The Challenge For The Republicans: Now Govern.

This week marks a major historic shift for the State of Georgia ... possibly the greatest historic political event of the past 130 years. Georgia ceased to be a one-party state Monday. It is totally unfair to say it became a Republican state, although the Republicans have control over the Governor's office and the state Senate. But although the Republicans, as conservatives, have been gaining in acceptance by the voters of Georgia for the past decade, they have not before had the power (in the form of legislative votes) to be in a leadership position. Yesterday they were handed the leadership role, and at that point we truly became a competitive two-party state.

It is no secret that I am pleased Republicans are in power. I have worked for more than 40 years for the Republican cause, ever since one of my closest friends (who was pleased with his label as a yellow dog Democrat) convinced me we would never have a two-party system until some people became loyal Republicans ... just as party-loyal as the Yellow Dog Democrats. Let me tell you: it wasn't easy to vote in a Republican primary when you knew the REAL election was in the Democrat primary, but many of us did because we believed the Republican dedication to limited government and more personal freedom was more important than the Democrat big government/less personal freedom credo.

The transition, in my judgement, will not be easy. Nor will it come overnight. Democrat appointees fill state government positions all the way down to the lowest paid person in state government. Here and there you will find solid conservatives who will quickly accept conservative beliefs in government, but not often. It takes time to change
government, and that is not all bad. One of the great advantages of a democratic form of government is that it changes by evolution, not by revolution.

The British have it right, I think, when ... after an election ... the Queen taps the winner and says: "You have won the election. Now govern." I hope and pray that we Republicans, having won a certain amount of power, will have the wisdom and patience to govern wisely. We will need the prayers and help from all of you to do so.

This is Gordon Sawyer, from a window on historic Green Street.