Ossoff: “I told y’all so” Edition
Anyone who starts a sentence with “I hate to say I told you so…” is lying. EVERYone loves to be proven right, and I am no exception. Way back on March 3rd of this year, I offered some free (and apparently worthless) advice to Republican candidates in the special election for Georgia’s 6th District. I pointed out that Jon Ossoff ain’t from around here, but it turns out wealthy liberals in California were the only ones who noticed.
Jon Ossoff has broken a lot of records –not just for the most expensive House race in history, but also for the most out-of-state money raised by any Congressional candidate, ever. According to his hometown newspaper, the Mercury News in San Jose, California: Ossoff “…reported receiving almost nine times as many individual donations from California than from Georgia, according to federal campaign finance data released last week.” The Atlanta media darling reported receiving $456,296.03 from California — and $220,532.10 from the San Francisco Bay area, but only $228,474.44 (total) from Georgia.
A mere 3.5% of Ossoff’s contributors live in Georgia and the 30-year old trust fund millionaire should be commended for the remarkable job he’s done suckering west coast liberals into falling for his “Make Trump furious” fundraising pitch, a sample of which is obvious from the image of a fundraising email signed by Jon Ossoff sent to members of MoveOn.org:
Ossoff raises money from liberal chumps while campaigning in Georgia as a conservative who will cut government spending. The fact nearly half the voters in Georgia’s 6th and 7,218 California leftists are willing to believe the words that come out of both sides of his mouth shows, empirically, that projection will overcome cognitive dissonance every time. Want proof? From the Merc itself:
“…for out of state donors, the idea of sticking one to Trump with an Ossoff win is the big draw.
Did you catch that? Democrat vs. Republican doesn’t matter to Ms. Haugland, as long as “the Democrats start getting more power.”
We don’t expect a lot of thoughtful debate from liberal Ossoff backers in GA-6. They have taken off their vagina hats and carefully and deliberately hidden their anti-President hysteria under Jon Ossoff’s phony-baloney middle-of-the-road banalities about “working with anyone” to “hold Washington accountable.” I’m not making this up. Here’s how they hide it:
Jon Ossoff has used a mountain of liberal money to convince middle-of-the road Georgians that he –as the most junior member in the minority party of the House of Representatives, would somehow make it (whatever “it” is) all better.
And it’s not just money. Liberal groups are canvassing, knocking on doors and soliciting Ossoff votes. Planned Parenthood is bragging that it has paid “…canvassers who knock on doors each day, and will have knocked on 80,000 doors ahead of the voting. The group touts that it’s twice the size of any other independent canvasses backing Ossoff.” I guess breast cancer has been cured, if Planned Parenthood is paying people to work on political campaigns.
I have always believed that Republicans were naturally and correctly skeptical of campaign messages –even the ones that I have produced- and that they could tell a liar from an honest woman no matter how much money was spent to make them stop thinking for themselves and start believing commercials. But Jon Ossoff’s liberal patrons have spent $40 million making tomorrow’s vote a toss-up, and I’m starting to worry about the rational abilities of my fellow Republicans in the 6th.
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Mike Hassinger
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In all your snide and ugly rhetoric about liberals, think about this.
Handel is a woman who chose to stop giving money to Planned Parenthood, thereby defunding breast cancer screenings at clinics across our state – while working for an organization that is all about ending breast cancer. When called out on it repeatedly her answer has been “I was just one of many employees” trying to hide the fact that she was the Senior VP of Public Policy and actually one of the few people with enough power to push that choice through.
Handel is a woman who has said over and over and over again that LGBT people do not deserve rights. She has said they should not marry. She has said she will implement a law similar to the awful one in Texas that allows adoption and foster agencies to discriminate against gay couples and individuals. When asked why she believes these people are not equals with other citizens, her response is “I just do”. When pressed she says that her “faith leads her to believe this way”. Handel seems to have no understanding that the US is a secular nation – that our Constitution says that there will be no establishment of a religion – which also means that laws will not be based on an individual’s religious beliefs. She doesn’t have any understanding that her decision to create laws based on her faith means that those of us who don’t share her faith will be required to live under her Christian Sharia.
When asked about a livable wage, she says flat out that she doesn’t believe anyone is entitled to a livable wage. She makes vague comments about “enabling business” to create jobs and mouths something that vaguely resembles “trickle down”, which has been proven over and over again doesn’t work.
