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Georgia Republican Party

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This article is on the political party of the U.S. state of Georgia. For a political party in the nation of Georgia, see Republican Party of Georgia.
Georgia Republican Party
ChairmanSue Everhart
Founded1854
Headquarters3110 Maple Drive
Atlanta, GA 30305
IdeologyCenter-right
Conservatism
National affiliationRepublican Party
Colorspink (unofficial)
Website
www.gagop.org

The Georgia Republican Party is one of the two major political parties in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is affiliated with the United States Republican Party (GOP).

Current structure

Governor Nathan Deal is the titular head of the Georgia Republican Party. Sue Everhart is the current State Chairman. Kevin Harris is the acting Executive Director after Toby Carr, the previous Executive Director, accepted a position in Nathan Deal's gubernatorial administration. Alec Poitevint, former State Chairman, serves as Republican National Committeeman representing Georgia. Linda Herren serves as the National Committeewoman. Republicans hold every elected position in the state for the first time since Reconstruction.

The Republican National Committee (RNC) is responsible for promoting Republican campaign activities. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. Reince Priebus is the current Chairman of RNC, having won the last election after controversial Chairman Michael Steele withdrew his rebid nomination. The chairman of the RNC is chosen by the President when the Republicans have the White House or otherwise by the Party's state committees. Interestingly, there has never been a chairman from Georgia. The RNC, under the direction of the party's presidential candidate, supervises the Republican National Convention, raises funds, and coordinates campaign strategy. On the local level there are similar state committees in every state and most large cities, counties and legislative districts, but they have far less money and influence than the national body.

Current and recent officeholders were primarily known as Democrats until the gradual change of the South. It was also customary for Southern States to propel actual skilled candidates to office, not career politicians. Character and experience in the South is seemingly a bigger deal than a charismatic figure.

History

Immediately after the Civil War, the Union installed a Military General as Governor of Georgia during Reconstruction. At the time, African Americans made up 44% of the state, many who made dominated the Georgia Republican Party. They formed a coalition with whites from the northern mountainous part of Georgia to take control of the state legislature and elect Rufus Bulloch to be the states first Republican Governor in 1868. In 1871, Governor Bulloch fled into exile before he was impeached. And at that time, the Lieutenant Governor position was not formed so the President of the Georgia Senate, Benjamin Conley, took control of the unexpired term and became Georgia's second Republican Governor. Unfortunately for Mr. Conley, a special election was called just 72 days later and he was replaced with a Democrat.[1]


These former democrats were known as the "Dixiecrats" and for the first time since the civil war, broke up their huge voting power due to the issues that have plagued the South for 100 years.[2]

In 1966 Republican Howard Callaway received the plurality of votes for governor but failed to win, when the election was decided by the Democratic Party-controlled Georgia legislature. In the 1970s, amid the Watergate Scandal, the rise of Democratic President Jimmy Carter from Georgia, led to the self proclaimed "dark days" for the Republican Party that led to a decade of failed elections and tough incidents. Georgia Republicans struggled through the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s to become a major party, occasionally winning victories such as the election of U.S. Senator Mack Mattingly in 1980, only to see those gains erased in subsequent elections. In 2002 Sonny Perdue was elected as the first Republican governor of Georgia since Reconstruction. He served as Governor from 2003-2011 for two terms.

Georgia Republican Party has sent many important Republicans to Washington including Newt Gingrich, and possibly Herman Cain. In the past 20 years, the party has played a key role in the impact that the National Republican Party has left. Newt Gingrich and Herman Cain continue to be top contenders in the 2012 Republican Presidential Election.[3]

Today's ideology

The membership of the Republican Party is primarily made up of fiscal conservatives, social conservatives, neoconservatives, libertarians, and members of the Religious Right. Recently, Tea Party members have joined many of these groups and become a force in Washington and around the country.[4]

The social conservatives of the party tend to support teaching creationism alongside evolution. Although the GOP has voted for increases in government funding of scientific research, many members actively oppose the federal funding of embryonic stem cell research because it involves the harvesting and destruction of human embryos (which many consider ethically equivalent to abortion), while supporting for applying research money into adult stem cell research.

While most Republicans believe that the private sector is more effective in helping the poor than government, they nonetheless generally agree that there should be a way to assist the less fortunate. Rather than involve the government in the distribution of aid, however, many Republicans support the use of charities, to fund welfare spending. In recent years, Kentucky and Florida have created laws to drug test individuals who receive welfare which is seen as a Republican initiative. Additionally, most Republicans believe that limits on eligibility and benefits must be in place to ensure the safety net is not abused.

Members of the Republican party are generally opposed to a single-payer universal health care system, such as that found in Canada or in most of Europe, sometimes referring to it as "socialized medicine" and are in favor of the current personal or employer based system of insurance, supplemented by Medicare for the elderly and Medicaid, which covers a good variety of the poor. Notably, Republican candidate Bob Dole in 1996 proposed the same form of health care that Republicans tend to dub "ObamaCare".

Most Republicans favor free-market policies with as much trade as possible. Republicans support the notion of Reaganomics, an economic theory that was popularized by Ronald Reagan which holds that reduced income tax rates increase GDP growth and thereby generate more revenue for the government from the taxes on the extra growth. Its policy on taxes says to not tax the rich as they are "job creators". The party opposes to higher minimum wages because it believes that they its reduce production and hiring. Republicans, in general, oppose the contractual agreement by unions to regulate labor and reduce competition in the workplace.

