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Clay brings in GOP heavy hitters while Marshall campaigns alone
The Macon Telegraph ^ | 9/25/2004 | Maggie Large

Posted on 09/25/2004 5:20:46 AM PDT by jpw01

In the campaign for the 3rd District congressional seat, Republican challenger Calder Clay emphasizes he's on the president's team. Incumbent U.S. Rep. Jim Marshall, D-Ga., prefers to cultivate an independent image.

The Macon Republican has brought a string of GOP heavy hitters to town, from Vice President Dick Cheney in July to Senate majority leader Bill Frist today, to show that he's on the same side as the presidential administration.

"Jim Marshall is embarrassed of his team," said Rufus Montgomery, campaign manager for Clay. Doug Moore, Marshall's spokesman, characterized him as "an independent voice for Middle Georgia." Marshall has repeatedly declined to say whether he will support Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry.

"Jim Marshall's on the Middle Georgia team before he's on any other team," Moore said.

Ben Hinson, a prominent Republican fund-raiser in Macon, said Clay is doing well by aligning himself with the current administration. He said Bush supporters have contributed more than $400,000 to the president's re-election campaign.

"The president's support in this area is going to be so strong," Hinson said. "People are going to say we need to send someone to Washington that's going to support the president."

Bo Harmon, spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee in Washington, D.C., said the Republican party has identified the 3rd District race in Georgia as crucial to win.

"It's absolutely one of our top targeted races in the country," Harmon said. "It's in a Republican-leaning district, and Clay came in within an eyelash (of winning) last time."

Clay is one of maybe a dozen Republican challengers nationwide receiving serious assistance from the national organization, Harmon said. He said the congressional committee does everything from arranging for well-known Republican speakers to raising money, offering advice and helping get out the vote.

"I'm not at liberty to discuss our October strategy, but we're looking forward to helping Calder Clay win," Harmon said.

In contrast, Marshall prefers to go it alone when campaigning, occasionally invoking veterans' groups like he did earlier this week. Emil Runge, spokesman for the Democratic Party of Georgia, said Marshall has not sought outside influence in his campaign.

"He's willing to stand up for his own principles, same as folks like Sam Nunn," Runge said.

Chuck Byrd, an attorney from Taylor County who ran against Marshall in the 2002 congressional primary, scoffed at Clay's Republican connections, comparing it to bringing "show dogs to the fair."

"Bringing folks down from Washington, D.C., to the country doesn't amount to a hill of beans," Byrd said. "Country people are going to vote for the people they know."

Marshall could be deliberately distancing himself from prominent Democrats to appeal to more conservative voters in the district, said political scientist Patrick Novotny, an associate professor at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro.

"It sounds like Jim Marshall is following the advice of (Sen.) Zell Miller, who sent out a memo advising Georgia Democrats to put some space between themselves and the national party," Novotny said.

A spokeswoman in Miller's Washington office said the retiring senator had no plans to campaign for anyone but Bush this year. Moore said Marshall was a conservative Democrat long before Miller sent out any memos.

Stacy Kerr, press secretary for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in Washington, D.C., said the national party is watching the 3rd District race, and they're confident in Marshall's campaign.

She would not say whether the DCCC would provide further assistance to Marshall.

Bringing in national party figures isn't always successful for congressional candidates, Novotny said.

"At the end of the day, voters want to see someone who's accessible and what they have done for their district," Novotny.


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Georgia
KEYWORDS: calderclay; democrats; georgia; gop; house2004
Bringing in the national Dems would kill the Marshall campaign. This is why the GA Democrat party is collapsing. In order to survive in GA, they have to become an island, cut off from the national party. Any candidate that wants to have a chance of winning in most of the state has to support Bush and distance himself from Kerry. At some point, they have to explain why they are still Democrats.
1 posted on 09/25/2004 5:20:47 AM PDT by jpw01
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To: AuH2ORepublican; JohnnyZ; Impy; Clintonfatigued; Kuksool

*ping*


2 posted on 09/25/2004 10:55:18 AM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (*This Just In ~ Dan Rather's Penis Is A Forgery, Film At 11*)
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To: jpw01
I'm weary of this strategy especially if it is a rural-based district(outside of Macon). Big names will fire up activists, and if it done one time, great.

But at best, it's good to supplement the campaign. If I was Clay, I wouldn't run as a Bush follower. I'd run as someone who is in touch with Middle Georgia's values, while tying national democrats to people like John Kerry, Dianne Feinswine, and Ted Kennedy.

Bush is a positive for Clay, but local campaigns trump national.

3 posted on 09/25/2004 11:08:21 AM PDT by Dan from Michigan (A gun owner voting for John Kerry is like a chicken voting for Col. Saunders. (bye bye .30-30))
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To: Dan from Michigan

He's actually attacking Marshall for being too liberal, which Marshall is trying his hardest to hide. The big names coming down for Clay have been mostly to do fund raising, which they have accomplished quite well.


4 posted on 09/25/2004 2:46:26 PM PDT by jpw01 (Freep the world!)
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To: Dan from Michigan; Kuksool

Clay and Marshall faced off in 2002. Clay ran a stumbling campaign in the beginning. But by the Autumn, he had visibly improved, and Marshall wound up winning by a mere 50.5% to 49.5%.


5 posted on 09/25/2004 4:46:37 PM PDT by Clintonfatigued
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To: Clintonfatigued

With Denise Majette running for Senate, Jim Marshall is safe. Majette will inspire heavy black turnout in Middle Georgia. The GA-03 is 40% African-American.


6 posted on 09/25/2004 8:01:34 PM PDT by Kuksool (Get Your Souls To The Polls In November)
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To: Kuksool

"Majette will inspire heavy black turnout in Middle Georgia."



Will black turnout be higher in 2004 than it was in 2000? If not, it really won't help Marshall any, since George W. Bush got 52% of the vote in 2000 and will probably do even better in 2004.

Jim Marshall's 2003 ACU rating was a measly 24, which is much more liberal than those of black Georgia Democrat Congressmen Sanford Bishop (who scored a 44) and David Scott (who scored a 32), and only 4 points less liberal than that of black Georgia Democrat Congresswoman Denise Majette, whose black-majority district held Bush to only 29% in 2000. If Calder Clay can get the voters of the 3rd CD to look at Jim Marshall's liberal votes, and not get fooled again by Marshall's conservative talk, I think Clay will win even if blacks actually comprise 40% of the district's voters on November 2.


7 posted on 09/27/2004 8:30:50 AM PDT by AuH2ORepublican (Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice, moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.)
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