If you were fortunate enough to live in Georgia in the latter part of the last century, then you will know the name Lewis Grizzard. Lewis was a modern-day Mark Twain with the tongue in cheek wit needed to say what we all knew was right. He was merciless in his analysis of politicians and saw through most for what they represent. His daily columns in the Atlanta papers were classic. What made his humor so effective was his ability to look at the absurdity of many things and use humor to communicate.
If Lewis Grizzard were alive today, he would have made note of a peculiar aspect of the current campaigns and those making claims. Along the way he did a stand-up show where he explained the benefits of a southern accent. Knowing many malign our accent and often mistake it for a lack of sophistication, he made an interesting observation. According to Grizzard there is a great deal of misunderstanding between the north and south that boils down to language. “Yankees think we talk funny; God talks like we do!” A great quip, but also with a
ring of truth.
With Lewis Grizzard’s observation ringing in my ears, I was watching YouTube last week and the flood of ads put out by the Democrats attacking Governor Kemp and Hershel Walker. YouTube can target ads to the State, community, and I guess individual on most platforms. I probably see fifty to one hundred ads per day and the election is still two months off. Several things begin to emerge as you watch these ads since they have a common theme.
First, politicians and aspiring politicians who run attack ads do so because they have no real accomplishments of their own. Typically, they have gone to Atlanta or Washington and fallen into lock step with their party to just vote the party line. They talk about working across party lines and working for all Georgians, but you would have to have an IQ of 80 to take them seriously. When your voting record
is available for all to see, your speeches readily available for all to hear, and your platform is out on the internet it is hard to hide. This is the politics of “I am not very good at what I do, so I will try to sling enough mud to drag my opponent down to my level” and “Don’t watch what I do, just listen to what I promise.”
Second, Georgians are not stupid. We understand the source of our current economic, immigration, and school crises. A Congress that continues to pump money into an already overheated economy either wants us to fail or knows so little about economics that they do not understand what they are doing. To create an Act labeled the “Inflation Reduction Act” at actually increases inflation is either stupid or relying on the ignorance of the electorate. No politician who voted for that Act should be returned to Washington. Creating open borders and ignoring the immigration crisis and the accompanying flood of illegal drugs is not an accomplishment. Georgians are not stupid!
Third, it is important to understand that the Senate and Governorship of Georgia can tip the balance of power in Washington, and nothing corrupts a politician more than the fear of loss of power. According to the web site http://www.racetothewh.com, Raphael Warnock has raised $85 million to Hershel Walker’s $20 million. My guess is that Georgians don’t have a spare $65 million to throw at this race and that the bulk of Warnock’s large war chest is from the national Democratic Party and far left supporters. Then there is the moral and ethical question concerning Warnock. Is a minister who supports abortion really a minister, or has he left his ecclesiastical foundations behind? Do we want a man in Congress who will sacrifice human rights principles for money and power? The answer is obviously no. It only took two years for Warnock to begin to sacrifice his religious principles to get back to the seat of power.
Fourth, there is Stacy Abrams, the politician who has been wrong on every issue. This is the genius who called us all racists and moved the baseball All Star Game to Denver in protest. Denver where the African American population is about 6%, versus Atlanta where it hovers around 70%. How many small African American businesses in Atlanta did she hurt? Her platform in 2018 was one Fidel Castro would have endorsed, and this time around it is more polished but no better for Georgians.
Fifth and last, and most important, the ads reveal an important aspect of these races through the individuals who play Georgia citizens. These actors and actresses are missing one important thing, a southern accent. The only way these people could be southern is if they migrated here from California, Oregon, or Washington. Their speech lacks any accent, which probably means they are either trained actors and actresses, or from a region of the country that is devoid of a regional accent. Many or most seem not to be Georgians, and it shows. They open their mouths and I hear California not Georgia.
We will all go to the polls in November, hopefully to hear Georgians speak. If either of these Democrats wins then we will know for sure that all American elections are up for bid to those with the most money. On November 8 vote like your freedoms and future depend on it, because they do. And remember what Lewis Grizzard said: “Yankees think we talk funny; God Talks Like We Do!”
