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Are Georgia Republicans Taking Over The "Big Tent"?

Posted 1:49PM on Friday 30th August 2002 ( 22 years ago )
The Atlanta newspapers and Georgia's Democrats are having a terrible time accepting the fact that the Republican Party has a number of well-qualified candidates who are black, Hispanic and women.

Four years ago, when Linda Schrenko was elected statewide as Georgia's School Superintendent, the liberals wrote that off because, it was said, it isn't unusual for women to be involved in education. And you know the mplications toward her when Governor Barnes took over public education in Georgia. And when she announced she was going to run for Governor, the Democrats in power noted she wasn't qualified to be governor ... after all, she was ONLY the State School Superintendent.

Now the Republicans have some more women running for statehouse seats, and for some of the statewide offices. The one the Democrats seem to have the most trouble accepting is Vernadette Ramirez Broyles, a Republican candidate for Secretary of State. She is a well-educated conservative, and among liberal politicians well-educated women just aren't supposed to be anything but Democrat. She is Hispanic, which got some caught in the trap of asking if she was an American citizen. Well, she was born in Puerto Rico, an American territory, which makes her just as much an American citizen as you and me.

Anyway, for years the Atlanta newspapers have happily identified Democrats as the party of the big tent, the party that had room for more than just white males. And now, here come the Republicans with women candidates, and black candidates, and heaven forbid ... a Hispanic Woman candidate that is articulate, intelligent, and good looking. Reckon what the Atlanta papers are going to write about now?

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

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/8/190692

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