She supports repealing the ACA and putting “Trumpcare” in it’s place. When reminded that this will devastate Medicaid, she doesn’t care. I could go on and on.
So you want to use vile words and ugly rhetoric to slam “leftists” and make us all look like people who are blindly following anyone with a “D” by their name, you go right ahead. Make the mistake of thinking that we aren’t actually fighting for the things we believe in: The rights of all human beings to be treated equally – to marry, to have children, to receive affordable healthcare, to work a job that gives them basic human dignity and allows them to pay their bills, to have autonomy over their own bodies … the list goes on forever.
This is the difference between the left and the right, right now. The right *IS* blindly following anyone with an R by their name. Because the right, conservatives, and the GOP don’t actually care about the people of America. They don’t have a platform. What they have is “eliminate everything Obama has ever done and support Trump even though he’s clearly incapable.” What they have is Party Over People and Party Over Country.
Thanks, I’ll stick with being on the left and making and informed, intelligent, thought out vote for the candidate who best represents my view of what America should be. And that would be Jon Ossoff.
“The rights of all human beings to be treated equally “. You seriously wtote that, Kara? PP overwhelming vast function is to provide abortions. Period. Where are the rights of those killed kids?!
Abortions are less than 3% of what Planned Parenthood does. Have you ever used Planned Parenthood for health care? I have. They provided all of my healthcare when I was in college and for a couple of years after I graduated. They provided me with birth control, pap smears, cancer screenings, and referrals to clinics when I needed care they couldn’t provide. Stop spreading falsehoods and start looking at the actual facts.
I also notice you focused entirely on that and didn’t address any of the other human rights – like the right of all human beings to marry and have children or to get affordable health care?
You’re right. All of those other rights you so passionately advocate for are truly secondary to the right to live. Carry on.
The right to live? You mean the right to live of people killed by guns? The right to live of people who will die because they can’t get medical care? You don’t care about the “right to live”. You’ll condemn those mothers and children to a life of poverty, pain, lack of health care, starvation, and misery … and you couldn’t care less about that. You don’t care about anyone’s life. All you care about is pushing your religious agenda on the rest of the United States.
Tell me, Kara, do you prefer grape or cherry Kool Aid? Keep up The Narrative!!! Sad.
Seriously, why are you willing to be rude and hateful and not actually talk about the facts. I’m not drinking any KoolAde and I’m not accusing you of either. I am accusing you of lying about the facts.
The fact is that abortions account for less than 3% of the services that Planned Parenthood provide. The fact is that no Federal money or Medicaid is used to pay for abortions at Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood provides needed medical care, birth control, and cancer screenings for thousands of woman across America.
You seem entirely 100% focused on that 3% of services to the complete exclusion of all else. As I said in my first comment to this thread, I am not a “one-issue” voter. I vote based on a lot of things. I vote based on human rights. I vote based on health care. I vote based on taxes and spending. I vote based on military action. I vote based on not forcing someone else’s religion on American citizens. I vote based on many many many concerns, all of which you have ignored.
I have voiced my position calmly, backed up by facts that I can document. You have attacked me personally, called me names, and lied.
“The right to live? You mean the right to live of people killed by guns? The right to live of people who will die because they can’t get medical care? You don’t care about the “right to live”. You’ll condemn those mothers and children to a life of poverty, pain, lack of health care, starvation, and misery … and you couldn’t care less about that. You don’t care about anyone’s life. All you care about is pushing your religious agenda on the rest of the United States.”
First of all…you don’t know anything about me or my views.
Second, your hypocracy is staggering. In order to experience the litany of misery you listed, a person has to be born first. Logical, yes?
Clearly it’s better to be aborted and chopped up into parts and sold by planned parenthood than it is to be born and have a chance to live a life.
You may be poor. Kill the child.
You may be born to a parent that made a mistake. Kill the child.
You may be shot by a left wing nut job on a baseball field. So let’s murder the baby.
The time may not be right for having a child. So let’s just kill it.
Good, Drew. Name call when you get schooled in basic logic.
I don’t know anyone who is not pro-life. Abortion policy is about how we define life, including the mother’s life. While answers to those questions may be eternally in flux, I think it’s much easier to assess the policy of PP funding. If an otherwise good system has a weakness, even if a terrible one, we find a way to improve the system when possible, not kill it.
