By J. Randolph Evans
2010 was a watershed election in Georgia politics. Republicans swept
every state constitutional office and took firm control of the Georgia
Senate and House.
2012 will be a watershed election in Georgia for a completely different
reason. While the Presidential election will certainly impose a healthy
level of partisanship in the November General Election, the 2012
nonpartisan judicial elections will also be big.
Observations©
By Donald S. Conkey
Graduation, whether it be from high school, from a technical college or university is always a family event worth celebrating – especially for the graduate. It is an accomplishment worth celebrating. And my family is no different – we will be celebrating the graduation of two grandchildren, grandson Cody Barnett from high school in Gainesville Georgia and granddaughter Erin Shaw from Brigham Young University in … Read more...
By J. Randolph Evans
On May 16, 2011, the Georgia Supreme Court by a 4-3 margin struck down
as unconstitutional the law that allows a state commission to supplement
local schools with charter schools. For students in charter schools –
like the Ivy Prep School, an all girls school that ‘provides rigorous,
college preparatory program for young women’ (68% African-American and
40% from low income families), the court’s decision dampens … Read more...
By Donald S. Conkey
Was the killing of Osama bin Laden a coup or was it a diversion. Perhaps it was both! It was a coup from the standpoint of him being on a presidential “hit list” for over ten years, but it was also a diversion to divert attention away from the ten years America has been spending itself into near bankruptcy. The question now, after the CIA found … Read more...
By J. Randolph Evans
On May 7, 2011, first lady Michelle Obama, echoing President Barack
Obama, addressed the success of the United States military in killing
Osama bin Laden. She made her remarks in Iowa, the first state to
decide in the 2012 election cycle. The last time she was in Iowa was to
campaign in the 2008 presidential election.
Observations©
By Donald S. Conkey
On May 6, 1999 the Tribune published my first Mother’s Day tribute to my mother. Ironically the day it was published was the day Mother was buried in the family cemetery in Huron County, Michigan.
That was a difficult day. But sooner or later most of us figure it out that mankind came into mortality for a grand purpose: to be tested and tried and … Read more...
By J. Randolph Evans
Several Republican candidates for President appeared in Greenville,
South Carolina on May 5th, in the first of many “debates” to come. Not
every candidate or potential candidate made his or her way to South
Carolina, the home of the third state to decide in the nomination
process (after Iowa and New Hampshire). Indeed, several political
heavyweights who are considering a presidential run decided to pass on… Read more...
By John Douglas
All of us can remember what are called “gotcha moments,” moments in time when something important happened and we can recall years later where we were when we first heard the news. Such was the attack on Pearl Harbor for our older citizens, the assassination of President Kennedy for my generation and the attacks of 9/11/01 for most of us. This past week we added another gotcha … Read more...
By J. Randolph Evans
On April 27, 2011, the White House staff handed out to reporters a
certified copy of the longer form of the Certificate of Live Birth for
President Barack Obama. Shortly thereafter President Obama appeared
before the White House Press corps and confirmed that it was his birth
certificate.
This is not the first time that the birth issue has been addressed by
the Obama team. Indeed, … Read more...
By John Douglas
Until now, historians generally consider our 15th President, James Buchanan to have been the worst President in American history. While in office from 1857-1861, he sat by and did nothing to halt the oncoming War Between the States and the sectional crisis that was tearing the nation apart. Fortunately for America, Buchanan chose not to run for reelection and went home, making way for Abraham Lincoln.
That … Read more...
By J. Randolph Evans
President Barack Obama has officially launched his campaign for
reelection as President of the United States. His budget for his
campaign is one billion dollars.
So far, Democrats and Republicans agree on one thing about the 2012
election – it will be a referendum on the first term of President Obama.
This is not to say that issues like the deficit, spending, gas prices,
unemployment, and … Read more...
Observations©
By Donald S. Conkey
The answer to this question depends, I suppose, on the issue causing a public uproar. History reminds us that ‘public uproars’ have been around for a long time. Some have led to peaceful change while others have led to wars and blood baths for millions of people.
Public uproars are a part of governing. America’s Revolutionary and Civil Wars were public uproars. The Tea Party … Read more...