Good Will Hinton Weekly Podcast - State Rep. Mike Jacobs

Posted June 19, 2007 - 7:46pm by Will Hinton
  • Length: 11:28 minutes (5.25 MB)
  • Format: MP3 Stereo 44kHz 64Kbps (CBR)

I am privileged to have Georgia State Rep. Mike Jacobs join me today for a discussion of his decision to switch parties to the GOP.

For more information on this news, check out Mike's own blog and my blog post from earlier today.

Comments

"Active political people who

by disappointedmuch? (not verified) - 06/21/2007 - 12:12pm

"Active political people who supported Mike Jacobs solely because he was a Democrat, or because he was an electable Democrat, have a valid complaint against him."

That's me to a "t"...I contributed, posted yard signs and got my neighbors to do the same, and recorded a phone message for him.

I want my money back. Oh wait...if I give my money to payday lenders to loan out, can I make a 150% rate of return within a week, and stick it to the "living paycheck to paycheck" crowd at the same time? THEN I'M IN. Thanks, Mike, for looking out for what used to be known in Biblical times as "usurers".

Also, can I have some of that saved Peachcare money to put up billboards lauding the "healthcare for the rich" program I've heard tell so much about? I want sick kids and their parents to read it while they're racing down 85 to the emergency room because they can't afford a doctor's visit.

I think Chris has a point...

by Steve Barton - 06/21/2007 - 10:21am

...that goes as far as him and his family and other active partisans. Active political people who supported Mike Jacobs solely because he was a Democrat, or because he was an electable Democrat, have a valid complaint against him.

Those who supported Jacobs for his positions and abilities over his party affiliation should not have any complaints.

I respect and acknowledge Chris's sour feelings on this.

Next.

There are actually

by Decaturguy (not verified) - 06/21/2007 - 8:53am

There are actually pro-choice Republicans in the GA; are there pro-life Democrats? Can you imagine a scenario in which state Democrats rally around a pro-life candidate? I can't.

Will, the Democratic Leader in the House, Dubose Porter, voted in favor of the Republican abortion restriction bill this year, much to my shagrin and against 75% of the House Democratic Caucus.

The two announced Democratic candidates for the U.S. Senate are both anti-immigration zealots.

Where is this intolerance for diversity in the Democratic Party that you and Mike seem to think exists?

Now Go Talk to Mike

by Dustin Kidd - 06/20/2007 - 9:31am

Will, I think you should use your new role as interviewer of the party switchers to go talk to Bloomberg about his big changes (leaving the Republicans to become an Independent). Although Bloomberg's change is likely more about national politics than local (i.e., will he run for pres in 08?) the two stories remind us how incredibly different both parties are depending on the location.

Dustin Kidd

Dustin Kidd

Indy

by Trackboy1 (not verified) - 06/19/2007 - 10:52pm

JoeVentures brings up a good point on his blog...why didn't Mike go independent?

GWH, amazing for you to get a podcast interview with him online so quickly. The AJC isn't capable, and probably didn't even think of it. A fantastic "get".

Trackboy: That is a good

by Will Hinton - 06/20/2007 - 7:03am

Trackboy: That is a good question about Mike becoming an independent. I haven't asked Mike that question, but I suspect I know the answer. The ballot access laws in Georgia are so restrictive that if Mike had decided to run for re-election as an independent, he likely would not have been able to get on the ballot. Georgia laws effectively ban independents and third-party candidates from even running for office.

Even if Mike could get re-elected as an independent, the fact that our system greatly favors a two-party system would keep Mike from having any influence in the legislative process. Short of having an evenly split General Assembly, Mike would not get any good committee assignments and would be a non-entity.

We need tremendous election reform in this state for us to have any sense of choice when we go to the polls.

Chris: I am baffled at your

by Will Hinton - 06/19/2007 - 9:34pm

Chris: I am baffled at your comments about Mike here and at other blogs. It is painfully obvious that you neither know anything about the district nor anything about Mike.

I can completely understand you and others being upset at Mike for this decision. But Mike is not the person who has betrayed anyone. It was the state Democrat party that betrayed Mike first by demanding complete loyalty even when that meant going against his constituents.

The majority of people in our district don't care about partisanship. They care about results and having a representative that is responsive to them. You would be hard pressed to find a state representative who has been more in touch with his local district and advocated for local concerns than Mike Jacobs. Who has done more about the Georgia Power substation on Ashford Dunwoody than Mike? Who was at all the public meetings concerning the Sembler development in Brookhaven? I don't recall seeing you involved in any of these issues.

Personally, I don't really care whether Mike is a Republican or a Democrat so long as he ignores the political chattering class in Georgia in favor of listening to his constituents.

Umm...

by Chris (not verified) - 06/21/2007 - 2:05am

Will, you need to ask Mike who he talked to on the phone nearly every day during his initial 2004 run and the answer will be Chris Huttman or somebody else from the state Democratic party. We spent nearly $100,000 getting Mike elected and we NEVER asked for anything in return. In fact, we were all baffled when the first vote Mike ever cast was for the Republican rules of the House which greatly limit debate and should make Democrats, Independents and even Republicans sick.

Ask Mike who hooked him up with a sweet yardsign location in Hampton Hall Drive (my parents house) and when he is going to give back the $100 that my mother gave him last election cycle?