Mike, wouldn’t you better serve your cause by finding some people to drive to the polls?
Did you see Newt Gingrich on TV yesterday morning? He reminded me of Pat Robertson. He argued that an investigation about obstruction wasn’t about anything except potential perjury charges, then later defended the impeachment of Clinton because there was an actual felony, perjury. Talk about cognitive dissonance.
Honest woman? Tell that to Log Cabin Republicans, or the Komen foundation. Trump is just too much a serial liar to elect a rubber stamp with her own issues.
I have lived in the 6th district my whole life. I am voting for Ossoff this time and not because I like him (I’d be voting libertarian if there was one running) but because the puppets/politicians in my district have pissed me off beyond belief, so I am implementing my local, reactionary vote against KH. And Trump is scary, so I’m locally voting against him, too.
Hmm,
As a 6th District voter who is canvassing and voting for Ossoff, I have a few thoughts. How much money has the Handel campaign received from Georgia? How much has she received from out-of-state PACs?
As for “thoughtful debate”, I suppose, “I do not support a livable wage” is thoughtful in your book, but it isn’t in mine. The current process in the house and senate with respect to the AHCA has been appalling. Handel supports that process and the house bill, which a tiny minority across the country supports. She supports Trump’s divisive rhetoric. Indeed she uses it herself. She reveals herself to be anti-woman in the way she addressed the Planned Parenthood issue with Komen. Komen lost a lot of revenue due to her antics, and she tarnished its reputation. Karen Handel has supported efforts to make voting more difficult in this state. The process that does not require a photo ID to register, but does require one to vote, is anti-democratic, putting a tremendous burden on those who don’t drive. If you don’t believe in voting rights, then by all means, support Karen Handel. This centrist Georgian, who has lived in Cobb County for 30 years, who sent all 3 of my sons to Cobb schools wants to protect public funding for public education. Karen Handel supports the Trump administration’s Voucher program. I do not. Can’t think of a better reason to CANVASS and VOTE MY OSSOFF.
I for one will be glad to see 7 PM come tomorrow. All of this to obtain 0.2% of a full vote in the House. The absurdity of laws that allow unlimited money to be used as long as it isn’t fer a particular candidate. But it does allow these PACs to operate legally as long as they are agin’ the other one. This is no way to run “free” elections.
I think the voters in the 6th deserve a lot of credit. They’ve had to endure this campaign the most. And I don’t think any one of them would be surprised or offended that a politician is, and will be, torn between their party and their personal penchants, even if they are penchants for centrism. This is a contest between rationalities: supporting the Republican agenda vs. supporting a check to said agenda. Both can simultaneously make sense given the present partisan circumstances.
OK…
I guess it is time for my “I told you so” edition.
First, lets address Mike’s claim that Jon Ossoff “ain’t from around here.” Well, OK, Mr. Ossoff, as he readily admits (he has not “lied” about it), does not live in the 6th District. But is that the same as saying he ain’t from “around” here? I don’t know exactly where Mr. Ossoff lives—somewhere in the Emory area—but lets say for the sake of argument it is near North Decatur and Clairmont Roads, a busy intersection. That is perhaps 4 miles due south of the intersection of 85 and Clairmont Road, which a corner of the 6th CD touches (northeast corner). I mean, is that distance just so great that Ossoff has no concept of the district? Lets also recall that David Scott, who represents the 13th District, has reportedly lived in John Lewis’s district for years (Inman Park)—obviously that doesn’t bother Scott’s constituents, who have elected him 8 times to that seat, and each time in a landslide (when he has had opposition at all). For those who really want to go back in time, like 20 years, Saxby Chambliss rented an apartment in Macon when his 8th District got redrawn by a federal court in 1995, but still maintained his Moultrie residents, which back then was in Sanford Bishop’s 2nd CD…I don’t recall an outcry from Republicans about that, but voters there elected him to the “new 8th CD three times before he ran for the Senate. And there was probably a time when John Linder (elected to the “old” 4th CD in 1992) did not live in the new 11th District (1995 court redrawing) when DeKalb was no longer a part of CD 11. Again (is it amnesia?), I don’t recall an outcry.
