CNN: 'Palinistas' pleased with 'The Undefeated'

Report mentions the sold-out 7 p.m. showing at the AMC Barrett Commons in Kennesaw.
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Here's how CNN reported the premiere of "The Undefeatd" in Atlanta suburb Kennesaw, GA:

The distributor of the Sarah Palin biopic "The Undefeated" is expected to announce details of a wider run after a 10-city opening over the weekend.

The film's distributor, ARC Entertainment, said the film averaged $5,000 per screen Friday and Saturday night, with sold-out screenings at several locations. ARC Entertainment said in a statement "... with the strong initial showing, the film is going to a wider release footprint later this month."

"Incredible. ... Inspiring" was how viewer Casey Cunningham described the film after the sold-out 7 p.m. showing at the AMC Barrett Commons in Kennesaw. Groups were organized via social media to support the opening, with some attendees driving from neighboring states.

The auditorium was packed with Palin enthusiasts who frequently applauded lines the former Alaska governor delivered on screen, giving the screening the feel of a political rally.

[...]

The director, Stephen K. Bannon, a conservative auteur in the mold of Michael Moore right down to the New Balance sneakers, attended the screening and told CNN that he hopes to expand to more screens, but that decision would have to be made by theaters and the distributor after returns from the current release are counted.

[...]

Regardless of the its performance in theaters, Bannon vows that all Americans will have the chance to see the movie and that it will be available by pay-per-view and streaming video, as well as a DVD deal with Walmart.

[More]

- JP

Jim Galloway: Sarah Palin’s movie message to GOP ‘establishment’

The first line to draw applause was Palin suggesting Republicans “learn to fight like girls.”
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Atlanta Journal-Constitution political columnist Jim Galloway was in attendance Thursday night in Kennesaw for an invitation-only preview of “The Undefeated.” In his review, Galloway says those Republicans who are not Palin admirers should "find a way to see at least the final 15 minutes" of Stephen Bannon's documentary

It will tell you much about what’s happening now within the GOP.

As you might expect, the movie is packed with accounts of liberal and media hatred of Palin — conflated as being from one and the same source. This is not news and barely worth a mention.

But the last quarter hour is primarily a diatribe against the “Republican establishment.” Images of House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky jump onto the screen as conservative broadcaster Mark Levin speaks of Republicans “putting up symbolic votes that don’t have any meaning.”

[...]

It is hard to say which thoughts in the movie belong to Bannon, the director, and which ones belong to Palin. The voice of the former Alaskan governor is heard throughout, but it is drawn from the audio version of Palin’s book, “Going Rogue,” to which Bannon purchased the rights.

So there is a layer of deniability available to Palin, if she wants it.

But if the movie’s thesis in fact represents Palin’s thinking, then “The Undefeated” helps explain the strange bus tour that coincided with Mitt Romney’s formal entry last month into the presidential contest. And Palin’s appearance on Tuesday in Iowa — one day after Michele Bachmann’s appearance in the same state — for a showing of “The Undefeated.”

If Palin indeed feels snubbed by the movers and shakers within the Republican Party, then her recent behavior looks less like toe-dipping associated with a 2012 presidential bid and more like a longer-term, guerrilla campaign for the heart and soul of the GOP.

“The Undefeated” opens in metro Atlanta July 15 for a seven-day run at the AMC Barrett Commons theater complex off Barrett Parkway in Cobb County.

- JP

Seize the Day, Inc. says Gov. Palin will speak at its Atlanta seminar

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Seize the Day, Inc., a company which conducts motivational seminars, announced Tuesday that Sarah Palin will be a featured speaker at a Seize the Day event November 9, 2010, in Atlanta:

Seize the Day, Inc., spokesman Doug Williamson said, "We are very pleased to announce that Sarah Palin has joined our speaker line-up for the Atlanta Seize the Day event. To say that Sarah is an important figure in today's political environment and a sought-after speaker would be an understatement. We look forward to Sara's upcoming presentation in Atlanta, which will give her a prime opportunity to share her extraordinary experiences and vision for confronting today’s issues."

[...]

Governor Palin will join an extraordinary lineup of celebrity speakers, including: former First Lady Laura Bush, NFL legend and sportscaster Terry Bradshaw, cable news icon Bill O'Reilly, actor, writer and commentator Ben Stein, top sales trainer Tom Hopkins, leadership development expert John Maxwell, investing author and guru Phil Town, and motivational master Les Brown.

