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Mafeays Doug McKillip can't win; human nature says he
will. You remember McKillip: our fair-haired, liberal Democrat,
whom we elected to the'Georgia House of Representatives, and
then... i/ell, I don't want to rub your face in it.
The truth is, Athens faces have been rubbed in it ever since
the Republicans took over the state Legislature. First, they
split the state Senate district, 46, that Athens-Clarke shared
with O^nee County, into two districts (46 & 47). In both
district Athens is now in the minority, overpowered by rural
counties that have their own interests to look after. Along the
way, the Republicans jerked Athens around in Congressional re-
districtihg. Then, Doug jumped to their party, and to make his
district s?fe, they stitched part of Athens into a country-crazy-
quilt of a district that includes parts of Oconee, Barrow and
Jackson counties. Doug thanked them by redistricting our own
Athens-Clarke County government over the heads of our mayor
and commission, our redistricting committee and our citizens,
while also making his bones with a strict anti-abortion law.
Doug's new district, the 117th, is carefully drawn to
assemble a Republican majority. No Democrat has a prayer
there, and none was foolhardy enough to volunteer to prove
it in this election. The math works for the Republicans, but it
doesn't necessarily work for Doug, because he has a Republican
opponent: a strong Republican opponent—a real Republican
opponent, one more genuinely conservative than Doug with all
his posturing can pretend to
Bat suppose those
votexs saw themselves
not as Democrats bat
as citizens of Athens.
be. His opponent is enger-
getic, tough-minded Athens
attorney Regina Quick. .
Here's where the math
begins to break down for
Doug. Over half the reg-
' istered voters in House
District 117 are in the Athens-Clarke County portion of the
district So, District 117 is a majority-Athens district by a per
centage of roughly 60-40. Moreover, the precincts that make
up the Athens portion of District 117 voted 60-40 Democratic
in the hotly contested 2010 governor's race. Of course, those
Democrats don't count in the upcoming July 31 Republican pri
mary between McKillip and Quick. Or do they?
The Atlanta Republicans assume that they have drawn a
district that disenfranchises Athens Democrats, because they're
in a minority district-wide. These are the same voters that the
Atlanta Republicans have knocked around by diluting their vot
ing strength in the state Senate and now in the House. These
voters can be treated with impunity.
But suppose those voters saw themselves not as Democrats
but as citizens of Athens, that same Athens that has watched
its community of interest sliced and diced and subjugated to
those of other communities in the surrounding area. Suppose
those Athens voters wanted to tell Atlanta that we've had
enough, and we've found an unexpected, deeply uncharacteris
tic way to fight back: vote Republican.
The Atlanta Republicans and McKillip are confident that
few liberal Democrats will vote for Regina Quick or any other
Republican. There's no way those Democrats are going to ask
for a Republican ballot, even though they don't even have a
Democratic candidate in that race or any other race in that
primary. There are no Democrats on the ballot in the Athens
part of District 117, which hooks into Five Points to pick up
Doug's house, then snakes west along both sides of the Atlanta
Highway.
So, here's the deal: most Athens Republicans in District 117
will probably go for Quick, because she is one of them, and
McKillip is not. But McKillip will win in the surrounding coun
ties, and he'll never have to worry about Athens again. Athens
voters—Democrats and Republicans—will be marginalized in
House Oistrict 117, just as they already are in our two Senate
districts. But if even a few Democrats vote in the Republican
primary—it doesn't mean they've become Republicans—they
can make the difference in electing Regina Quick, and she will
know it.
The Democratic voters in District 117 absolutely hold the
balance of power, but will they choose Athens over their party?
Doug McKillip and the Atlanta power brokers are confident
Athens Democrats will never ask for a Republican ballot—and
they're smiling.
Pete McCommons edilor@fiagpoie.com
THIS WEEK’S ISSUE:
ritv Danp 4
VBIJ • *««*••••• * « • _• • a “
Athens News and Views
Racing for a better Athens, moving on a master, plan and railing out the vote.
Athens Rising ....... ..
What’s 'Up tft New Development S : *
The -form follows finance" model ignores what
-'I:
The Reader • • * ‘*-a'«'a > aa aaaaaaa*7
Ray Bradbury (1920-2012) • f -
Ray Bradbury was one of the greatest Amaripan authors of the last century. ;
■
Theatre Review 12
Cons and Pros J
The most striking element of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is the visible fun its cast end
chorus appear to be having.
MUSIC
Threats & Promises .’.13
Music News & Gossip
Vincas re-release Blood Bleeds] Bit Brigade releases a new album! Meat 70s
punk-inspired rockers SheHeHe! And more...
Myth Muscle
Interpretations of Heroic Greek Myths
Dar Williams brings Mt. Olympus to the Melting Point
CITY DOPE 4
CITY PAGES 4
CAPITOL IMPACT. 5
ATHENS RISING 6
WORLDVIEW 7
THE READER ..jjjli
RAY MacNAIR.........
MOVIE DOPE
MOVIE PICK
FILM NOTEBOOK
THEATRE REVIEW......
THREATS & PROMISES. 13
DAR WILLIAMS 14
THE HUMMS ....15
MAN MAN 17
THE CALENDAR! 18
BULLETIN BOARD 24
ART AROUND TOWN........25
COMICS 2b
REALITY CHECK 27
CLASSIFIEDS 28
CROSSWORD 29
BLUEBIRD CAft 30
EVERYDAY PEOPLE .31
EDITOR l PUSUSHER Pete McCommons > •
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