change was needed and President Trump took action.”

Nikema Williams, the chairwoman of Georgia’s Democratic Party, condemned Jones in a fiery response, calling him an “embarrassment” and someone who does “not stand for our values. Never has that been clearer than this moment, when he chose to stand with the racist president who has made an all-out assault on Black Americans, who has tried to rip away American health care, and who has failed our country in its greatest time of need during the most important election in our lifetimes," Williams said in a statement. "Vernon Jones doesn’t speak for Georgians, and neither does Donald Trump — which is why Georgians will send him home in November 2020."

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/492724-georgia-democratic-legislator-bucks-party-with-trump-endorsement

[ananda]

1. Now that is true insanity!

Arglebargle

[Cha]

42. Poor thing has been brainwashed and told Not

to Pay Any Attention to Reality.. it will just get in the way of your "trump endorsement".

Thank Goodness for the statement from Nikema Jones..

Nikema Williams, the chairwoman of Georgia’s Democratic Party, condemned Jones in a fiery response, calling him an “embarrassment” and someone who does “not stand for our values. Never has that been clearer than this moment, when he chose to stand with the racist president who has made an all-out assault on Black Americans, who has tried to rip away American health care, and who has failed our country in its greatest time of need during the most important election in our lifetimes," Williams said in a statement. "Vernon Jones doesn’t speak for Georgians, and neither does Donald Trump — which is why Georgians will send him home in November 2020."

[RhodeIslandOne]

2. You have got to be kidding me

So long, buddy.

[Mr.Bill]

3. I'll bet my stimulus check

if you asked Trump to name one historically black college he couldn't do it.

[PatSeg]

4. What the hell?!?!

That is absolutely insane!

[kimbutgar]

5. Take your spotlight Rep Jones because come next election you'll be out of a job

I’m sure there is a real Democratic candidate that can primary him.

[lagomorph777]

18. Is there time for a primary challenge?

Has GA already held their primary?

[mercuryblues]

31. He switched parties

Love it when the trash takes itself out.

This guy is a disaster.

[riversedge]

6. He reportedly kept pictures of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in his office, voted twice for former

vote him OUT. out out out


He reportedly kept pictures of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in his office, voted twice for former President George W. Bush and then “enthusiastically embraced” former President Obama’s White House bid.

Jones's endorsement of Trump came the same day that Obama endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden.

Last month, a city councilwoman accused Jones of making transphobic comments against her during a discussion at the state Capitol. Stephe Koontz, Georgia’s only transgender elected official, alleged that Jones ranted “about how LGBTQ rights are not civil rights.”

“You might be a man one day and a woman the next, I don’t even know who you are,” Koontz quoted Jones as saying.

[NurseJackie]

7. So he's no longer an "ally" of Democrats? Do the DU rules apply to him? Or...

So he's no longer an "ally" of Democrats? Do the DU rules apply to him? Or... can we post honestly about what we think about him, his mother, and the horse he rode in on?

Is that okay to do?

[howardmappel]

9. Responses

Well, personally I would leave his mother out, unless we know for certain that she is just as bugnut crazy as he is. As for him, may he get infected, but not die. May he suffer, long and painfully. And most important, may he get defeated by a real Democrat.

[NurseJackie]

10. It's just that I've been lectured that calling someone an sob isn't fair to the mother.

[The Magistrate]

19. Sometimes It Is, Ma'am

People used to get flustered when I'd ask when they'd met her....

[MH1]

21. ...

[Polybius]

24. You're wishing Covid-19 on a Democrat?

Even though he is not a liberal, why would you wish this horrible disease on anyone? He can easily spread it to his family and many other Democrats!

[SlimJimmy]

30. My response as well.

Why would we wish this disease on a political foe? We have enough division in this country already. Don't like him. There's an easy solution. Vote him out of office. I'm just enourmously embarrassed by DU sometimes.

[Midnight Writer]

8. Good timing, Jonesy.

[SunSeeker]

11. He must be mentally ill. nt

[yaesu]

36. All tRumpsters have serious mental illness, its called a fox news lobotomy with associated greed

disorder.