All speakers will appear live on stage and in person during the Atlanta event. Participants will experience a high-energy arena-style event with pyrotechnics, music, networking opportunities, organized team spirit, prizes and live entertainment throughout the day. Doors to Philips Arena open at 6:45 a.m. The event runs from 8:00 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Seize the Day seminars are business and motivational seminars staged at venues throughout major cities in the United States. These one-day events are designed to educate, inspire and motivate people from all walks of life and all types of business backgrounds. Seize the Day seminars feature famous achievers from a wide variety of backgrounds, including sales and negotiation, marketing, team building, goal achievement, leadership development, productivity enhancement, personal empowerment, wealth building, business innovation, customer service, time management and more. Speakers share their personal stories and success strategies live from the stage on the day of the event.

Participants can purchase tickets online at the Seize the Day website or at 1-800-796-8180. Use promo code PR78. Tickets are just $4.95 per person or $19.95 for an entire office.

- JP

Meet Jack Kingston, Jerk of the Day (Updated)

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When most everyone else in the Georgia GOP appears to be committing themselves to a show of unity, Nathan Deal supporter Rep. Jack Kingston was whining over Gov. Palin’s endorsement in the Georgia gubernatorial primary:

“Why Sarah Palin decided to get in the race is beyond me. I don’t know why she feels compelled to get into primaries all over the country, but fortunately Georgia voters are doing their own thinking on things like this.”

Ironically, Kingston was slamming Sarah Palin for being what he characterized as divisive when Gov. Palin was commending Karen Handel for showing class in conceding to Deal and urging her supporters on Twitter to get behind Deal's campaign:

“What she’s doing is dividing the Republican Party at a time when we don’t need to be divided.”

Curiously, Kingston voiced no concern about Mitt Romney or Mike Huckabee "dividing" the GOP by feeling "compelled to get into" Republican primaries "all over the country."

As a reader commented at NRO's The Corner blog:

"As a Georgia Republican whose congressman is Jack Kingston, my question to Jack is this: 'Why direct your comments to Sarah Palin? Why not Mike Huckabee as well?' I mean, if you’re going to slam her for making endorsements, why doesn’t Huckabee warrant the same treatment. Huckabee’s not a Georgian."

Kingston wins Jerk of the Day -- hands down.

Update: Well, well, well... Turns out Kingston is an operative for Mitt Romney. No wonder he moaned about Gov. Palin getting into the GA primary, but said nothing about the Prince of RomneyCare doing the same. See Rusty's comment to this post. Gotta remember to look for those Romney snakes in the grass...

- JP

Handel concedes GA governor primary race (Updated)

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In a surprise move, Karen Handel has apparently conceded the Georgia GOP primary race for governor without waiting for the remaining absentee and military votes to be counted:

In a statement just released from the Handel campaign, she said she called Deal this morning to concede the nomination.The November ballot is now set. Deal will represent the GOP and face Democrat Roy Barnes and Libertarian John Monds.

Deal spokesman Brian Robinson said that U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, R-Ga., coordinated the phone call between Handel and Deal.

“They had a very good talk,” Robinson said. “Nathan congratulated her on a great campaign. She told him that she would not ask for a recount and that she would be on board to help the party to victory in November.”

Deal, Robinson said, “thanked her for her graciousness and said he looked forward to meeting with her in person.We thank her for putting the party first and saving us a lot of heartache. She has shown that she is putting Georgia first and we are greatly appreciative of her selflessness in this situation.”

More here.

h/t: Rusty

Update: Jack Warren comments at TWS Blog.

- JP

CBS News: Palin, Huckabee to campaign in GA for opposing candidates

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Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee have endorsed opposing candidates in Georgia's GOP gubernatorial primary, and the two former governors will make appearances for their respective candidates in the Peach State before Tuesday's runoff election:

Former GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee on Thursday endorsed former Rep. Nathan Deal, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Huckabee will appear at a rally for Deal in Gainesville, Georgia on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Palin will appear at a rally in Georgia on Monday, the Journal-Constitution reports, for the candidate she supports -- Georgia's former secretary of state, Karen Handel. Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, who was jolted into the national spotlight after deciding to take on the Obama administration over the issue of illegal immigration, has also endorsed Handel.

Handel and Deal will compete in a runoff on Tuesday, and the winner will face off against former Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes, a Democrat.

