The hosts, David McLaughlin and Catherine Smith, welcome listeners back for their mid-summer edition of
The Kudzu Vine on July 13, 2014, following a two-week break. The conversation immediately centers on the heightened political activity following the Fourth of July, largely due to upcoming
runoff elections and anticipation for the general election in November.Georgia Senate Runoff: Kingston vs. PerdueThe main topic is the Republican Senate runoff. Initial momentum appeared to favor
Jack Kingston after he received Karen Handel’s endorsement. However, recent polling, including a Fox 5 Atlanta poll of 1,200 voters, showed the race as nearly a tie:
Kingston at 42%, David Perdue at 41%, and 17% Undecided. Catherine expresses surprise at the high undecided number.The hosts discuss the attacks on Kingston portraying him as a "Washington guy" and less conservative, an angle the Perdue campaign is utilizing. They consider if these attacks could backfire by appealing to more moderate Republican voters who favor an
"outsider" like Perdue, a businessman, over the long-time incumbent Kingston. McLaughlin notes that early results, such as a Spalding County straw poll showing Kingston winning
74% to 26% among hardcore Republicans, suggest Kingston’s strength lies with the base, while Perdue is appealing to broader, less ideologically rigid Republican-identifying voters.Michelle Nunn Campaign ControversyThe discussion shifts to the Democratic Senate candidate,
Michelle Nunn. A controversy arose when the National Review highlighted that one of her fundraiser hosts,
Virgil Ware, had a history as a former
Black Panther convicted of robbery. The hosts agree the issue is less about the Black Panther connection and more about the
"sloppy and amateurish" vetting process, or lack thereof, of fundraiser hosts. Catherine believes the mistake was not properly vetting the host, not denying his right to contribute. McLaughlin speculates the issue won't gain traction with the average voter, but will be a warning for the campaign's fundraising team.Congressional Runoffs and Campaign TacticsThey quickly cover two Republican Congressional runoffs:
- Bartow/North Fulton District: Polls favor Barry Loudermilk over Bob Barr. McLaughlin does not see a scenario where Barr wins, given the likely conservative turnout in a runoff.
- 10th Congressional District (Paul Brown's seat): This runoff pits cultural conservative Jody Heiss against Mike Collins. The race has drawn attention due to a viral video parodying Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby" to mock Heiss—an example of negative campaign tactics with unknown origins.
Finally, they touch on the length of the current runoff, agreeing the legislature should shorten it, possibly by reforming primary dates, and briefly express disapproval of the practice of
"crossing over" to vote in the opposing party's primary.
