Thank You, Charlie

Though I have held various titles and positions and have spoken in front of large crowds, I am a classic introvert that doesn’t like talking about myself. I don’t mind the spotlight being on others. I spend a lot of time listening and speaking as little as possible. I am very deliberate in my actions, as I like to ponder the various angles of things before making a decision, which has often aggravated some extroverts and Type A personalities. However, I found it easy to accept Charlie’s offer to become the publisher and editor-in-chief of GeorgiaPol.

I honestly didn’t make this decision for myself. At the end of the day, I am simply just Lawton. Charlie and I saw that this site still served a meaningful purpose and it was worth the time investment to continue moving forward. We have the same focus of GeorgiaPol being a site where diverse topics can be covered by people from various backgrounds and political leanings.

While this new transition has progressed rather quickly in a very short period of time, this has been a topic of discussion over the past three years. The roots of where we are today go back even further, all the way back to 2007.

I began commenting on Peach Pundit in May of 2007 after hearing about Peach Pundit for the first time at the GAGOP State Convention. I would become a contributor in 2014 and continued to post regularly before becoming part of the team that transitioned to GeorgiaPol in January of 2016.

The consistent part of that journey has been Charlie Harper. I cannot count the number of messages and phone calls we have shared in the past 13 years, but I remember a lot of the wisdom that he shared. I will try my best to use that wisdom moving forward.

We are not saying goodbye to Charlie. He will continue to share his column here and possibly posting if the right chord is struck. Charlie is just simply in a different season in his life where his time is having to be focused elsewhere.

Charlie, it is impossible to fill your shoes. You have sacrificed your time (and money) over the years to create and sustain a platform for political discussion. You have dealt with angry calls and texts. You have put up with contributors and commenters that chose to ignored your warnings. You have bared your soul in your writings, even when you knew others would disagree. You have used your contacts and your voice to make Georgia and this country a better place.

Thank you, Charlie.

This will be a team effort between myself, the contributors, and commenters going forward. Mistakes will be made, but we will learn from them.

You are welcome on this lawn. Come and sit for awhile and join in the discussion as we move forward.