The race is seen by some pundits as a preview by proxy of a slice of the race for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination. That scenario is somewhat enhanced by the results of a new InsiderAdvantage/WSB-TV poll released Friday which has Deal and Handel even at 46 percent apiece.

- JP

Site of Sarah Palin - Karen Handel Rally Announced

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The Handel campaign announced Wednesday that its Monday noon rally with Gov. Palin will be held at the InterContinental Buckhead Hotel at 3315 Peachtree Road NE:

The Handel campaign originally said the rally might be held in the “north metro area.”

Three speakers are advertised: U.S. Rep. Tom Price, the only Republican House member supporting her, will introduce Handel. Handel will introduce Palin.

Georgia's primary runoff election is Tuesday, August 10.

- JP

Handel to Deal: Stop whining and man up. (Updated)

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Georgia GOP gubernatorial candidates Karen Handel and Nathan Deal faced off in a Sunday night debate sponsored by Atlanta television station FOX 5:



One of the more memorable quotes of the debate came when Deal complained about the attack ads the Handel campaign were running against him. Handel, who has been endorsed by Sarah Palin, replied that the attack ads of the runoff were nothing compared to what will be seen after the GOP nominee is settled and Democrat Party candidate Gov. Roy Barnes takes his shots:

"This is a race for governor. Things are tough. Campaigns are tough. It's frankly time to put the big-boy pants on because, candidly, if you can't handle this, how are you going to handle Roy Barnes?"

Update: A new Landmark Poll hows Handel leading Deal by 9 points.

- JP

Matt Towery Sarah Palin Express steams into Georgia

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In a Townhall.com op-ed, Matt Towery discusses the Republican primary race for governor in the Peach State:

The Sarah Palin Express may be gaining even more steam, at least within the Republican Party. Another of her "Mama Grizzlies," Georgia's former secretary of state Karen Handel, on July 20 emerged from obscurity in the polls to take the most votes in the GOP general primary election for governor.

The feisty Handle now heads to an Aug. 10 runoff. She will face the more laid-back Nathan Deal, a former congressman who served many years in Washington. Deal switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican after the 1994 election, when Georgia's Newt Gingrich engineered his "Republican Revolution" that took control of the House.

[...]

None other than Sarah Palin, the former governor of Alaska and the reigning queen of the Republican Party, entered on her personal Facebook page an endorsement of Handel a week or so before Election Day in Georgia.

[...]

Deal, Handel's GOP runoff opponent, hasn't enjoyed such luck. This week the Atlanta Journal-Constitution disclosed a subpoena from a federal grand jury. It was issued to Georgia's revenue commissioner and asked for all documents and information related to a meeting -- a quite contentious meeting -- Deal once had with the commissioner. The topic of discussion was a business relationship Deal and a partner had with the state for many years.

Deal has not been named as a target of the investigation. Nor has he been informed that he is in any way involved with the grand jury's inquiry.

Politically, that may not matter. One can imagine what campaign TV ads the Handel team will produce in the last weeks leading up to the runoff that will utter the chilling words "grand jury investigation."

Read Towery's full TH column here.

- JP

Bring it on: Karen Handel's newest ad touts Gov. Palin's endorsement

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- JP

Gov. Palin to stump for Handel in Georgia August 9

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The Handel for Governor campaign announced Friday that Sarah Palin will campaign for their candidate just before the August 10 runoff election. WSB-TV reports:

In a statement issued Friday, Governor Palin said, "I'm coming to Georgia to campaign with my friend Karen because it is absolutely critical that Georgians nominate an ethical leader and a true conservative to take the fight to Roy Barnes in November. Karen Handel is a strong, pro-life leader who isn't afraid to take on the status quo and do the right thing. She will be the 21st Century Governor Georgia needs to tenaciously address the state’s challenges," said Palin.

Palin endorsed Handel just before this month's primaries.

"I am very excited that Governor Palin is coming to Georgia to help our final get-out-the-vote push," Handel said. "The energy and enthusiasm she will bring will make a huge difference in the final push to victory in the run-off election."

According to Fox 5 (WAGA-TV):

Palin will appear in a rally scheduled for noon on August 9 at a location that is yet to be determined.

Members of the general public interested in attending can obtain tickets and sign up to receive more information as it becomes available at karenhandel.com.

Brian Robinson, a spokesman for Handel's opponent in the runoff, former U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal, reacted to the news with a statement which has the smell of sour grapes about it. From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's story:

“The people who know Karen Handel – the overwhelming, eye-popping, vast majority of Republican state legislators – have endorsed Nathan Deal.

