The Endorsements - The Offices

Governor - Garrett Hayes (L): Pox! Pox! Pox! What a choice. Two mean-ass southern politicians who have spent the entire election cycle trying to out tough, out-rich and out sleaze each other. It's old style Georgia politics and it needs to stop. Many would say a vote for the libertarian is a wasted vote or just a protest vote. Fine. Maybe it's time for a little protest. Isn't it about time we let our leaders know that 130 years of the being force fed the same crap is enough? A vote for Hayes may be the primal scream we all need.

Lieutenant Governor - Jim Martin (D): This is a bit of snark endorsement. I actually believe despite his affinity for holding hands with the right wing crazies, Casey Cagle would make a competent leader. However, Jim Martin has a couple of things going for him, not the least is he is the opposition. We've seen at a national level what happens when there is no one holding the gate on the sty. Martin is the type of quiet leader with the beaucratic background that will know how to check as many excesses as possible. And it will definitely be fun to watch him try to wrangle a Republican Senate.

Secretary of State - Karen Handel (R): Note to my democrat friends. Gail Buckner has been wholly unimpressive. Secretary of State is an administrative position that is actually important and I can't trust anyone to run the department who can't even seem to run her own campaign. Handel has a McCain-like tendency to flirt with the religious nuts but she actually showed some competence in trying to fix the mess that is the Fulton County Commission. That redeeming quality will have to be enough in this one.

School Superintendent - David Chastain (L): The pox flows like wine but this is a special one. I don't care how many times people say Kathy Cox is competent, she wanted to remove evolution as a standard and that loses my vote forever. Denise Majette is such a political opportunistic toad that I will never vote for her again. David Chastain on the other hand understands exactly how this office should be run. He wants to eliminate it. He wants it replaced with a professional board of educators and administrators. That is spot on. This may be the easiest choice on the whole ballot.

New we wade deeply into the Administrative positions. Remember, the mule rule rules.

Agriculture Commissioner - Tommy Irvin (D): The only angle it seems anyone can attack Tommy on is that he's been there forever. That might work if Irvin's ideas were stuck in the 60s. They are not. Gary Black is a fine man and actually would be a good choice, but there's simply no good reason to throw Tommy out.

Labor Commissioner - Michael Thurmond (D): Disclosure, I used to work for DOL. Thurmond oversees a well oiled machine that he has rapidly brought into the 21st century. He also oversaw one of the biggest small business tax breaks in the history of Georgia. Like Irvin, there's really no reason for a change here.

Insurance Commissioner - John Oxendine (R): John Oxendine is a troll but I reallly can't find a reason to not vote for him. The mule rule rules.

Attorney General - Thurbert Baker (D): I'm not overly fond of Baker, but once again, mule rule rules. Hold the nose and vote.

And of course, we can't forget the Georgia Supreme Court. Yes, we elect judges down this way.

Georgia Supreme Court - Carol Hunstein: I hope this race opens some eyes. The behavior here is exactly why judges should not be subject to election. I expect politicians and activists to act like asses. I expect better from the judiciary. The bottom line is as distasteful as I find Hunstein's ad campaign, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce is trying to buy a judge here and that's just plain wrong. Don't believe the crap you have read or heard about Hunstein. She is a competent jurist who has strong bi-partisan support. She's exactly the type of judge Georgia needs.

Oh yeah. And I am voting for Hank Johson (D) in the Georgia 4th. If nothing else, at least we finally have a sane choice.

I think that's it. Did I forget any?