Barnes eying another run for governor

[groundloop]

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2009/03/29/roy_barnes_governor_georgia.html

More than six years after Gov. Roy Barnes’ defeat signaled the death of Democratic dominance at the statehouse, the 61-year-old Marietta lawyer appears primed for a comeback.

He’s making the rounds of speaking circuits, venting populist outrage over the perceived wrongs of the Republican-controlled Capitol. He’s been in touch with old political allies about the 2010 governor’s race, and he’s answered endless inquiries from the media wanting to know whether he, indeed, is going to run.

But his potential candidacy raises questions: Is the polarizing politician whose crushing defeat in 2002 ushered in the first Republican administration since Reconstruction the man to bring Democrats back? And is a state that has become used to electing Republicans open to change?

Backers argue that Barnes wouldn’t get into the race to succeed Gov. Sonny Perdue, the man who beat him in 2002, if he didn’t think the answer to the last question was yes. But he’s not ready to publicly commit just yet.

“I’ve never had trouble making decisions, but this is a tough one,” Barnes said during an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I’m satisfied with where I’m at, but not where the state is.”

[Laelth]

1. All the evidence and everything I've heard suggests he's running. n/t

:dem:

-Laelth

[groundloop]

2. Would Roy be the best Dem candidate out there?

On the one hand he's got name recognition, he can raise money, and he already knows how to run a campaign. On the other hand he did lose to Purdue. I'll vote for pretty much any Democratic candidate running (unless maybe if Sarah Palin moves here and changes affiliation), but I guess I'm looking for a warm fuzzy feeling that a Democrat can win.

[Laelth]

3. He's a former Governor. I can't see a Democrat seriously running against him.

I don't know whether he's the "best" choice we have, but if he wants to run, nobody's going to try to stop him. Personally, I think he was a good Governor.

:dem:

-Laelth

[RubyDuby in GA]

4. Actually he stands a good chance of being able to say I told you so, I tried to stop the dumb GOP

and got pushed aside.

[Stevepol]

5. My prediction: he'll win this election too but he still won't get the job.

The only thing that matters in GA is Premier (Read: Diebold).

In 02, he had leads in pre-election polling of 11% days before the election.

Problem is that the vote is counted in total secrecy without even the possibility of verification, all touch screens as I understand it (unless things have changed while my back was turned). How anybody could understand that and believe that GA has a democracy is beyond me.

The brothers Urosevic insured that Barnes lost in 02, made special visits to patch the vote-counting programs. Max Cleland also lost due to the machines.

There's no reason to have the slightest confidence in the results of any election in GA.

[Laelth]

7. "There's no reason to have the slightest confidence in the results of any election in GA."

Sadly, I agree.

-Laelth

[craigmatic]

6. I think Barnes was a pretty good governor and certainly the most progressive one we've had.

Still, I think it might be time for someone else there's Attorney General Baker the state's highest elected Democrat and one of my favorites,Cathy Cox who really didn't get a fair shot at it the last time. But with the state of the local party, I'm inclined to think that Barnes could take this primary but would surely lose the general.