“The people who know Nathan Deal – like Speaker Newt Gingrich and Speaker David Ralston and Senate President Pro Tem Tommie Williams – have endorsed Nathan Deal.

“The people who don’t know Karen Handel have endorsed Karen Handel. We have to give them the benefit of the doubt. They live far away. Maybe they just didn’t know the truth about her liberal record and her efforts to cover it up.”

Liberal? Get real, Mr. Deal. Handel is a conservative, and you're part of an investigation.

Update: Reserve your teickets for the august 9 rally here.

- JP

AJC: Palin nods, and suddenly a Georgia race wakes up

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The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 's Jill Vejnoska
 poses a the rhetorical question, does anyone in Georgia still remembers when the Peach State's gubernatorial race wasn’t all about Sarah Palin:

You know, before she suddenly breathed life into what one wit termed a “Zombie Campaign”? Before her endorsement of Karen Handel broke the heart of one of her biggest fans, leaving her feeling like some scorned heroine in a romance novel? Before Nathan Deal, the “true” conservative Republican candidate Palin passed over, asked her anyway to please come moderate a series of debates?

Less than two weeks ago, things were what passed for politically normal here. Then Palin, the former Alaska governor and vice presidential nominee wandered onto Facebook to endorse Handel, instantly transforming the state’s watching-paint-dry-dull Republican primary into a juicy straight-outta-Wasilla spectacle.

And suddenly Handel, the former Georgia secretary of state who’d trailed by nearly double digits in the polls, ended up winning the seven-candidate race by a startling 11 percentage points.

That set up an Aug. 10 runoff between Handel and No. 2 finisher Deal — and kicked the feverish Palin-inspired speculation level up a few more notches: Would she campaign here for Handel? (Nobody knows, though the campaign gets asked about it nonstop.) Why had she thrown her weight behind a candidate she scarcely knew? (Her only explanation: Handel is a “commonsense conservative” and underdog.)

Best of all, would Deal dare to take the gloves off in dealing with the Palin endorsement, let alone two super-empowered female politicians operating in his own backyard (three, if you count Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, who’s also endorsed Handel)?

“I call it the one-two punch,” chuckled Martha Zoller, who hosts a syndicated political talk radio program out of Gainesville. “That’s a bunch of really strong women there.”

It should come as no surprise to anyone who who has done their homework why the 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate endorsed Handel. Deal is part of a corrupt good old boys' club, and Gov. Palin has a record of fighting such venality.

Read the rest of this AJC article here.

h/t: roy y

- JP

Jim Galloway on the Politically Practical Palin (Updated)

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In his Wednesday Political Insider column in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Jim Galloway says we have witnessed the practical side of Sarah Palin:

With a simple Facebook posting nine days ago, and a 30-second message sent to telephones in 400,000 Republican households, Palin served as both sword and shield for Karen Handel — boosting the former secretary of state to the top rung in a GOP runoff for governor.

It may have been the most efficient and impressive use of political celebrity this state has ever seen, made on behalf of a woman whose views sometimes mirror those of the former Alaskan governor – but not always.

Which is where Palin’s practical side asserted itself.

Some people would rather be right than be president. Tuesday’s vote in Georgia proved that Sarah Palin isn’t one of them.

We are excessively familiar with the slightly ditzy, I-can-see-Russia-from-my-house caricature of Palin on network TV. And Fox News makes sure we never miss the wise-cracking, line-in-the-sand ideologue.

So the concept of a calculating, distant Palin tipping the balance in Georgia politics will take some getting used to. Chances are good that we’ll have that opportunity over the next three weeks.

Galloway's money quote:

"Palin, often dismissed as an unsubtle advocate of Republican orthodoxy, has calculated that while conservative purity tests might win a primary, they aren’t necessarily a formula for victory in November."

Read the full Jim Galloway column here.

Update: At DBKP, Mondoreb doesn't like Galloway's 'tude. Not one bit.

- JP

Report: Gov Palin will campaign in Georgia for Handel

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We saw this at Peach Pundit (Click on the Primary Returns Live-Blog window)...

"11 Alive reports that Sarah Palin will come to town to campaign for Handel"

... but have not yet found confirmation on the the 11 Alive website.

