Republicans' strong showing in Georgia in 2002, in which Gov. Roy Barnes and Sen. Max Cleland were defeated, set the stage for 2004.  Adding insult to injury for the Democrats, Sen. Zell Miller emerged as perhaps the most prominent Democrat for Bush, delivering an excoriating speech at the Republican National Convention and stumping around the country with President Bush.  On the Democratic side former Sen. Max Cleland did yeoman work for the Kerry campaign.  Georgia received a smattering of visits from the principals, many of which were tied to fundraisers.

The Kerry campaign did have a couple of official but not compensated representatives leading the Georgia effort, and grassroots Democratic activists mobilized to go door to door, man phone banks, and organize events.  "People were not willing to give up," stated Kerry-Edwards communications director Caroline Adelman in a post-election interview.  "There were people who really thought Kerry could win Georgia,"¹ she said.  The most active group was Kerry Win Georgia, "a totally grassroots Volunteer organization" based in Atlanta that grew out of the Meetups.  In more conservative Marietta, activists Sander Bellman and Frieda Smith formed a group called East Cobb Citizens for Kerry/Edwards.

Notes
1. Activist Debra Vidali in Atlanta produced a flyer posted on the Kerry Win Georgia website titled "Georgia is a Swing State" which noted that, "In 2000, Bush beat Gore in Georgia by 303,490 votes...But most of Georgia did not vote!!!"  She noted that in 2000 Georgia had the third lowest turnout in the nation; more than 1.3 million registered voters did not vote.  Pointing to that fact and to newly registered voters, Vidali argued "When democrats vote, democrats win."
 
 

Bush-Cheney '04	Kerry-Edwards 2004
Organization details...	details...
BC'04 State Chair: Gov. Sonny Perdue and Sen. Saxby Chambliss Victory 2004 Director:  Georgia Republican Party State Chair: Alec Poitevint Exec. Director: Scott Rials Office:	KE State Director: Jan Bryson Coordinated Campaign Director: Jeff DiSantis Georgia Democratic Party State Chair: Bobby Kahn Exec. Director: Jeff DiSantis Office:

Travel

BUSH-CHENEY	KERRY-EDWARDS
September 4, 2004 -DC attends the Rangers Ball, a black-tie event for U.S. Army Rangers members of the (3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment), at the Columbus Convention & Trade Center in Columbus, GA.  July 14, 2004 -LB attends RNC Victory 2004 event in Greensboro, GA.  (Raises $550,000).  July 1, 2004 -DC accompanied by LC speaks at a reception for congressional candidate Calder Clay III at the Edgar HR Wilson Convention Center in Macon, GA.  ($)  June 7-10, 2004 -GWB participates in the 2004 G8 Summit in Sea Island, GA.  May 17, 2004 -GWB attends RNC Victory 2004 dinner at the home of Home Depot CEO Robert Nardelli in Atlanta, GA.  (Raises $3.2 million). May 17, 2004 -DC remarks at a luncheon for Congressman Max Burns at the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum in Pooler, GA.  (Raises $175,000).  April 2, 2004 -GWB, DC and LC at "Appreciation Weekend"--reception and dinner with top contributors at Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, GA.	October 22, 2004 -THK stops to thank volunteers at campaign hdqtrs in downtown Atlanta, GA. -THK attends a fundraiser for the DNC at the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta, GA.  ($) August 16, 2004 -JE holds a rally at the Georgia International Convention Center in College Park (near Hartsfield Atlanta Int'l Airport), GA.  -JE attends a DNC fundraiser at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Atlanta, GA.  ($)  April 19, 2004 -JK at John Kerry for President reception at the Hyatt Regency Downtown Atlanta in Atlanta, GA.  ($)  March 2, 2004  ...primaries and caucuses in ten states.  -JK greets workers at the Roadway Express Freight Distribution Facility in Atlanta, GA.

Newspaper Endorsements

BUSH Augusta Chronicle  (10/25/04) Savannah Morning News

KERRY Atlanta Journal-Constitution  (10/09/04) Macon Telegraph  (10/24/04)

Third Party and Independent
More Candidate Visits
BADNARIK-CAMPAGNA
September 19, 2004
-Libertarian Action Network, Inc. event "An Evening with Michael Badnarik" at the Marriott Atlanta Northwest in Atlanta.

-Libertarians held their national convention at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis Hotel in downtown Atlanta on May 27-31, 2004.
 

COBB-LaMARCHE
Oct. 1, 2004 - David Cobb
-Brunch with local Greens at Little 5 Points Community Center in Atlanta.
-Speaks to students at Morehouse College in Atlanta.
-Dinner and fundraiser at the Thinking Man's Tavern in Decatur.
 

NADER
March 27-28, 2004
March 27
-Nader spoke in the Student Learning Center at the University of Georgia in Athens.
March 28
-Spoke at an environmental summit at Georgia State University in Atlanta.
CNN reported that in Atlanta he also met privately with Shawn O'Hara, chair of the Reform Party USA.
 

Copyright ©  2004, 2005  Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action.