Second, the issue of “Planned Parenthood”: This is perhaps not so much about breast cancer screening as the issue of abortion—and upscale areas tend to be more liberal on that issue (see Northern Virginia, the suburbs of Philadelphia and New York City, etc.). Ossoff may be hinting that Handel wants to ban abortion (even if that really is out of the purview of Congress)—which probably is not a popular stance in this district. As I mentioned earlier this month, back in 1996, when he ran for the GOP US Senate nomination, Isakson got about 60% in what is now CD 6—as a pro-choice Republican. Do we think that 21 years later, the 6th CD has somehow morphed into a “south Georgia” stance on that issue?
And finally—well, for now—the anti-Trump “hysteria.” Romney won CD 6 five years ago by 23 points; Trump won here by a mere point and a half. As UVa’s Center for Politics reported, the increase in Clinton’s percentage (compared to Obama’s) four years earlier in that district was greater in CD 6 than any other GOP-held congressional district in the US, save for one in the Houston area. And that Trump showing was before all the demonstrations, investigations and so forth of the last few months. And the Trump showing in CD 6 came even though Clinton largely ignored Georgia in last year’s presidential campaign (understandably so given her problems in swing states like North Carolina and Florida), and of course Trump could afford to ignore Georgia—after all, if he were losing here, he would not be moving to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue…
As we discuss why “Dems spent money” it’s important to remember that, unlike the GOP spending, the spending here has been grass roots and small donor led. It’s not that someone woke up and said “We’re spending $30M here, and not in KS or MT.” Instead, people who give $15 a month, or what have you, gave it to Ossoff. Once that took off initially, it became a bit of a boulder down a mountain. (As EMILY’S List famously says, “Early Money Is Like Yeast: It helps raise the dough.”) If he comes up short tomorrow, I’m sure there will be some Bernie Twitter mobs accusing the DNC or whatever of overinvesting relative to their Great Prairie Hopes, but the fact is that Dem Voters and supporters themselves made the choice to go big here without any help from Washington. By contrast, the GOP decision to spend big here, led by the NRCC and Ryan’s Personal SuperPAC, is very much one owned by the party leadership.
Yup. I personally donated $25 4x over the course of the election. My boyfriend (who doesn’t live in the 6th – he’s in Loudermilk’s district) donated twice. His ex-wife who hates politicians donated to Ossoff. My ex donated 3x that I know of and phone banked. There are a LOT of us donating a little bit here and there, once a month or once a paycheck. The vast majority of Ossoff money comes from people like us.
To his earned credit, Ossoff has run a good campaign. His people are motivated and hasn’t made many big mistakes. My neighbors are bat-sh*t enthusiastic for the guy.
Meanwhile, I trying to encourage my cadre of conservative neighbors to vote with …. Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney. Woo HOOO!
Actually, Karen Handel is the Republican Hillary.
Pin point accurate.
I’ve been saying this since she got into this race. But of course it doesnt matter. Because those who dislike Mrs. Clinton love Mrs. Handel simply because of that R behind her name.
You know, after howling and knowing I’ll regret asking, how is Handel the Repub Hillary?
Thank you for the phrase *retail politician*.
Yes, Hillary was qualified, at least compared to WJC, GWB, BHO, and DJT.
However, both HRC and KCH have yukky personalities. While the substance may be good, the style is terrible. And the show business part of politics is important.
There is one other difference. Whatever her shortcomings, KCH is famous because of who she is. KCH is not famous because of her husband.
“With all due respect” is the new “bless your heart.” My favorite moment was during a debate. TJO broke in, and started by saying “With all due respect.” KCH fired back “With all due respect, do not interrupt me.” It takes a lot for me to like KCH.
https://twitter.com/chamblee54/status/872907581282537472
Awww, heck, I was expecting some type of scandal comparison. Yall are really getting boring. I had popcorn and everything.
Respectfully disagree with your point 2. Without Bill, we’d have never heard of her.
With all due respect, she had pretty strong career potential before she got sidetracked by WJC. But that doesn’t matter because y’all would have created a target out of someone else if she wasn’t there anyway.
Until the president or Congress is willing to open an investigation into Russian interference in our elections, we must have loyal opposition.