- JP

AJC: Deal and Handel will face off in GOP runoff

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The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that Democrat Roy Barnes easily won the Democratic gubernatorial primary in Georgia Tuesday. He will face either Karen Handel or Nathan Deal in the November general election:

Handel is pulling ahead with 34 percent of the vote, and Deal was running second with 23 percent. Eric Johnson had 20 percent of the vote and John Oxendine 17 percent.

Oxendine, Georgia’s insurance commissioner since 1994, conceded at about 10:15.

The top two Republican vote-getters will face each other in a runoff Aug. 10.

The percentages have been largely static since about 10 percent of the vote was counted.

Handel was endorsed by Gov. Sarah Palin last week.

- JP

Shades of SC: Sexism rears its ugly head in GA GOP governor race

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Evidently there wasn't enough sexism to go around in the South Carolina GOP race for governor, so now it's rearing its ugly head in the same contest in neighboring Georgia. Craig Howie reports at Top of the Ticket:

You’ve doubtless heard of the "Real Housewives of Atlanta." But a storm surrounding the use of the phrase “real women” has roiled the GOP gubernatorial race in Georgia ahead of Tuesday’s primary.

Karen Handel, who this week saw her stock – and her poll numbers – soar with an endorsement from Sarah Palin, has handbagged one of her rivals, Nathan Deal, with accusations of sexism related to his campaign slogan.

The unlikely saga began when Deal, who uses the slogan “Deal. Real.” in almost all his campaign literature, wrote that “real women” support his campaign. As opposed to, say, Handel and a certain Mama Grizzly.

Of course, “real” is a pejorative term at the best of times and takes on a whole new meaning when applied to women in general (or indeed housewives).

[...]

Palin, endorsing the only woman in either party’s primary field, noted that Handel was “pro-life, pro-Constitutionalist with a can-do attitude and a record for fighting for ethics in government.”

Handel replayed her endorsement from the former governor of Alaska on more than 300,000 robocalls placed to likely voters, which likely resulted in her reversing polling positions with Oxendine, the previous front-runner. Handel also has secured the endorsement of Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer.

[...]

President Obama faced charges of sexism in the run-up to the 2008 presidential election with his now infamous “lipstick on a pig” comment that many considered a jibe at Palin, John McCain’s running mate. That sexism charge failed to be a game changer for the McCain campaign, but this one could yet gain traction.

For real.

Read Howie's unedited post at Top of the Ticket.

- JP

Karen Handel surges into lead in Georgia

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With a little help from her friend Sarah Palin, former Secretary of State Karen Handel is now the front runner in the GOP governor's race, according to the results of a new statewide poll released Saturday. Atlanta radio station WSB reports:

Bolstered by an endorsement from conservative superstar Sarah Palin, former Secretary of State Karen Handel appears to have surged into the lead of the Republican race for governor, according to a new statewide poll conducted for the Georgia Newspaper Partnership.

The poll of 400 likely Republican primary voters taken Thursday and Friday put Handel in first place with 29 percent of Georgians polled saying she would get their vote. That's up 6 percentage points from an earlier poll that was partially taken before Palin's endorsement on Monday.

The change has left previous frontrunner, state Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine in second place with 22 percent and former U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal at 20 percent.

Of Republicans polled, another 13 percent said they support former state Senate leader Eric Johnson, and 13 percent were undecided. Other candidates received 3 percent.

The results of the new Mason-Dixon Polling & Research poll showed a shift from a poll the company released Wednesday. That sampling was taken July 8 through July 13.

The earlier poll had Oxendine the leader with 31 percent of the vote, followed by Handel with 23 percent, Deal with 18 percent and Johnson at 6 percent.

[...]

Mason-Dixon conducted both polls for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and 12 other Georgia newspapers. Both have a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.

Mason-Dixon managing director Brad Coker told the Athens Banner-Herald that his company decided to conduct a second Republican poll because it noticed movement in Handel's numbers early last week:

"Handel now is the frontrunner, and Oxendine is fighting Deal for a spot in the runoff," Coker said. "The Palin endorsement definitely helped."

In the new poll, 30 percent of respondents said they were more likely to back Handel because of the Palin endorsement. Two percent said they were less likely, and 68 percent said it didn't matter.

In addition to her endorsement, Gov. Palin recorded a robo-call message to defend Handel against accusations from the Deal and Oxendene campaigns that she was soft on gay rights and abortion issues. The calls went out to thousands of GOP voters in the Peach State, AJC political columnist Jim Galloway wrote Thursday:

Said Palin:

“The primary is really close. So Karen’s opponents are kind of saying those crazy things about her. Please just get the truth for yourself. Karen is a pro-life, pro-family constitutionalist – a Republican who’s going to fight for what is right.”

