I hope you saw the debates on Gray Media this past week between gubernatorial candidates Republican businessman Rick Jackson and the Democratic nominee, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. I don’t think either one helped or hurt their campaign. Pretty much boilerplate stuff, except when Jackson talked about going to the “gas store.” That caused a wince or two. I can see why he isn’t going to do any more debates. He’s not good at it. Bottoms came across much more polished but then you have to remember she was an in-over-her-head, one-term mayor. She’s the best Democrats could come up with?
The senatorial debates were a little more spirited. Incumbent Democrat Jon Ossoff called Republican Cong. Mike Collins a bigot with “ties to white nationalists.” Collins said Ossoff was an extremist who voted for men in girls’ sports,” and “a trust fund kid who’s never had a job in his life.”
Ossoff, who is Jewish, didn’t back away from his stance opposing U.S. weapons sales to Israel, saying Israeli forces violated international humanitarian law in the war in Gaza. “I also care about innocent Palestinian life and make no apology for my votes,” he said.
At a time when many Republican candidates are treating Donald Trump like the weird uncle who talks too loud and belches too much at family reunions, Mike Collins made no bones about his support for the president, from the war with Iran to his tariff decisions. He is all-in on Trump.
The man behind making the debates possible and then serving as moderator was WANF news anchor Rick Folbaum. He did an outstanding job of keeping things on track, even stopping candidates politely but firmly when they tried to go over their allotted time.
Chris Wallace, with whom Folbaum had worked at Fox News, told him if the headlines the next day were about the moderator, then you had done something wrong. They were not, but his performance is worthy of mention here.
Of course, I can’t help but feel some bitter irony here. I could have been on that stage with Jackson and Bottoms or Ossoff and Collins had I started my campaign as a write-in candidate earlier. I had been thinking about running for governor, but no doubt I would make a good senator, too. It really doesn’t matter to me. A job is a job.
This is not to say I won’t be a formidable candidate come Nov. 3. The groundswell of support has been humbling. From the time I broached the subject of running as a write-in candidate until today, confirmed commitments of support among Georgia voters has soared from 3 to 41. That, my friends, is a 1,226.67 percent increase. That’s the good news. The not-so-good news is that to get the additional 2,111,467 votes I would need in order to be elected would require a 5,148,680.49 percent increase. That could be a problem.
Since, due to factors beyond my control, I was unable to speak directly to those 2,111,467 of you who are undecided, let me share with you why I think I am the best candidate for governor/senator (pick one) this November.
First, if elected I will (inhale) Lower taxes. Reduce crime. Shrink the size of government. Create jobs. Stand up to powerful special interest groups. Fight bureaucracy. Secure our borders. Take care of our veterans. Improve education and fix Medicare. (exhale.)
Second, I don’t have an embarrassing idiot of a son-in-law who is a misogynistic racist to deal with. Actually, my son-in-law is pretty smart. After all, he married my daughter. That was pretty smart.
Third, I was never mayor of Atlanta. Had I been, I would not have bailed on the city in its time of need and gone to Washington and gotten a made-up nothing job in the Biden Administration.
Fourth, I promise that if I am running low on fuel, I won’t roll down the window and ask where the nearest gas store is.
Finally, if any politician or bureaucrat so much as thinks about drilling in our Okefenokee for titanium dioxide so that the world never runs out of toothpaste whitener, I will slather them in barbecue sauce and toss them in the middle of the swamp at supper time. That’s sure to get the alligator vote.
I’m not sure what else the 2,111,467 of you out there need to know. It is obvious that I would make a great governor/senator (pick one.). Of that, there is no debate.
You can reach Dick Yarbrough at dick@dickyarbrough.com or at P.O. Box 725373, Atlanta, Georgia 31139.
