Newspaper Page Text
+"A*
OFF THE WALL
You are on one side of a high wall; I'm on the other. From
my side I can only see what has happened up to Friday eve
ning, Oct. 29. You, on the other side, can see everything
that has happened since. You know how the Georgia-Florida
game turned out. (That pass!) You're remembering the fun of
Halloween and how Wild Rumpus ruled. And you're still amazed
at the way Charlie Maddox found his groove the very last week
end and came from behind to squeeze into the runoff.
I, on the other hand, stuck on my side of the wall, chained
to Flagpole’s publication schedule, am forced to write this col
umn well before election day. Over here on this side, everybody
(except Charlie) is still saying that it will be a runoff between
Nancy and Gwen. Nobody sees how there could be any other
outcome. People are still wondering if Spencer got a bump
from Heidi's endorsement and whether all his media spend
ing could possibly push him past Gwen and into the runoff.
Everybody at least agrees that Glenn is a great guy who has
conducted himself during this campaign in a way that promises
he has a future in Athens-Clarke County politics.
But the runoff: did it happen? Are you looking at a Nancy
and Gwen head-to-head contest? I'll assume you are, even
though I may be wrong, because that's all we can- see on this
side of the wall. And if I am wrong, if Spencer won it hands-
down, well, then, you can turn the page and proceed to City
Dope and Dave Mar^s inside-the-bypass knowledge of what's
what and who's who and what it all means and who cares.
You see how difficult this kind of punditry is; you've got
to understand that I am stuck on the other side of the wall,
trying to write blind, still obsessed with an election that is
already past for you. So, again I say, bear with me, or enjoy
watching me swing blindfolded at the political pihata.
So, Nancy and Gwen are still standing: how does it play
out from here? Will Spencer and Charlie and Glenn endorse? If
Spencer endorses, does that mean Heidi does, too? Do endorse
ments swing any votes? Can Charlie swing African-American
votes to Nancy? Can Charlie
...enjoy watching me
swing blindfolded at
the political pihata.
pull Republican voters away
from Nancy?
How did Nancy get all
Those Republican voters, any
way? Whoa! I know a lot of
Democrats support Nancy, but
what is it about Nancy that brings in the Republicans and the
more conservative voters? As a minor pundit, I am interested
in the process. It's like a baseball game. Signs and signals are
passed that I don't see, and then the Republicans know that
Nancy is their candidate. Why not Charlie again this time? Why
not Spencer? Why not Gwen, for that matter? I mean, here
you've got a woman who was up to her elbows putting together
this government that the Chamber of Commerce had pushed for
20 years to get before they finally got the county and the city
unified. They were surprised when Gwen turned out to be the
head of their new government, but she went through the long,
messy process of joining the two formerly antagonistic govern
ments into one. Night after night until 3 a.m. they worked, and
Gwen led us through it and proved to be a fiscally conservative
mayor who had the tenacity to lead a fractious commission
and a staff overwhelmed with the thousand details of the new
government
Why no thanks from the conservatives? From the
Republicans who like to imagine themselves conservative, why
no respect? Why is it liberal or progressive to get up under
the hood of this government that the Chamber of Commerce
pushed for and change out its engine and make it street legal
for modem competition? Wh$ for that matter, is it conserva
tive to be a good tax commissioner, following the laws of the
State of Georgia and the Athens-Clarke County government?
I mean, Nancy is a Democrat for crying out loud! What is it
about her that made the Republicans say, "She's the one for
us?" Dun no.
All I know is that if this column isn't completely off the
wait we've got another whole month of campaigning (until
Nov. 30!) and woVe got another one of those fomttiar struggles
in our town where we fight to elect somebody who can lead
our progressive commission that's itching to gat stuff done
with a mayor who knows how to make this government work.
I still say that's Gwen.
THIS WEEK’S
NEWS & FEATURES
City Dope 4
Athens News and Views
The election may be over—mostly—but the Dope keeps flowing. So does the Krazy from Paul Broun, Jr.!
Behind the Rail 6
An Inside Take on Local Issues
Andy Herod and Doug Lowry look at the potential redevelopment of the Wiliowood shopping center.
ARTS & EVENTS
Art Notes 8
OCAF Delivers
OCAFs “Repercussions" offers a great sampling of Lyndon Tewksbury and Eric Simmons’ varied skill sets.
Dog Ear Books 9
Taking a Page from Madison
Bookstore owner Jon Tonge opened Dog Ear Books last week, creating another "third space" downtown.
MUSIC |
Dead Dog 16
Snotty Punk Finds Its Home in Athens
Local punk rockers release digital/cassette album Don ’t Touch Me
Man or Astroman? > 17
Sweet Home Planet X .
Acknowledged by their heroes, heckled by themselves.
LETTERS
4 MAN OR ASTROMAN?
16
CITY DOPE
4 DEAD DOG .
17
CITY PAGES
5 ADAM KLEIN
18
BEHIND THE RAIL
6 OK GO
19
CAPITOL IMPACT
® RECORD REVIEWS
20
ATHENS RISING
7 THECALENOAR!
21
An I NU1 to
DOG EAR BOOKS
1 BULLETIN BOARD
28
ROLLERGIRLS
‘ 10 ART AROUND TOWN
29
MOVIE DOPE
12 COMICS
30
MOVIE PICK
13 REALITY CHECK
31
FILM NOTEBOOK
14 CLASSIFIEDS
32
THREATS & PROMISES..
15 LT. DAN CHOI, PT.S
34
this mmiimmmpJ) l e . c o \
p full page of extensive
on Athens news/opinions
question about your love-life with I
events with our
music news:
Our online
\' S ’’
J
f
i
it
Hr
mi
IftWVW
‘ ■
. -v-vS' .
adNorCflagpote.com
“ k :
&
MM