“Because she is taking on the status quo, well, Karen’s opponents aren’t always telling the truth about her views on those issues that we hold dear….”

Since Palin’s endorsement of Handel, both Oxendine and Deal – in TV spots – have sought to undermine the only woman in the contest. An Oxendine flyer focusing solely on Handel – barely mentioning his own campaign – hit mailboxes Thursday.

Some in the media have framed the race in terms of an early face off between Gov. Palin and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich on his home turf. The Palin endorsement for Handel was announced Monday. The very next day, Gingrich said he was supporting Handel's rival, Nathan Deal:

Deal benefited from an endorsement by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Twenty-six percent said it made them more likely to support Deal. Five percent said it made them less likely to support him, and 69 percent said it didn't matter.

Carolyn Draper, 67, a retiree from Bartow County, is leaning toward Handel. Palin's endorsement is a big deal to her, she said.

"It influences me," she said. "I am a very conservative person, and I have very conservative values, and I think Sarah Palin does, too."

[...]

Dan McLagan, spokesman for the Handel campaign, called the new poll results "good news" for his candidate.

"Deal and Oxendine have spent more than $1 million on negative ads and Georgians have rejected them," he said. "It must be very frustrating for the good ol' boys."

Georgians will go to the polls Tuesday to vote in the primaries of the two major political parties.

- JP

Galloway: The power of a Facebook post by Sarah Palin

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Atlanta Journal-Constitution political columnist/blogger Jim Galloway wrote again Wednesday about the impact of Sarah Palin on the Georgia governor's race (his Monday column was on the same topic):

From somewhere in cyberspace on Monday, perhaps over lunch at her desk, Sarah Palin typed a few words in praise of Karen Handel and hit the “share” button on her Facebook page.

Within hours, the GOP’s polite race for governor of Georgia cracked wide open.

Republicans are free to dispute the former Alaskan governor’s judgment when it comes to choosing a favorite in Tuesday’s primary.

But they cannot question the political phenomenon that Palin has become in the otherwise dead air of a sultry primary season — especially in Republican races for governor.

Nikki Haley of South Carolina in May. Mary Fallin of Oklahoma and Terry Branstad of Iowa in June. And then Palin singled out Handel — “this good conservative reformer.”

Last week, Handel’s three main rivals — state Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine, former congressman Nathan Deal, and former state senator Eric Johnson — could ignore her attempts to become known as a champion of ethics, at their expense.

But within six hours of Palin’s endorsement, state Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine climbed down from his front-runner pedestal and leveled a TV ad at Handel that dubbed her a big spender, a funder of Planned Parenthood and a friend to gay couples.

With bad hair...

Read Galloway's op-ed in full at the AJC's website.

- JP

Quote of the Day (July 13, 2010)

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Erick Erickson at Peach Pundit:

"Sarah Palin’s endorsement ensures Handel a spot in the runoff. Deal may not like it. Johnson may not like it. Oxendine may not like it. But Palin sealed the deal (pun intentional to rub it in) and puts Handel into a runoff."

- JP

Galloway: Sarah Palin's Handel endorsement 'a game-changer'

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Atlanta Journal-Constitution political blogger Jim Galloway calls Gov. Palin's endorsement of Karen Handel in the GOP race for governor in Georgia "a game-changer":

The popular former Alaskan governor was in town two weeks ago at a charity event. Handel’s rivals – former congressman Nathan Deal, state Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine and former state senator Eric Johnson of Savannah – all are presumed to have made entreaties to forestall or intercept an endorsement of Handel.

Palin specifically cited Handel’s focus on ethics and her persona as a “reformer” – both topics of her first TV ad last week, slamming all three major rivals.

You know that the GOP establishment has been lined up against Oxendine – seen as a more vulnerable candidate in a race against Democrat Roy Barnes. The Ox himself has talked about it.

If it’s seen as a Republican signal to consolidate their anti-Ox efforts, Palin’s endorsement could change the rhythm of the GOP race for governor.

[...]

But the key will be whether Palin will make the trip to Georgia for a side-by-side appearance with Handel within the next seven days. Certainly, that’s what Handel will be shooting for.

Galloway's full post is here.

- JP