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By Floyd L. Griffin
This year year, don’t forget to vote the down ballot. I’ve been in politics for a very long time, probably far longer than I want to admit. I’ve cast votes in the Georgia General Assembly that at the time seemed liked the most important vote in my lifetime and the lifetime of the good people of Milledgeville who sent me to Atlanta.
Atlanta, Georgia, Cascade Press has never endorsed a candidate for political office. In spite of this fact, in this digital space,we have not been shy in expressing our views on all things political . This is an unusual election year. We feel the need to endorse a candidate.
Although, Cascade Press will enter the game of endorsing candidates, we will not endorse a candidate for president. We will leave it to the intelligence of the electorate to make a smart selection between the four candidates that are on enough ballots that they could potentially win 270 electoral votes to become the 45th President of the United States of America.
Those four candidates are, not in any particular order, Donald Trump representing angry conservative Americans, Hillary Clinton representing “Baby Boomers with her 35 years of public engagement, Gary Johnson, a default candidate for Republicans who do not trust Clinton and can not abide the denigrating persona of Trump, and Jill Stein the activist candidate out to save the planet from global warming.
According to the polls the smart money’s on Clinton to be atop the pack when the votes are finally counted, sometime in the early morning hours, eastern time, on November 9.
Cascade Press has never believed in betting against the “house.” With 94 percent of all donations by journalist going to fund Clinton’s campaign, Donald will have to pull a trump card out of thin air to pull them one off.
Consequently, our attention is diverted to the U. S. Senate race in Georgia. It is a seat held for the last two terms by Johnny Isakson (R), a real estate executive who made his money selling dirt in Georgia.
Isakson is opposed by Jim Barksdale (D), a stockbroker, who made his money in the stock market.He has campaigned on tougher regulations of Wall Street. Also, in the contest is Libertarian Allen Buckley.
Isakson has garnered the financial support of many big name Georgia Democrats, including former Georgia Governor Roy Barnes. He leads in a recent AJC poll over his rivals. Isakson is liked by 47 percent of likely voters, while Barksdale comes in at 32 percent and Allen Buckley stands at 11 percent.
Not surprisingly, Barksdale’s strongest support comes from Georgia’s African American population. Despite this fact, Cascade Press endorses one-time State Senator Steen Miles as a Write-In Candidate for this senate seat.
Miles, a veteran broadcast journalist, ran for an open senate seat two years ago. She failed to gain the support of the state party and lost a primary contest to Michelle Nunn, who had the full endorsement of the Democratic Party elite prior to the primary contest.
Miles favors sensible gun control legislation, environmental measures that will protect the planet, jobs in impoverished African American communities and a stronger health care system.
We know that Miles is not a Write-In Candidate. Indeed, she is in a bigger battle for her life right now as she undergoes radiation and chemo treatments to ward off an attack on her lungs. Miles is taking the fight to those cancerous cells and it is this fighting spirit that we find refreshing and the type of energy Cascade Press would love to see from a member of the U. S. Senate from Georgia.
On November 8, Cascade Press encourages Georgia voters to write in the name of Steen Miles for U. S. Senator. If you do not think this is a good use of your political capital, or if you live in a state other than Georgia, then we suggest that you become a member of “STEEN TEAM: Steen Miles Heroes'” GoFundMe Campaign.
Miles is in a tough campaign. The polls are against her. She believe she can win this race against the odds with a little help from her friends.
The early donation period has started.No donation is too small. Please donate early and donate often.Steen is fighting for her life. She needs help to pay the out of pocket medical expenses not covered by her insurance plan and Cascade Press urges its readers to pitch in and help her win the biggest prize of the 2016 election year. Go Steen! Beat Cancer!
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