For those of you that haven't read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Savannah really is a quirky place. She's a flirt, a party-girl, who loves to be a little naughty (or sometimes more)with a flip of her skirt. And once the sun goes down, she can steam up your glasses. My husband and I have only lived here full-time now for five years, but we never tire of the beauty of this town. For those of us who live downtown it's an endless show with a mix of the desperately rich, desperately poor, some in the middle, left-over aging hippies, thousands of art students, active gay community, Old Savannah Jewish community, Greater British Empire ex-pats, and young and old who were just passing through and found they couldn't leave.
A friend of ours from Maine commented when we took him to our favorite bar nicely sprinkled with young drop-dead blonds that there must be a field somewhere out of town where the city harvests a new crop of beauties each spring to let loose downtown after dark. Of course, no matter how hard one carouses on Saturday night, one goes to church Sunday morning. For a small city we have more churches than lawyers. This is the South after all.
And politics? One friend said this town is run like a plantation. All one really needs is a few benevolent owners to take care of things so we can all get back to do what we do best - party, gossip, make and break deals at our favorite bars, play golf, work when we have to, don't bother when we don't. Don't miss the Jazz festival or the Film Festival and stop by after for a drink.
And politics? Damn, what district am I in anyway? After two gerrymandering forays brought to us by the Republican legislature in Atlanta, District 1 was given to Jack Kingston as a perpetually secure, birthday present that never stops giving. The perfect Republican district, so they thought. They split Savannah in two giving the weirdo dems, damn liberals, blacks and other riff-raff over to District 12 (John Barrow's District) and white suburban, gated communities, golf course crowd with a tad of Baptist Bible-belt to District 1. No way Jack can lose! And to top it off Kingston gets the Georgia Gold Coast (how rich can you get). To make sure that this is a safe district forever (also there aren't enough rich people to make up a district) let's just throw in military bases, lots of veterans, retired military, and rural counties where everyone probably is waiting for the Rapture. God bless America! Jack doesn't even have to run; either no one will step up and run against him or occasionally a half-hearted attempt is made to find a person crazy enough to try.
(John Barrow in District 12 is in a twice-gerrymandered district. The last time taking away his home town and forcing him to move to Savannah. Glad to have you, John! The Republicans sure do get mad when you beat one of their own.)
But things are not what they appear to be in the happy, happy land of District 1. Rev. Jim Nelson, one of the fighting Dems, decided to take Kingston on - how dare he! It's seems that all that guaranteed Republican military backing is a little shaky. Many remember what happened to Max Cleland, even more know that the Republicans continually try to cut veterans' benefits, close their clinics and hospitals, cut certain types of military pay, don't provide the troops with what they need. In short, Jack kingston has always supported the military-industrial-corporate complex, but has not supported military and former military personnel. Jack never met a miliary contractor he didn't like. The Vets in District 1 know this and they are really mad and organizing. That's what grassroots is going to look like in GA-1 in a lot of counties. As for the some of the more rural counties, they have never heard of Jack Kingston or seen him and were glad to welcome Jim and since he is not only a fighting Dem, but also a Methodist preacher - well, glad to have you. No matter how hard Kingston will try to paint Jim as a flaming liberal, weak-kneed pacificist, it ain't gonna to happen. As for the very rich, what can you say. As long as they think Jack will never, never tax them and he plays a round of golf with them and has a drink at the club, they'll vote for Jack, 'cuz he's such a nice guy.
But no one likes scandal, even the Georgia Gold Coast - it's so indiscreet. And Jack, like a good little Republican trooper, Tom DeLay wannabe, has had his hands all over Jack Abramoff money and ties to the Marianna Islands scandal. More and more of this is leaking out every week. Things are beginning to get really interesting in this so-called absolutely safe district; now if we can only convince the powers that be on the national level, we might be able to raise some money.
Keep tuned and check out Jim Nelson for Congress (GA-1)
P.S. Come visit us some time and we'll surely show you a good time, supply you with a to-go cup, and take you to some fine dining and watering-holes.