Blog for Democracy

The Backstreet Boys and other 90’s memes are back.

backstreet-boys-21It’s very hard to type and clutch your pearls at the same time, but I’ll give it a try.

Our long wait is over, she’ s in.

I opened my email yesterday from about 30 different people to find this story  and then see it was blasted all over Facebook. Most people seem really happy about this, how nice. Hours and hours later I’m continuing to be pestered into “liking” a limp FB page, signing up for her campaign spam and following her on Twatter.

Here’s the thing, I can’t figure out why this candidate above others is somehow deserving of all this attention. Yes I understand she’s run an amazing volunteer service organization, and she’s the daughter of one of Georgia’s more prominent US Senators, but frankly that’s where it ends people.

Perhaps I could have let it go until I got an almost predictably timed  fundraising request from a notorious upstart using both Nunn and Cleland in the subject line. Whomp there it is! I made the mistake of opening it only to find out all they want is $8.00, eye-fucking-roll. Eight dollars!

Clearly I have a bad attitude. So upon closer look at the “information” I’ve been assaulted with, here are my take aways:

I basically have no information.

The website looks like the DSCC brightest intern took a stab at a graphic id and came up with a blue field and a GIANT WHITE state of Georgia. Do not get me started on how this offends me.  Do.Not. Once I shook that eye sore off, I went looking for anything substantial, yeah, didn’t find a single thing except it looks like she’s using ActBlue for contributions and appears to not have NGP. 1999 is calling, it wants it’s campaign back. Cue the 2013 Backstreet Boys.

So back to Galloway’s article I go in search of anything relevant to the problems and her solutions for Georgians. Again, I come up completely empty handed.

Instead we are served these crumbs.

Beginning with slamming the folks you want to work with some day.

Our opportunity is to define ourselves,” she said. “I’m going to talk a lot about the deficit. Neither side of the equation is really tackling that. I think people are really tired of the mudslinging and the silliness of this.”

Wait there is “mudslinging” in politics, say it ain’t so. The deficit, this is what you want to run on? YAWN, really? As a Democrat in Georgia?

“Part of what I bring to the table, and what Georgians are eager for, is coming together. They’re tired of the partisanship, tired of what feels like political infighting versus actually trying to accomplish things,” Nunn said. “I’ve had the chance to work with President George H.W. Bush. I sat on a council on volunteerism for George W. Bush. I believe in showing respect for our presidents across party lines. I think we do a disservice when we’re not willing to do that.”

Oh no… not the “coming together” kumbaya claptrap. While she might believe in showing respect for all the Presidents, don’t expect that from the GA GOP primary field. President Obama is likely to burned in effigy next spring, along with all library books if Paul Broun has anything to say about it. Speaking of showing respect, how about you not dis the current one’s signature legislative accomplishment the Affordable Health Care Act?

On gay marriage: Nunn said she agreed with the U.S. Supreme Court decision that left the definition of marriage to the individual states. “I also believe that marriage is not only a legal construct, but a sacrament, and every religious institution has to be able to define it for themselves,” she said.

But on a personal level, Nunn said she favors marriage equality.

Score one for the gay vote and big gay money. Except if she’s not planning on changing any Federal laws to include all couples, her comments are totally useless. Pandering, but useless to a community without healthcare, penalized for their partner dying and the other 1100 laws currently impacting same sex couples.

For months the rumors of Michelle Nunn’s US Senate campaign have been on the lips and keyboards of a half dozen different friends of mine. In some cases we were bullied into agreeing to support her with literally no information about her, her campaign, her issues or her ability to run a statewide race. I know shouldn’t pee in the punch bowl, but I really can’t help it.

I still have those questions, lots of questions.

Very few answers.

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32 responses to “The Backstreet Boys and other 90’s memes are back.”

  1. griftdrift Avatar
    griftdrift

    I’m currently judging her based on the frequency of $10 words in her emails.

  2. Tim Avatar
    Tim

    I think you give the last name too much credit. The average GA voter, even ones who were voting in the 90s, are unlikely to remember the Nunn last name. Exception being those say over the age of 50, and with some huge exceptions, they are not all voting for anyone names Nunn, father or daughter. So don’t hang everything on the last name, especially in this state. Ronald Reagan could come back as a zombie and if he ran as a D on his 1980 platform would lose in GA.

    It should also be noted that she’s an oxford scholar and did live abroad for some time, as well as doing her years in Peace Corps – something you do NOT see on many priviledged people of non-color’s resume.

    Read, there’s more than meets the eye if you are only judging by her picture, which most people are doing at this point.

  3. George Chidi Avatar
    George Chidi

    The most notable exception to the string of wealthy scions ascending to the presidency … is the current one. Barack Obama. The fellow most directly responsible for goosing voter turnout among African Americans in Georgia to parity or better with white voters.