Good post, Mike -give ’em hell! I just read in the ajc that the boy-man spending is now hitting $50 mil. I’m still amazed that he had the audacity to run to represent people in a district where he has chosen not to live for over a decade. If his parents live there, one of them should have run. But they didn’t, and there’s no way to excuse John Lewis’ stooge trying to steal the 6th District voice in Congress.
It will be interesting to see tomorrow evening whether or not enough voters in the 6th could be brainwashed by that flood of libtard money from out of state and the pink vagina hat crazies without their chapeaus.
The “boy-man”? Holy effballs. How old does someone have to be to have legitimacy in your eyes?
Ryan was 31 when elected to office. Joe Biden was 30. Ted Kennedy was 30. Lots of Reps and Senators were in their early 30s when first elected.
Look, I’m 50 and I’m sick of seeing stick-in-the-mud old men representing the country. 30 is plenty old to seek public office and anyone who thinks a 30 year old is a “boy-man” or should be disqualified because of his or her age needs to check their ageism at the door. It’s time for some new, young blood in national politics.
Kara, the term boy-man really has nothing to do with his chronological age. It has to do with the fact that he is a prime example of delayed adolescence, which the psychology community says now extends to age 30. Staying in college into mid-to-late 20’s, no real-life responsibilities or experience to speak of, etc. Add to that the fact he is a millionaire trust-fund kid who says he decided to do this to “stick it to Trump” — not exactly a sincere desire to seriously serve the people who live in the 6th CD. More like a childish tantrum regardless of age.
Yeah, I’m going with old senile woman (how do you like that ageism Sally…not so much I’m guessing)
By the way…the only tantrums are coming from you and Mike
Another thought: tomorrow Karen Handel will be casting her ballot alongside thousands of other Republicans in the 6th CD as Jon Ossoff and his fellow out-of-district supporters watch from the sidelines. Will he/they be able to make GA’s 6th their puppet?
Ok. 24 hours out. Predictions for tomorrow by percentage: I’m still Handel by 5%.
Handel by 5% …..
Another prediction, the Erick Ericksons of today who are blaming Trump for Handel’s impending defeat will claim that Trump had nothing to do with Handel winning on Wed.
The life of a NeverTrumper is never easy.
Truer words…
To B: yeah, Hillary would have had a stellar career without Bill; flunking the DC bar exam and getting booted off Sam Ervin’s Watergate Committee for unethical behavior would been a superb career boost! She’d have still been an embarrassment in any alternative universe!
With all due respect, as usual I think you’ve got your facts wrong. HRC was on that staff until the end. And I’m not saying that because I think you will believe it or change your sources or even care, but for anyone else reading who might just accept your fake news without bothering to check, I am doing a public service.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2016/09/06/the-zombie-claim-that-hillary-clinton-was-fired-during-the-watergate-inquiry/?utm_term=.178f64775129
You’ll want to take a special look at Cobb tonight (the Cobb portion of the 6th District). Ossoff got 41 percent in Cobb in Round 1, a high percentage for a Democrat in that part of Cobb (yes, Cobb overall backed Clinton last year, but much of that was due to voting in David Scott’s 13th CD part of the county, which is heavily Democratic). That 41 was not quite high enough to get a districtwide majority, but he may be able to win tonight with just 43 in that county. His strategy could be seen as three parts—win handily in DeKalb (as he is expected to do), break even in Fulton at worst and then get mid 40s in Cobb).
Ossoff by 3 points. Plus…the weather doesnt look so good. Might rain
I guess Sally does not think highly of Georgia’s most educated district—CD 6 of course—which she asks whether voters there will be brainwashed.
Sally doesn’t write like a girl.
Is that inappropriate of me?
How observant of you, Benevolus. Perhaps you also noticed my icon – the little dude on his horse, sallying forth into the fray?
Write like a girl…?
Piff
a52, I guess you never heard the term “educated idiots”? Our institutions of higher learning have now become so politicized, populated predominantly by left-wing professors, that they focus more on social matters than hard-core education and analytical thinking.
You apparently also have never taken a course in marketing and p/r, packaging a product and selling it to the public, even when it’s bad for them, aka brainwashing. Take a stroll down the junk food aisles of your local grocery store and read some of the ingredient labels…..
President Trump is great at marketing and p/r, packaging product and selling it to the public, even when it’s bad for them. In fact, he wrote books about it and never lets a chance go by when he can tell us so.
Ironic, I know.