Will, I have a hard time taking you seriously when you call it the "Democrat" party which is a Jeff Emmanuel approved right wing talking phonetic slur, even Jeff is trying his hardest to say Democratic after criticism on Peach Pundit.

Um, newsflash Will, I don't live in House District 80 anymore. Why am I going to go to the Ashford Dunwoody substation meeting. By the way that substation is getting built so a lot of good Mike was able to do, oh let me guess did the Democratic party cut some secret deal with Vernon Jones to screw Mike by having it built anyway?

And as far as Sembler is concerned, I don't live in that neighborhood. I live 3 miles up the road in Chamblee. While I'm interested in what might happen there, I also have a job and other responsibilities and interests. Maybe if I were the state rep, like Mike is, I'd go to those meetings but I'm not.

Will, do you favor Mike's votes to re-legalize payday lending or to cut Peachcare eligibility. Because those are two actual real life issues that where the Democrats went to Jacobs and said dude WTF are you doing? How about we start to talk about those real issues instead of Jacobs' made up issues about the oppressive Democratic caucus. Because here is one thing I do know, not a single Republican voted against Richardson's Peachcare reductions, even though I'm sure many think that is a bad idea. So what party is inflexible when it comes to what their leaders want?

I'll be waiting for some serious debate on actual votes and issues instead of Mike's made up ego-stroking. Do you know that with the exception of that weird Bill Morton guy the party even cleared the field for Mike in 2004 (and then went on to spend $100,000 to get him elected in the first place).

Will, before you tell me all about myself, let me tell you that I was good friends with J. Max Davis before he died and that by supporting Mike I damaged a friendship with J, his son who Mike beat in 2004. And I did that because I am a Democrat and I support the Democrat and at the time I at least considered Mike an equal friend. Myself and my family had to tell J sorry we think you are a good guy but we support the Democrat. So before you tell me that Mike's entire district only cares about Mike because he's a great guy and not because he was a Democrat, why don't you stop extrapolating out from your own obviously Republican existence.

Chris: I could care less

by Will Hinton - 06/21/2007 - 7:45am

Chris: I could care less whether Mike is a Democrat or a Republican and I told him so when we discussed his decision weeks ago. I'm not sure why you want to peg me as a Republican as I have just about as many problems with the GOP caucus as I do the Democrats. (I would love to see most of the Republican leadership booted out of office as they are demagogues who try to scare evangelical Christians into voting for them)

The real issue here is that the state Democratic party rejected Mike, not the other way around. There is simply no room for dissent in the party and you are part of that intolerant attitude. I have plenty of problems with the Republican caucus (in fact I wrote more critical posts about state Republican this year than about the Democrats) but they do allow for diversity within the caucus. There are actually pro-choice Republicans in the GA; are there pro-life Democrats? Can you imagine a scenario in which state Democrats rally around a pro-life candidate? I can't.

As to some of the actual issues, yes I do agree with Mike's vote on payday lending. Do I like payday lending? No. But I don't want to see people forced underground or across state lines. There may not have been any diversity of opinion within the Democratic caucus but there certainly was with Democratic activists. I recall people like Rusty Tanton and James of Griftdrift agreeing with Mike on this issue.

The real shame here is that those of you who supported Mike with your time and money rejected him when he chose to buck the party line in favor of what his constituents wanted. He is OUR (the district)representative, not YOURS (Democratic activists).

Puhlease

by Hill Pearson (not verified) - 06/19/2007 - 9:24pm

If Rep. Jacobs thinks House Democrats are intolerant, he clearly hasn't spent enough time around Glen Richardson. This is so much baloney, "it's not what's in it for him, but what's good for the district," c'mon. He made a deal with the Speaker to switch parties months ago in exchange for vague promises that the Speaker would not kill all of his legislation. His ego couldn't handle being in the minority party. That's why he voted for the Speaker's horrible predatory lending bill. You think that's in the best interests of House District 80? He claims to identify more with the GA GOP and then cites three totally marginalized moderate Republcians: Jill Chambers (the lone GOP vote against the gay marriage ban), Fran Millar (the guy they screwed out of letting his district decide if it should be a city), and Ed Lindsey (whose bills are reguarly trashed by the leadership). The same Mike Jacobs that marched in a gay pride parade is now in the Georgia GOP, I guess he and Chambers can now forge the two person House Republicans that don't gay bash Caucus. In time, Mike could have been a leader in the Democratic Party, which sorely needs some bright young leaders at present. The post on his blog explains his reasoning in part as that he thinks government shouldn't be in citizens' personal lives. Heh, good luck following that as a Georgia House Republican.

Oh barf. I refuse to

by Chris (not verified) - 06/19/2007 - 9:20pm

Oh barf. I refuse to believe that districts want their representative to switch parties. If they feel that needs to happen then they have an ineffective representative. If they just want a Republican (for example) why not get a real one instead of a switcher?

Will, you really softballed this one. He talks about the Democratic caucus's intolerance on issues, but then he doesn't offer a SINGLE example of where this has happened, and you don't even ask him.

Mike essentially tows the party line (the Republican one) already except for on a few issues like abortion rights. Is that really your ideal representative?