What is Palinism?

By Charles Jackson | 11/20/09

 Not since their fawning, worshipful coverage of the election and inauguration of Barack Obama, has the media been so incessantly hoopla as it has this week on the release of Sarah Palin's book “Going Rogue.”* In many quarters, though, the coverage was decidedly neither fawning nor worshipful. We thought it might be instructive to excerpt two current commentaries - and two earlier ones of my own - on the Palin phenomenon... read more »

Fort Hood and the Legacy of Islam

By Charles Jackson | 11/19/09

  The Fort Hood tragedy - a domestic terrorist attack - should finally be a wake-up call to our PC attitude when it comes to Islam and the evil it still generates in the 21st century. Both David Brooks in his op-ed piece, “The Rush to Therapy” and Dorothy Rabinowitz in her Wall Street Journal piece, “Dr. Phil and the Fort Hood Killer” eloquently make the case that it's past time we recognize the evil of Islamic... read more »

Atlanta Mayoral Runoff in Dead Heat

By Charles Jackson | 11/17/09

 A new poll shows former state senator Kasim Reed with a 49 percent to 46 percent advantage over Councilwoman Mary Norwood, with a 4.5 percent margin of error - a statistical dead heat. The poll shows Norwood exactly where she was a week before the November 3 election - 46 percent - which suggests she may have garnered all the votes she's going to get. Included in the poll's analysis is what we've said here in several commentaries* - ... read more »

Atlanta Mayor's Race in Black and White, Part II

By Charles Jackson | 11/09/09

 Two months ago, we began the “Atlanta Mayor's Race in Black and White” with a quote from an op-ed piece “Race has always been and remains a factor in Atlanta politics - sometimes more overt; other times more subtle.” An analysis by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution of last week's mayoral election results validates the racial aspect of Atlanta politics.”Voting along racial lines in mayor's race; Data shows... read more »

November 3 Atlanta City Election: The Aftermath

By Charles Jackson | 11/04/09

  Mary Norwood and Kasim Reed will face a run off December 1 to decide Atlanta's next mayor. Tuesday's results: - Norwood 45 percent; - Reed 37 percent; - Lisa Borders 14 percent; - Jesse Spikes 3 percent. However, many voters weren't enthused about the election or with any of the candidates. As we observed here last week, “Generally, voters are gloomy about the future, deeply unsettled by the economy and distrustful of... read more »

November 3 Atlanta City Election

By Charles Jackson | 10/28/09

  Atlanta voters go to the polls November 3 to choose a new mayor, new city council president, city council members, board of education and municipal court judges. The race to succeed two term Mayor Shirley Franklin has, of course, has drawn most of the scant attention voters are paying to the election. Franklin, once named one of “America’s Best Leaders” by U.S. News and World Report and ranked by Time magazine... read more »

Afghanistan and the War on Drugs

By Charles Jackson | 10/26/09

  14 Americans killed in 2 Afghan helicopter crashes This is a result of the ill-fated War on Drugs - an absolutely criminal use of U.S. Troops in another deadly and losing effort. Bring them home.   read more »

Conservative vs. Liberal

By Charles Jackson | 10/22/09

  NOTE: The following was emailed to me by a friend. We have yet to ascertain attribution so the author or source remain anonymous. “If a conservative reads this, he'll forward it so his friends can have a good laugh. A liberal will delete it because he's 'offended'." "If a conservative doesn't like guns, he doesn't buy one. If a liberal doesn't like guns, he wants all guns outlawed. If a conservative is a... read more »

Fulton County's Got Some Budget Cutting To Do

By Charles Jackson | 10/19/09

  Like other metro counties, Fulton is now facing the hard facts of declining revenues in a recession and the tough choices to be made as a result.   Fulton County's been living off a budget surplus but by the end of the year, it will be gone leaving the county with a $27.1 million gap. The county started the year with a $59.7 million surplus. The county's 2009 projected expenditures is $665.8 million. So far, Fulton... read more »

Political Memos for Georgia Democrats and Republicans

By Charles Jackson | 10/12/09

  Next year's gubernatorial election will be the first since 1998 without an incumbent on the ballot. And in 1998, one of those non incumbent candidates - Roy Barnes - was elected and then defeated in his bid for a second term for by Sonny Perdue. Recently, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution featured an op-ed piece, “Political Memo for Georgia Democrats.” The author, Howard Franklin - a self-described “Red Clay... read more »