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Mon. Mar 29, 2004

Abandoned Before The Cynthia Beast

Abandoned Before The Cynthia Beast – I mentioned a week or so ago that Cynthia McKinney was planning to run for her old Congressional seat, and on Saturday, she made the formal announcement. In a way, I was looking forward to seeing Denise Majette mop the floor with her again, this time as an incumbent … but now I’m simply scared.

Because this morning, “U.S. Rep. Denise Majette confirmed … that she is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Zell Miller. Majette conceded it is late to dive into a statewide race. But she said she felt moved to run as a counter to GOP messages she finds extreme.”

“‘The Republicans keep trotting out their right-wing rhetoric on God, guns and gays in an attempt to divide the electorate and distract from the serious problems they’re not addressing,’ she told reporters.”

This is no logic to run for Congress, when you’re already in Congress. You risk giving up the pulpit you currently have for answering “right-wing rhetoric” (a pulpit you can surely reclaim in the election) for some theoretical shot at a larger pulpit. You are a part of the Top 500 Elected People we have in this country of 280,000,000, and you want to give it up for a shot at the Top 100? After a mere two years?

Yes, I’m speaking from my personal interests as a constituent of Georgia’s 4th District. Yes, Rep. Majette has every right to run for Miller’s Senate seat. But it simply doesn’t add up.

“Democratic leaders say Majette, who rose from obscurity to defeat 10-year incumbent Cynthia McKinney in 2002, has not sought wide party support or consulted them about seeking higher office [...] Since Miller announced his retirement, Majette was one of several names mentioned to run for his seat, but hers did not make the short list that the party has been discussing in recent weeks.”

She hasn’t consulted with the party, or looked for their support. She’s not on their short list, in a year when they’ve got few choices and have been turned down by most of the better known likely suspects (Andy Young, Shirley Franklin, Vince Dooley). And Rep. Majette admits she’s late jumping in, since “candidates for high-profile races generally announce their intentions a year or more before the general election because of the demanding fund-raising requirements.”

Meanwhile, on the other side of the electoral balance sheet is some pretty steep and well financed Republican competition. When Zell announced he wouldn’t seek reelection “Republic Congressman Johnny Isakson of Cobb County announced almost immediately for the GOP, followed by three other Republicans—Butts County Congressman Mac Collins, former Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain and Atlanta businessman Al Bartell.”

I know we’ve seen a year of “He’s A Lock” and “Got No Chance” being turned on their heads. And I am in no way saying that Denise Majette wouldn’t make a good Senator. But I see this as the longest of long shots. A near suicide mission.

And as a constituent of the 4th District, I’m going to be one of the victims left behind: “Former state Rep. Billy McKinney, father of Cynthia, was on hand for today’s announcement. McKinney said Majette’s decision to leave her seat to run for the Senate does not mean his daughter is a shoo-in to win back her old congressional seat [...] Asked by a reporter if Cynthia McKinney would support Majette’s Senate bid, McKinney responded ‘Hell no. You’ve got to be crazy.’”

Let me give you an idea of how desperate this leaves me feeling. When I got up this morning and read that inside sources were saying Representative Majette would try to become Senator Majette, my first thought was of the empty Democratic slate that would face the just announced candidate, Cynthia McKinney. Given the late date, will there even be another option for my vote in the Democratic primary?

And for about five seconds … maybe ten … I wondered how hard it would be to get my name on the ballot and run a three month shoestring campaign.

Then I looked in my closet, saw all those dusty skeletons laughing at me, and instead went for another cup of coffee.

But that gives you an idea of the desperation I feel today. I fear the Return Of The Cynthia Beast is nigh.