Political Candidates Are Okay People

I had an interesting experience the other nite. A couple who has recently moved to Georgia, but has been here long enough to vote, asked me to do a brief bio on the Republican candidates that will be on their ballot. They were trying to decide who to vote for. "From the TV spots you'd think they were all crooks," was the comment. "We want to know what kind of people they are in real life."

Well, the more I worked on that little project, the more said to myself: "These are good people; people we Republicans can be proud of. And I'll bet if I did the same thing on those Democrats running for office I would find they are good people, too.

For instance, Saxby Chambliss is qualified to be a U. S. Senator. He has been a Congressman, and serves as Chairman of the Armed Services sub-committee on Terrorism and Homeland Security. But how many people know he is the son of an Episcopal minister; went to the University of Georgia; was a successful lawyer; and before he went to Washington was deeply involved in community activities, including coaching Little League baseball and YMCA basketball. He met his wife in college, and she was a teacher. Not only is Saxby Chambliss qualified for the office he seeks, this is the kind of folks you would like to have as your next-door neighbor.

And I had to wonder: how many people know what kind of a person Saxby Chambliss is; or Barbara Christmas, the Democrat running for State School Superintendent; or Steve Stancil, the North Georgian running for Lieutenant Governor. Our political candidates catch a lot of flack, but down deep, it seems to me most of them are people we can be proud of.

This is Gordon Sawyer, and may the wind always be at your back.