Henry County Democrats in the Press...

Richard comes out with the better quotes on this one... I wish the whole interview I gave was posted online or something... I had some better one-liners... sigh.

Published: Thursday, August 21, 2008
Henry Dems say 2008 is year of change

By Johnny Jackson

jjackson@henryherald.com

Local Democrats are optimistic about the upcoming November elections, saying increased interest in national politics will mean increased local political interest.

"I think that this is the year of the Democratic Party," said Richard Ray, a long-time member of the Henry County Democratic Committee, which underwent a sort of revival and reorganization in March.

Ray is also a super delegate for the Democratic Party. On Saturday, he will head to Denver, Colo., to represent the state of Georgia in the Democratic National Committee Convention, which will decide the party's next candidate for the presidency.

Ray said he believes a push for change in the national government will spur similar sentiments locally. "We don't have a lot of local candidates running in November under the Democratic banner," he said. "But those we have, we are hoping that they are going to do well in Henry County."

Energy policy and the economy are big concerns for Americans on the national level, he said. "The American people are seeing the middle class shrink, jobs go overseas ... people want better. People want change."

Issues are not much different, he said, on the local front. He said he believes that transportation, health care and education are the leading issues among Henry County residents.

"Certainly, the cost of gasoline is the No. 1 issue," he said. "Everybody is hurting with the cost of gasoline in terms of getting to and from work and getting their kids to and from school functions. And they want it fixed."

The Democratic Party presence is growing in Henry County as well. More than 5,600 ballots were cast in the July 15 Democratic Primary Election for U.S. Senate.

"Demographics are improving in favor of the Democratic Party," Ray said. "This election cycle, you are going to see more and more people qualifying for local elections as Democrats."

More local Democratic influence, he said, should encourage more debate on transportation issues, like the controversial Atlanta-to-Macon commuter rail idea. "The rail extension for Atlanta to Macon - I think the people are ready for that and the business community in Henry County is pushing for that," he added. "There's going to have to be something done, because the traffic is going to continue to increase."

Such controversial issues have fueled debate in Henry County for years. As gas prices have increased by more than a dollar per gallon over the past year, the debate is more heated now than ever.

"Democrats are really excited this year," said Jim Nichols, chairman of the Henry County Democratic Committee. "People have really been inspired to get back into politics. I think after eight years of Bush, people are starting to step up to the plate and say, 'enough is enough.'"

Several have joined the restructured Henry County Democratic Committee already, throwing their support behind Democratic candidate for Henry County Sheriff, Joe Mack Eckler. In November, Eckler will face Republican candidate, Maj. Keith McBrayer, of the Henry County Sheriff's Office.

"I think he's really going to run a fantastic campaign," Nichols said. "His goal is to bring change to the local level with gang issues and education."

He said he believes November will tell the story of what he believes is a political revival for Henry County's Democrats. "People are asking, 'How can I help bring back a government I can believe in?" he said. "People are ready for change, and the focus is on the issues, especially the transportation issue."

The Henry County Democratic Committee currently has about 25 core members and about 150 active volunteers. "We're growing, and we really have a core group that's active and energized," he added. "We have a revived party, locally in Henry."

The committee meets at the Henry County Government Annex on the fourth Tuesday of every month. The next meeting will be held Aug. 26, at 7:30 p.m.

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Jim Nichols
A Speculative Fiction
www.JimNichols4.com