    I know that political power has generally followed wealth and position in this country. But it isn’t acceptable! Hereditary conditions for political power should be resisted by the public on principle. Our representatives should be, you know, representative.

    I want to learn about her personal accomplishments. But I’m going to pass those through a fairly stout filter of privilege. Given the fact that her father essentially handed her the capital — political, social and financial — to build the Points of Light nonprofit, how much value over and above that did she actually add?

    There are plenty of ways to get rich that don’t involve having a U.S. Senator as a parent. She’s not the only liberal millionaire in Georgia. I’m not knocking her — I think she’s probably lovely, and I suspect she and I agree on a lot of things. But she needs to demonstrate some truly extraordinary qualities to overcome my feelings about electing people because they have famous names: it’s undemocratic and dangerous.

  4. George Chidi Avatar
    George Chidi

    I’m rather in the same boat here.

    Michelle Nunn is a candidate because she’s got money and can get more. Period. Full stop.

    Two out of three Democratic voters in this state are nonwhite. More than half live in metro Atlanta. And from first blush, it looks like she’s going to run as fast as she can from both. Somehow, despite all the predictions about demography changing the political landscape in Georgia, I’m not supposed to be offended by that.

    Sam Nunn sits on the corporate boards of half a dozen international mega-corporations. The Points of Light thing is a direct product of his political connections — the fact that she’s been running can be easily dismissed as a benefit of having a rich, powerful parent.

    Over the last couple of months, the economic news about Georgia — particularly Atlanta — has been about how stark the divide is between rich and poor here, and how much more difficult it is for people of humble beginnings to rise into the middle class and the rich. This is, arguably, a product of conservative policy making. The single best predictor of personal economic success here is how well off your parents are.

    And my party is preparing to nominate a prime example of the problem to run for a U.S. Senate seat.

    I’m troubled. I want to believe that she can address these concerns. But I have a quiet, sinking fear that she won’t want to give life to these misgivings by discussing them.

  5. Waldo Avatar
    Waldo

    SMM –

    I will be happy to support Michelle Nunn – when and only when – she has given me enough information to make that decision. This goes for all candidates.

    I can find more information on Dr. Rad’s stances then candidate Nunn’s.

    I refuse to jump on the bandwagon simply because “everyone is doing it” or “she a woman, you have to support her”. If she is as good a candidate as you profess, then help her put her issues out there so those of us can make intelligent decisions to support her or not. Right now the vacuum of information is getting filled with speculation.

    If candidate Nunn’s whole reason for running is – “I’m running for Senate because I’ve seen firsthand the power of individuals to make a difference in their own lives and the lives of those around them”. – as found on her website, then I want nothing to do with that self-serving campaign.

    That is not a good reason to run for office and neither is ‘everyone is telling me I would be great’. So far candidate Nunn has yet to show that she shares my values.

  6. Waldo Avatar
    Waldo

    SMM –

    I will be happy to support Michelle Nunn – when and only when – she has given me enough information to make that decision. This goes for all candidates.

    I can find more information on Dr. Rad’s stances then candidate Nunn’s.

    I refuse to jump on the bandwagon simply because “everyone is doing it” or “she a woman, you have to support her”. If she is as good a candidate as you profess, then help her put her issues out there so those of us can make intelligent decisions to support her or not. Right now the vacuum of information is getting filled with speculation.

    If candidate Nunn’s whole reason for running is – “I’m running for Senate because I’ve seen firsthand the power of individuals to make a difference in their own lives and the lives of those around them. – as found on her website, then I want nothing to do with that self-serving campaign.

    That is not a good reason to run for office and neither is ‘everyone is telling me I would be great’. So far candidate Nunn has yet to show that she shares my values.

  7. smm Avatar
    smm

    Is Erik Erikson posting under the name Bat Gurl?

  8. smm Avatar
    smm

    Attention Democrats – lets get behind Michelle Nunn and not tear her down. I know it is easier to criticize than put a campaign together or get involved to do actual work, but she needs our support and she will be an amazing Senator for us! Stand with her and join the campaign.

  9. Drew Avatar
    Drew

    She said what the median voter in Georgia thinks: that the problem with government is “partisanship”, “mudslinging”, and the other bullshit that self-described independents think. If she believes it, I think she’s in for an education. But either way, she’s said exactly what she should say if she wants to win the votes of the Republican-leaning independents she must win to become the next senator from Georgia.

    On a policy level, her focus on the deficit is idiotic, but see above; it’s not as if anyone has ever lost an election by opposing the deficit. Meanwhile, her position on Obamacare is innocuous: supportive of “reform” but not repeal, with a focus on the effect of Georgia’s failure to expand Medicaid.

