Tipsheet

The Deep South Is Not A Good Place To Be Tied To Obama

Jillian Bandes
Jillian Bandes  |  September 15, 2010 1:25 PM
In Georgia, Republican Nathan Deal is lobbying to replace retiring Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue. Deal is being challenged by former Democratic Gov. Roy Barnes, who served one term in the late 90's before suffering defeat as part of a more widespread national Republican takeover in 2002.

The Republican Governors Association has come out with a new ad against Barnes, calling the former Democratic governor one and the same with President Obama. Barnes missed the Obama White House by six years, but has played an active role in contributing to the campaigns, and the messaging, that made Obamacare a reality.



Remarkably, the video is essentially in line with what Barnes has been saying himself:




Barnes was known for having an abrasive personality, but I think this is overkill. The two lynchpins of Barnes' governorship -- requiring mandatory testing for public school students, and removing the Confederate flag from such a prominent position in Georgia's state flag -- weren't all that bad. Then again, supporting Obamacare quickly overrides any of those brownie points.