Porter for Georgia, Jmac for Porter

Rep. DuBose Porter has relaunched his web site, and it's better in the sense that it now has actual content.

Speaking of Porter, I got a few questions about this post where, in defending Roy Barnes and poking fun at David Poythress (again), I mentioned that I was backing the Democratic Minority Leader in his campaign for governor. A lot of people thought I was backing Barnes, which is a reasonable conclusion given my criticisms of Poythress and defenses of Barnes.

But my defense of Barnes from outlandish attacks - and my genuine respect and admiration of him - doesn't mean I'm backing him. Make no mistake, I really, really like the former governor, and I think Georgia would be very well off if he were to be elected. However, I also really, really like Porter, and I also think the state would be very well off if he were to be elected.

My determination to cast my lot with Porter this early in the primary race was built largely, but not solely, around the work, dedication and commitment he has put into progressive politics over the past few years.

Listen, if you look at the track record of the past eight years, there is only one Democrat in this race who has consistently advocated for and fought for progressive policies, and that's Porter. And I don't intend this to be a knock against the other candidates, but rather as a reflection of the reality of the situation. When the world was crashing down around Georgia's Democrats and a 100-plus-year period of governance evaporated overnight, Porter was left standing and fighting for Democratic principles.

In the end, that means something to me.

In the end, that tells me something about him.

He's the only unabashed, rural populist in the campaign, and that makes me like him a lot. He went to the mattresses for Jane Kidd during her bid for chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia, and that makes me like him a lot. He's focused on proposing alternative policy initiatives, despite being in the minority, and that makes me like him a lot.

Porter's slogan is 'DuBose Porter works for me' and, let the record show, that's exactly what he's been doing.

And if he's been working for me, the least I can do is vote for him.