    Similarly, the worst one can say of her position on marriage is, if there were a federal effort to compel a state such as Georgia to recognize same-sex marriage, she might oppose it on federalist grounds. But there is no such effort so her federalist position is moot. Honestly, the fact that she is personally supportive of marriage is a welcome departure from the silence or hostility that previous candidates have shown.

    Oh yeah – the Republicans already attacked her as Obama’s handpicked candidate. Which she responded by saying, “This is what’s wrong with politics.” Which is probably exactly what was expected, and exactly the response they’d planned. Seems to be working so far.

  10. Eddy Avatar
    Eddy

    If anyone knows how impossible it is to get elected statewide as a woman in Georgia, it’s Karen Handel.

  11. Jules Avatar
    Jules

    You know what I think is interesting about this, isn’t that folks are pushing back against the content, i.e. it was a less than impressive campaign launch by someone who is surrounded by people she should/could have asked for help.

    People just seem to be pissy about the tone and the timing.

    Ya know what, you all must be new to this blog if you think folks here are not going to say what they want to, make the quite reasonable criticism and simply drop everything to rally around a person because she’s a graduate of the luck sperm club.

    Not going to happen.

    We’ve been here before, promised any number of candidates and leaders who we barely know, then stumble out of the gate, get propped up by the old guard, suck all the energy out of the room and squander all our chances, then take a powder when they lose.

    As has been said repeatedly over the years, we need to be building a BASE not a top heavy structure if we want to be viable for the long haul. This is exactly the kind of campaign we don’t need. DC Staff, old guard names on the team letterhead, little history with the new GA political community and a hostile environment in which to run as a Democrat. So you’ll excuse me if I can’t summon the energy to give a rats ass about Frank’s comments.

    In Nunn’s case, no one I know knows her personally, we’ve never seen her at any events, she’s not present in the community but rather exists on a national non-profit stage. Hey that’s super great, but that isn’t who will vote for her in GA.

    When the activists on this blog take issue, all I can say is either listen, ask for help, or enjoy the show.

  12. Frank Avatar
    Frank

    I hope that the anonymous ‘BatGurl’ and the other mindless, self-absorbed ‘experts’ whining in this post will someday realize that dispensing dipshittery with conviction and insistence is – thank The Lord – still dipshittery.

  13. Tim Avatar
    Tim

    in a time when we have no DPG structure in place, no bench to speak of for any offices statewide, and when your opponents both in and outside of your own party are ready before you even know you’re ready, I’m happy we may have a quiet primary with a name-recognized candidate who is not a has-run from times past.

    On the issues, I’m willing to give her the benefit of the doubt and take her at her word.

    As for the inter-party blather, some legit and some not, I say pffffffft (Thank you Madeleine Kahn). If you want to direct your anger, direct it at the total lack of candidates for other statewide offices (there are a whole lot more than ONE), and a lack of any structure for voter registraion and voter mobilization for Democrats in this state. Leave the candidates who willingly jump in alone, criticize those who are only self-serving, hit the Republicans for being wrong on pretty much, oh I don’t know, everything, and let’s focus people.

    There’s a whole set of mayoral and city council and BOE races around the state this year, that’s our bench in 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 years and more.

    Good luck Michelle! Steady on.

  14. Rubyduby Avatar
    Rubyduby

    I’m glad to see that I’m not the only one who isn’t impressed with the latest candidate to jump in. Just once, I’d like to see a big name candidate (even if they are riding daddy’s coattails) say ‘yep, I’m running as a Democrat because I believe in the core principles of the Democratic Party’ instead of ‘oh, well I’m running as a Democrat, but don’t read anything into that and I can play nice with the other side.’ Also, when you announce your candidacy, have a damn website that will explain your thoughts on issues of the day instead of taking me to an Actblue page to beg for money.

  15. Baker Avatar
    Baker

    Ha. Oh grift you catty bastard.

  16. griftdrift Avatar
    griftdrift

    And. Scene.

  17. JMPrince Avatar
    JMPrince

    I’m with P/M on that last score. She’s making a few basic rookie mistakes, because she’s been buried in the strictly non-profit sphere for a very long time. But times change, and things & memes change rather quickly in politics.

    Strangely enough, much of the GOP evidently believes there’s more left on the Benghazi bones to chew on (there never was much there, IMHO) over their usual focus on the deficit. There’s just little traction left for that old dog. He’s not even hunting, he’s under the porch snoozing. So FTR, I’m already inclined to like her. She just needs to tune up fast. And this comes from someone who regularly got into heated arguments with my great Sen. Al Gore Jr. when he was serving in that capacity in TN. I can like you a lot and still disagree with you. Strange but true. They’re not gawds, they need help & advice. All the time too. JMP

  18. Ice Tina Avatar
    Ice Tina

    it’s a catch 22.. like her or hate her till there is an an alternative whatever, your not going to give her money or time.

    I voted Sharpton 2004. I’m still proud of that vote.