[howardmappel]

12. Primary

The primary for his seat is June 9 (unless extended and too lazy to check). It is a safe blue seat (no republicans running at all for the seat) and his sole primary opponent is Rhonda Taylor, whose campaign facebook is https://www.facebook.com/rtaylor4house/. I don't know anything about her yet, but we might want to think about showing her some love. Primary is less than two months out.

Also, she has responded to Jones' endorsement of the orange shitgibbon, obviously disagrees. Jones has a long history of being a jackass and it is time we got a real Democrat in there.

[lagomorph777]

20. Thanks for that - should send some $$ her way!

[chowder66]

13. Meet Rhonda Taylor....

CONYERS — Local activist Rhonda Taylor kicked off her campaign for the Georgia House of Representatives District 91 seat with a meet-and-greet Monday in Lithonia.

Taylor, a 10-year resident of Conyers and former resident of Stone Mountain, is a known leader in the community with 30-plus years of public service. She has served as vice chair of the Rockdale County Democratic Party, and was the only 2012 delegate to the Democratic National Convention from Rockdale County.

“I want to be the voice for and of the people,” says Taylor. “I make no promises I cannot keep due to the super majority that currently exists in the Georgia Legislature, but instead I pledge to work very hard to change the dynamics of the current representation at the Capitol by engaging citizens and bringing continued superior representation. We, the people, must come together on one accord to speak up, inform the constituency and vote in every election to move forward the measures we care most about.”

More...

https://www.rockdalenewtoncitizen.com/news/local/rhonda-taylor-launches-campaign-for-house-district-seat/article_d4d674a6-4666-5058-b25a-8fadfd7dbd71.html

[scarletwoman]

23. Thank you! I hope your post gets many more eyes!

Ms. Taylor sounds like a wonderful candidate!

[CurtEastPoint]

14. That man is a con artist just like DT. He is a scammer of the first order.

[Laurian]

35. Yep. I lived in Atlanta for 20 years and remember him as an odd duck.

Outlandish, attention seeker.

[CurtEastPoint]

38. Ran for every office there is. Was DeKalb CEO and started it on its decline.

60 years ago it was the good old white boy clique. Jones is same shit, different color.

[Peacetrain]

15. Don't let the door hit you in the *ss

honest to Pete.. that is just so bizarre.. why claim to be a Democrat???

[extvbroadcaster]

16. I lived in Georgia

No shock to me, more backward ass crap from Georgia. There is Atlanta and everywhere else. Sadly, the everywhere else produces this kind of thing.

[Hoyt]

28. Dekalb County is a big part of Atlanta. Jones keeps getting elected despite his strange views.

[wyldwolf]

17. I echo Nikema. Vernon has always been an asshole.

Back in '04 I had to shame him to show up at a Democratic event that everyone running for office that year who lived in the Atlanta suburbs had committed to. I've since regretted ever inviting him.

[alp227]

39. Under his watch, DeKalb County also had corruption problems

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on 8/24/13:

Jones served as CEO between 2000 and 2008, and was the first African-American to hold the CEO job in DeKalb. The report claims Jones may have used his office to engage in bid-rigging. It says Jones and county employees with personal ties to him may have steered contracts to favored vendors and arranged jobs for their relatives as a condition of doing business with the county. The grand jury recommends a criminal investigation into Jones.

[TeamPooka]

22. Bye bye Jones

[Mickju]

25. Boundless stupidity!

[walkingman]

26. There's always one.

[rurallib]

27. {Trump's} "support for historically black colleges."

I think this guy is angling for a spot on FUX snooz.

[catsudon]

32. well

the support is just to keep all the blacks in 'their' college

[Faux pas]

29. How

much did the hump's campaign pay him?

[grockri]

33. What a sellout!!!

He is a phony. He must be getting something from trumpy. Selling his own race out!!!!!

[Nitram]

34. Kissass!

[spudspud]

37. Flush The Turd November 3rd...

and this dingle berry along with him.

[NNadir]

40. Kick him the hell out of our party. n/t.

[RussBLib]

43. There's one in every crowd

Bye bye Vern