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| Your Source for the REAL Story |
(Covington, GA) -
Presumed gubernatorial front-runner Casey Cagle attended the Newton Co. GOP's April meeting Monday evening at the Covington Municipal Airport. With over 60 persons in attendance, Mr. Cagle addressed the assembled body for the better part of 45 minutes & also did a Q & A session.
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| Cagle on the stump |
As many have mentioned over the years & as this writer has himself seen before, Mr. Cagle is a masterful politician & a highly skilled orator. Say what you will about him, and many have & do, but the man's got "it," whatever it, it may be.
The Lt. Governor spoke of private sector efficiencies referencing the I-85 situation from last year in which the repair got done in 45 days. He spoke of movable barriers, both figuratively & in the case of improving traffic flow in & around the metro area - literally.
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| The Caglemobile! |
He really hung his hat on something that that he's done all campaign & that is to speak to the level of success that Georgia has seen with the college & career academies. And his helping to facilitate that, Mr. Cagle told the crowd, was one his proudest achievements. He spoke of the importance of the trades & how people can make a very good living working these jobs.
He then moved into the realm of political philosophy & talked about how he believes that the safety net of our society should be that of a trampoline, giving the people the opportunity to get jobs and lift themselves to a higher station in life. It was during this segment of the speech that he talked about his life story. His Dad walking away from the family when Cagle was three & how his Mother had to work multiple jobs while they lived in a mobile home.
A quick sidebar.
He says the word "dollar" funny. It's like Old-South Savannah meets, presumably, Hall County, I suppose. Plus, he's got those eyes. Some say they're kind of funny looking, and maybe a little weird. The glasses help...
Anyways, the fella does give a very good stump speech. It's different. It's not that lather-em-up-&-whip-em-into-a-frenzy Southern Baptist-style a la Paul Broun, Zell Miller or Mark Taylor. No, it's almost more cerebral. Kind of Sam Nunn, or Joe Frank Harris even, meets Greely Ellis, to drop a Newtoncentric gubernatorial deep cut. While he may not have the folksy, "awww shucks," populist thing like Kemp, he does seem truly comfortable being in the political arena, and that comes across.
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The smart money says that Cagle will probably be our next Governor, but the smart money doesn't always hold sway in Georgia politics. There will be a wild-card in this race, and that's looking more & more like Hunter Hill. Regardless, with a runoff, which almost seems guaranteed at this point, and all bets are off.
Things did, however, maybe get off the tracks a bit towards the end of the evening. In response to a question about the possible decriminalizing of marijuana in Atlanta, the Lt. Governor made clear in no uncertain terms that he did not approve of that. He made a point to mention that CBD oil is okay, but nothing else & no in-state growing of any sort. So, how do we enable Georgians to legally access this thing that's saving lives & easing suffering? After three years, we're apparently not any closer. You could feel some of the air suck out of the room after that exchange.
I'd hoped to ask the candidate a few questions after the meeting was adjourned but there were many Citizens who were waiting to talk to him, so I got a business card of his field director instead to email a few questions. First off, what of those in the Gold Dome that have publicly accused the Lt. Governor of keeping scores & exacting revenge in the State Senate? I'll keep y'all apprised of that.
Thanks for reading. Until next time.
MBM
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