  19. Peaches Avatar
    Peaches

    Yea, I can’t agree there. She’s about as viable a candidate as we get these days. There’s no harm in rallying around.

  20. Dustin Avatar
    Dustin

    How exactly is she waisting our time? Do you know of a better candidate or something that would be willing to run?

  21. Ice Tina Avatar
    Ice Tina

    Because she’s wasting our time

  22. Dustin Avatar
    Dustin

    My point isn’t that she isn’t “fair game,” my point is that for a website and group of individuals who are progressive to spend their first post on a new candidate attacking them – it makes me wonder what you are trying to achieve.

    I understand why Karen Handel attacks her, she wants Nunn to lose. Why do you attack her?

  23. Ice Tina Avatar
    Ice Tina

    I want the real thing. Sam Nunn

  24. Ice Tina Avatar
    Ice Tina

    No one needs to be a lawyer to say it specifically said the 1100 laws that discriminate against same sex couples.
    Marriage is a big part of that, but so is employment & benefits.
    Brush up on the law..ha this is blog.

  25. Ice Tina Avatar
    Ice Tina

    Honestly Dustin, don’tcha think if being Pollyanna worked for shit we’d try it.

    She’s FAIR FUCKING GAME. Hello welcome to politics!

    If she can’t handle us, she needs to go back to her $293K a year non profit job and only play nice with the people who worship her.

  26. Peaches Avatar
    Peaches

    I’m glad to see her running, at long last. For as long as I can remember, her name has come up every single election cycle as if she were a magic bullet. Still, I wish she had at least one race under her belt. The demographics just aren’t with us yet and if she doesn’t prevail in 2014, she may never run again. She’s been breathing the rarefied air of the non-partisan, non-profit sector for decades. What you’re seeing now is a rough reentry.

  27. Catherine Avatar
    Catherine

    We’ve been waiting months, and if it weren’t for the intros in the articles we wouldn’t know Ms Nunn was even running as a Democrat. No mention of hoping for support from Georgia Democrats, no appreciation for President Obama’s leadership. Only a nod to the two Bush’s.

    As for the idea that Georgia is tried of partisanship. Really? Maybe I visited a different Gold Dome, or watched different GOP Congressman & Senators lo these past several years. Because I see Georgian’s holding on to partisanship for dear life.

    It’s politics. Anyone expecting a 24 hour grace period isn’t watching the GOP. I was quite hopeful that Ms Nunn would come forward with force and passion. I’m crossing my fingers that it’s in the second act.

  28. J Avatar
    J

    So much to say, but I’ll stick to the gay stuff. You should probably brush up on your constitutional law. There isn’t much she can do, or any sitting Senator, to advance marriage equality except confirm quality judges and take care of a few post-DOMA relics. Any reason to think she wouldn’t? Absolutely not. The fact that a statewide candidate is opening themselves to criticism for standing up for folks’ civil rights is praiseworthy, not a blunt object to beat them over the head with. Save your nonsense for people who deserve it.

  29. Dustin Avatar
    Dustin

    Can we at least have a 24 hour grace period before you attack the candidate with the best chance of winning a statewide office in Georgia?

  30. JMPrince Avatar
    JMPrince

    Let me pour on some of that ‘tude too. Again let Uncle Dave J. tell it to you: ‘The Deficit is Falling dramatically, but only 6%know that’:

    http://blog.ourfuture.org/20130226/deficit-is-falling-dramatically-but-only-6-know-that

    He’s got plenty of links that are a bit old showing us just that. In fact? The big bad deficit is falling at the fastest rate since WWII. In the happy happenstance that Ms. Nunn is elected to office, on her 1st day in office, the problem will have already been substantially ‘solved’ (stable) for the next decade. Because it already is. And I love some nostalgia too, and liked her dad quite a bit. But facts are facts, and deficits only matter to anyone when they’re used by Repugs to thwart the policy plans of Dems, specifically Dem Presidents. Repugs statistically & historically are the spendthrifts the Dems never are.

    That’s partly why the best record on the economy overall belongs to Dem Presidents too. Lower deficits, higher GDP, better economic growth, lower unemployment. Again & again. If you want to live like a Repug Vote Dem!

    Details in the book & on the blog: http://presimetrics.com/

    JMP

  31. Waldo Avatar
    Waldo

    On the Gay Topic:

    I had to go back and re-read that comment. First I took it as opposed to marriage equality, and I think to some extent the sentiment is in there. If there had not been the head-nod for her “personal feelings,” my perception was she was against marriage.

    Its to early to start pandering. It is never to early to start pandering? Is this what a ‘centrist’ candidate looks like – luke-warm on the social issue and high ground on policy? Its certainly an interesting way to run a race.

  32. griftdrift Avatar
    griftdrift

    Will anxiously await the appropriate candidate

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