Box 19, Folder 13, Document 84

Box 19, Folder 13, Document 84

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The Demise Of The

Democratic Party In Georgia

By E. R. Bradley



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Last evening at 7 o’clock--
when the polls closed--the De-
mocratic Party of Georgia com-
mitted suicide. It is dead pol-
itically and will be for perhaps
a decade or more, In the sel-
ection of Maddox to head the
Democratic Party it made the
election of Calloway a certainty.
But worse than this, it has now
placed at the head of the party
an extremist who lacks the so-
phistication of Wallace, and who
will continue to embarrass Ge-
orgia in the nation’s news me-
dia. We have now replaced Ala-
bama and Mississippi in the
national press asthe most back-
ward state, politically speaking,
in the South, This is so even
if Calloway is elected, for Les-
ter will continue his press re-
leases and head the party’s
delegation to the Democratic
National Convention in 1968,

Maddox, who is sure to suf-
fer a defeat in November, will
earry with him such men as
Vandiver and Sanders, andper-
haps even Mayor Allen in the
next election. That is, these
men’s future in Georgia is out
the window. A coalition of ex-
tremists will dominate for so-
metime. Even Talmadge’s seat
is insecure, and Russell will be
replaced by Calloway either
during the term or when Rus-
Sell’s term of office is over.
‘I am assuming his health will
not allow his running in 1972.)

Political scientists will long
evaluate how the state of Geor-
gia with its enlightened leader-
ship could suddenly go into re-
verse. The backlash. will be
some people’s answer, But an
analysis of the size of the vote
shows that it was a case of
apathy, ‘‘Stayhomeitis” hit Ge-
orgia. A minority of unrecon-
structed rebels, aided and abet-
ted by thousands of office-hun-
gry Republicans, dealt the death
blow. As a matter of fact, the
only Democrat of stature in
Georgia who had the courage to
try to save his party from a
Klan-type leadership was Gar-
land Byrd. No other candidate,
past or present, liberal or con-
Servative, spoke out for Arnall.



Carter made a last-minute as-
ide for Arnall, but it was weak
and largely ineffective. In face,
he never mentioned Arnall’s
name,

On November 8 we have the’

choice between. Democratic ex-
tremism and Republican extre-
mism, The shadow of Ol’ Marv
hangs over the Republican Par-
ty, but at least it will not be
openly racist. But in the end
there would be little difference
between Maddox and Calloway
in office. Neither is progres-
sive; neither will project an
image which will bring support
from the national party. Georgia
must now go it alone, In effect
we have seceded from the un-
ion.

So now a poorly led and div=-
ided party must hand its head
in shame while it tries to gain
respectability and support, It
will be a long, hard road, for the
Republicans will capture and
hold the Negro vote even with-
out a contest. Having declared
war on the Negro, alienated the
liberals, and turned its back on
Washington, the Democratic
Party in Georgia will find the
road back bitter and frustrating.





Pe |

~_a oe eR teem



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