Charles Shiflett Column April 24, 2005

Break Out The Kiddie Pool And Buy A Case Of Jell-O

The pickin's are slim in donkey land. With almost no rising stars and only a handful of high profile
elected officials, Georgia Democrats are throwing their two heavyweights against each other in a
primary that could destroy what remains of the Democrat Party in these here parts.

Lt. Governor Mark Taylor, “The Big Guy”, wants to be your governor. Standing in his way is Georgia
Secretary of State Cathy Cox with a “C”. Just three short years ago, Taylor and Cox thought they
would be battling to succeed Roy Barnes… who would be completing his second term as King.

Along the way, Roy was prematurely dethroned and the wheels came off the royal carriage. Instead of
fighting to become head of Georgia's political ruling class, Taylor and Cox now find themselves running
for governor knowing that a victory by one of them is required if the Democrat Party is to be saved. The
pressure on these two is great.

There's an old strategy in politics… if you feel you might not get reelected, then run for a higher office.
There is almost no doubt that come January 2007, Georgia's Lt. Governor and Secretary of State will
each be Republican, so one can't blame Taylor and Cox for trying to move up.

Taylor is well connected in Democrat circles and has spent several years positioning himself to be
able to claim the black vote… a key component of any Democrat Primary. He has spent countless
hours and dollars helping down-ticket Democrat candidates and will be cashing in those favors. A
voracious fundraiser, Taylor also has deep pockets and will have no trouble staying financially afloat.

Taylor has a lot of baggage and I don't mean love handles… accusations of past drug problems have
haunted him for years. But Taylor has been in the political hot seat many times and knows how to
take off the gloves and go toe to toe.

In contrast Cox has always positioned herself to be above the fray and sees herself as a champion of
the elderly and downtrodden. Cox's dad was in the state legislature for sixteen years and Cathy was
heir apparent to his political dynasty. She has never had a serious election challenge and it remains to
be seen if she can handle the heat she'll face at this level.

Cox lays claim to the female and elderly vote. Left in the middle are urban white and rural white males.
How these two constituencies break will determine whether Cox or Taylor will be left standing.

By and large, Georgia media outlets have been of great help to Cox during her career, while Taylor's
news coverage has been mixed. There's a public perception that there is just something untrustworthy
about Taylor and it occasionally shows in how the media treats him.

In many ways this race should balance out on paper and be competitive. However, there is one thing
working against Cox. I'm not trying to be a sexist here, but being a woman will greatly hamper Cox's
candidacy. During the two-hundred years plus this nation has existed, only two dozen women have
ever been elected as governors of any of the fifty states… and only three of those were elected in the
south. Not good odds for Cox.

In general the public has a positive image of Cox. It remains to see how long that image holds up as
Taylor continues to trash Cox for her liberal leanings. Cox was a vocal supporter of John Kerry for
president and also Denise Majette's senate campaign. Cathy needs to remember that Georgia is a red
state.

Taylor knows how the colors stack up and will try to make Cox pay dearly. The only problem is that
Taylor is in lockstep with Cox on most issues. Just last week, Taylor was out front in pronouncing his
support of pro-abortion policies when he spoke at a pro-choice event in Atlanta.

So let's break out the kiddie pool and a case of blueberry Jell-O… this Democrat primary fight will be
fun to watch, though I don't know how the winner will explain all those blue stains to mainstream voters
come November.