The party has insisted on a system of greater accountability for public schools, most prominently in recent years with the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Republican analysts and candidates for office often repeat that the government should not have as much influence in education as they currently do. Republicans would rather the public school system ran like a business, with CEOs, to get the most for the buck. Most Republicans support school choice through charter schools and education vouchers for private schools; and many have denounced the performance of the public school system and the teachers' unions.

The Republican Party supports a strong defense policy and is the more socially conservative and economically libertarian of the two major parties in the state of Georgia. The party generally supports lower taxes and limited government in some economic areas, although it does support government intervention in other areas. Georgian Republicans often identify themselves as far right, and far out of reach of the strong capitalism nature to the left of the Republican Party. Although the South is generally conservative, Georgia prides itself in being one of the more conservative states.

Most of the GOP's national and state candidates oppose abortion on religious or moral grounds, oppose the legalization of same sex marriage, and favor faith-based initiatives. Most of the GOP's membership favors capital punishment and stricter punishments as a means to prevent crime. Republicans generally strongly support constitutionally protected gun ownership rights.

Recent Tea Party gains has put financial motivations of Republicans on the back burner, as conservatives have direct control of the Republican Party.

Issues

A congressional candidate in 2010, Jody Hice, portrayed President Barack Obama as a communist by using billboards representing a hammer and sickle symbol. The symbol was associated with an iron fist portraying 20th century dictators.[5]

A study from 2001 to April 2011 shows that Georgia had the fifth lowest private sector job growth rate. Also, in July 2011, Georgia ranked 50th in job creation with a loss of 24,900 jobs from July 2010, to July 2011. The state's unemployment rate rose to 10.1 percent in the month of July.[6]

On September 28, 2011, it was revealed that Georgia intends to move their Republican Primary to Super Tuesday by December 1. The party feels that it should play a bigger role due to its size and number of delegates, and is moving forward with the notion that it can have an important say in this next election. Georgia Republican Party Chairwoman Sue Everhart said that having an early primary would make Georgia a bigger player in 2012. She added that she did not want to see the state lose delegates by going before March. "Since we became a red state, they haven't paid much attention to us," Everhart said, referring to GOP candidates and the RNC. "They use us as a donor state."[7]

Right to work state

Georgia is a right to work state. In right to work states, employees can decide if they want to financially support or join a union. Most states in the South are right to work states.[8]

Symbols and name

The mascot (symbol) of the Georgia Republican Party is the elephant. The elephant was originally constructed by artist Thomas Nast, in response to the criticism of a possible third term by President Ulysses S. Grant.

Depiction of party symbols

The cartoon's image was taken from one of Aesop’s fables, “The Ass in the Lion’s Skin.” It follows up with, “At last coming upon a fox, he [the ass] tried to frighten him also, but the fox no sooner heard the sound of his voice than he exclaimed, ‘I might possibly have been frightened myself, if I had not hear your bray.’” "The moral of the fable is that although a fool may disguise his appearance, his words will reveal his true nature. To Nast, the New York Herald is not a roaring lion to be feared, but a braying ass to be ridiculed. The reference in the citation to “Shakespeare or Bacon” is a jibe at Bennett’s contention that Shakespeare’s works were actually written by Sir Francis Bacon."

In modern day, the symbol of the elephant is seen as a regular commodity, showing up on campaign merchandise and other party materials. Ordinary people would most likely not understand the rise of the elephant, or its history, but understand the symbolic nature of the beast in today's political climate.

The elephant for the GOP rivals the Democrats' donkey.[9]

Current Republican officeholders

The Republican Party of Georgia controls both U.S. Senate seats and 8 of the 13 U.S. House seats. Republicans also control all 13 of the 13 state constitutional offices.

Federal
State

Past Republican governors

In 2002 Sonny Perdue was elected as the first Republican governor of Georgia since Reconstruction. He earned a doctorate from University of Georgia in 1971 in Veterinary Medicine. He served in the US Air Force, earning the rank of Captain, before receiving his honorable discharge and starting up a small business in Raleigh, N.C. He served 10 years beginning in 1990 as a Democrat in the Georgia State Senate, including a tenure as majority leader in 1995-1996. He served as Governor from 2003-2011 for two terms.[10]

References

  1. ^ GA GOP History.http://www.gagop.org/history-of-the-ga-gop/
  2. ^ Dixiecrats.http://www.gagop.org/history-of-the-ga-gop/
  3. ^ Gingrich & Cain.http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57322894-503544/poll-cain-tops-3-way-race-with-romney-gingrich/
  4. ^ Party Make Up. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_(United_States)
  5. ^ Jody Hice.http://rncnyc2004.blogspot.com/2010/07/jody-hice-billboards-calling-out-obama.html
  6. ^ Job Creation.http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2011/08/22/georgia-50th-in-job-creation-in-july.html
  7. ^ Primary.http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/local_news/Sources-Say-Ga.-Primary-to-be-March-6-20110928-ap-pk
  8. ^ Right To Work.http://www.nrtw.org/c/gartwlaw.htm
  9. ^ Symbol.http://weburbanist.com/2010/11/07/political-animal-the-ever-evolving-republican-elephant-logo/
  10. ^ Sonny Perdue.http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-2801

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