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VOTES MAHER
CHAMBER VS. US
So, what the runoff election boils down to is two candidates
who have slid through the campaign without telling anybody very
much about where they stand on anything vs. two candidates with
well thought out and clearly articulated positions. So, naturally
when we look around for some clue as to where the nice-guys-no-
issues stand on things, we notice that the Chamber of Commerce
endorses both of them. Hmmm.
I know Charlie Maddox denies being the Chamber candidate, but
with just two people left in the mayor's race, and one of them has
the Chamber endorsement, it's pretty easy to see who the Chamber
thinks its candidate is.
Ditto with Alvin Sheats. Like Charlie, Alvin has the Chamber's
money in his pocket and the Chamber's stamp of approval in his
heart.
In addition, back behind the Chamber lurk those developer-
driven Republican operatives who have been lusting for power here
for a decade. They're backing Charlie Maddox and Alvin Sheats, too.
Heidi Davison has made js a crackerjack mayor, and she is
poised to make Athens even better. She knows Athens; she knows
our government, and she has opened it up for the participation of
our citizen,. There is no reason in the world to change horses at
this point.
In addition, Kelly Girtz offers a forward-thinking alternative
to the Chamber and their guy Alvin. Kelly Girtz will prove to be a
solid choice fo- a District 9 Commissioner who listens to his con
stituents and works hard on their behalf.
The runoff election is Tuesday, Dec. 5. Advance voting is Nov.
27 through Dec. 1. Voters who did not vote on Nov. 7 can still vote
in the runoff.
The Chamber says Maddox and Sheats. I say Davison and Girtz.
Your vote will make a real difference for the future of Athens.
VIRTUAL VICTORY
Befoie coming under the skillful knife of our esteemed Sen.
Hudgens, the old State Senate District 46 was compactly com
prised of Clarke County, Oconee County and Oglethorpe County,
plus a little finger of Madison County. After the operation, the new
District 46 is stitched together out of part of Clarke County, all of
Oconee County and a part of Walton County, off to the west toward
Atlanta.
In the newly-minted District 46. RepuDlican Bill Cowsert got
21,224 votes (55%) to Democrat Jane Kidd's 17,312 (45%). „
Cowsert trounced Kidd in heavily Republican Walton (the area
added to the district by the thoughtful Sen. Hudgens) by a score of
8746 (73%) to 3189 (27%). In Oconee, Cowsert beat Kidd by 6931
(66%) to 3547 (34%). In Clarke, where both live, Cowsert. with
5547 (347o), lost heavily to Kidd with 10,576 (66%).
Just to demonstrate how maniacally perceptive the great Sen.
Hudgens is, let us make an attempt to compare results in the old
District 46. Hudgens now has all of Oglethorpe County in his State
Senate District 47, and running there against political newcomer
Mac Rawson, Hudgens got 2206 votes (63%) to Rawson's 1311
(37%). In their part of Clarke County, Hudgens got 2711 votes
(39%) to Rawson's 4175 (61%).
Now, just for the sake of worrying this sore tooth one more
time before it is consigned to the vaults of brilliant political coups
d'etat, let's try to divine how Kidd would have run against Cowsert
if Hudgens had not laid Clarke County asunder.
The total Senatorial vote in both parts of Clarke County was
23,009. If you take Kidd's actual percentage in the part of Clarke
County she actually ran in, and apply that to the rest of the Clarke
County vote, you can conjecture that she would have polled
15,186 (66%) votes in all of Clarke County. Giving Cowsert his per
centage of the county total would award him 7823 (34%) votes.
Now. even though Cowsert probably wouldn't have done as well
in Oglethorpe as the veteran legislator Hudgens, let's give Cowsert
all of Hudgens' vote in that county: 2206 (63%). And even though
Kidd would undoubtedly have done better than the newcomer
Rawson, let's only give her his vote in Oglethorpe: 1311 (37%).
Then, give Cowsert his actual vote in Oconee—6931 (66%)—and
Kiod her actual Oconee vote—3547 (34%).
Therefore, using that eternal mathematics of losers based on
the calculus of "it might have been," if Jane Kidd had run against
Bill Cowsert in the District 46 that existed when she announced
her candidacy, Jane Kidd would have polled 20,044 (54%) votes to
Cowsert's 16,960 (46%) in District 46.
All this math simply proves beyond the shadow of a doubt just
how prescient Sen. Ralph Hudgens was and whal a brilliant maneu
ver he pulled, assuring the election of a candidate who otherwise
would have lost. This is indeed the best of all possible worlds!
Pete McCommons Editor & Publisher edi!or@tlagpole com
THIS WEEK’S ISSUE:
NEWS & FEATURES
Habeas Corpse
The Great Writ Hit
The Bush administration has weakened one of the cornerstones
of the American freedom they claim to protect.
The Georgia Guidestones
And The End Of The World
What? You haven't seen the Georgia Guidestones yet? Go before you have to.
ARTB <§s EVENTS
Grub Notes
Gone to the Dawgs
Hillary checks out la Fonda Dawgs on campus, and the new Eat Hibachi downtown.
US0C
A New Day Dawns 27
Now It's Overhead Returns From Tour, Third Album
Dark Light Daybreak In Tow
Andy LeMaster's shimmery. layered rock songs have taken on a more propulsive tone.
On The Wheels Of Steel 29
DJ Killacut Delves Into Hip Hop's Traditions And
Looks Towards Its Future Potential
The local deejay holds fast to his belief in vinyl artistry,
but delves into more digital realms of production.
* Jj
>1 IT*/ Aaf 1
LETTERS 4
CITY PAGES 6
HABEAS CORPSE ..*. 8
GEORGIA GUIDESTONES 10
BOOK REVIEW 11
OUT THERE! 12
MOVIE PICK 16
MOVIE DOPE 17
GRUB NOTES 18
MOTHER'S TATTOO .19
ABC 21
NOW ITS OVERHEAD 27
MAGIC MISSILE 28
DJ KILLACUT 29
RECORD REVIEWS 30
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