Athens Mayoral Biznaz

For those of you living and voting in Athens who may not have heard about the happenings at last week's Athens Press Club mayoral candidate forum I thought I would pass on (now former) candidate Andy Rusk's closing remarks.

To be honest I was pretty moved by his words when I was there in person (I will even cop to standing up and cheering at more than one point during the speech) and rereading them now I find them damn inspiring. There is something about seeing a political candidate who represents my peeps give an impassioned speech in the face of inevitable defeat that gets my blood pumping. In some small home town way it felt epic, like David versus Goliath in 1:4 scale.

Will any of this matter to anyone outside our little Habitrail? Cleary the answer is no - hell, we would be lucky if it mattered to even 10% of the people who actually do call Athens home - but for one brief moment on a late October evening I was party to some great political theater and that is something truly rare these days.

So, read on and since Andy is out, I say elect Heidi on November 7th so we can keep the Devil (and the Baptist minister) out of Athens politics.

Andy's speech: “I’ve talked before about the letters and emails I’ve received, and all the folks I’ve run into on the street who’ve said, “I’ve never voted here before” or even, “I’ve never VOTED before, but I’m going to vote for you.”

Their support has been both gratifying and intensely humbling, and it’s to that crowd that I’d like to address my closing remarks.

We’re not going to do it this time, gang. We ain’t got the numbers. We can’t beat Heidi. Sorry to let you down.

Discretion is the better part of valor, so it’s time for me to take a powder.

I’m the townie that’s gonna split the townie vote, which might very well throw the Keys to the Kingdom right in Charlie Maddox’s lap in the general election. I can’t abide that.

I’ve got nothing against Charlie. I think he’s a heckuva good guy. He’s been far and away the most polite and personable and professional of my opponents. But I object to the company he keeps- namely the chamber of commerce. Athens is a little blue island in a big red sea, and I’ll defend her tooth and nail against the ruthless, Republican types who put lining their own pockets ahead of common decency and civic pride; who won’t rest until smokestacks dot our landscape.

Tom, I’ve only got 2 minutes so you’re gonna get off easy.

Now, does this amount to an endorsement of Heidi? Call it an admonishment instead. Ma’am, I hope you win. I hope you beat the pants off the chamber of commerce. But I also hope you do a better job of representing me and mine in the next four years than you did in the last.
The eyes of the young, and the eyes of the working class will be upon you. Do your duty.

That goes for the rest of you who call Athens home, as well. If some punk kid like me can step in the ring and make these folks work a little harder for your vote, then you can do the same. Our elected officials draw their pay from the taxes we pay. Let’s make ‘em earn it.

Thanks.”

Here's a recording of Andy's actual speech and here is Maddox's less than spectacular response.

Thanks to Jason Winders and the Morning Meeting for the clips.


Oh, and suck it Chamber!