Two days out, candidates for governor make closing arguments

When each Democratic candidate was given a chance to question an opponent, all but one turned their attention to Barnes.

On the Republican side, however, no fewer than four candidates were in range of the two spots in the inevitable Aug. 10 run0ff. Former Secretary of State Karen Handel was leading late polls, with Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine and former U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal bunched near the top and former state Sen. Eric Johnson threatening to wedge his way in.

While the Democratic campaign has been largely sedate, with most candidates not named Barnes swamped by the former governor's overwhelming advantage in campaign money and the resulting television advertising blitz, the Republican race has turned nasty in the past few weeks. Oxendine was the longtime front-runner in the campaign and until just days ago appeared to have the top spot in the runoff locked up.

But as voters have started to pay attention, Oxendine's numbers have fallen as Handel, boosted by an endorsement from former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, has risen to the lead with Deal, backed by an endorsement from former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, not far behind. Johnson has shown signs of gaining, too.

Nasty mail pieces, hard-hitting TV ads and pointed rhetoric on gay rights, immigration and abortion have shoved aside most talk about who can lead Georgia out of the economic malaise infecting much of the country.

Handel and Otis Putnam were the only Republican candidates not at Sunday's debate, although their names were attached to empty lecterns on the debate's set. Appearing on stage were Oxendine, Deal, Johnson, state Sen. Jeff Chapman and states' rights activist Ray McBerry. Putnam's absence was unexplained, but Handel continues to boycott any event that also includes McBerry. A long-shot candidate, McBerry has been accused of an inappropriate relationship with a 16-year-old girl. McBerry says nothing inappropriate occurred, but his teaching certificate was suspended briefly over the matter and Handel has refused to share a stage with him.

Handel's absence was noted and referred to often by her opponents who slammed her for refusing to appear.

On the Democratic side, nearly every candidate took a shot at Barnes, with Attorney General Thurbert Baker and House Minority Leader DuBose Porter both leveling sharp questions at the former governor. Former Adjutant Gen. David Poythress, Ray City Mayor Carl Camon and Marietta businessman Bill Bolton also participated.

What the candidates said

Democrats

During the Democratic gubernatorial debate Sunday, candidates got to question their rivals. Most of them focused on the front-runner, Roy Barnes. Here are a few of the questions they asked:

Thurbert Baker to Roy Barnes:

“Now you have made over $2 billion in promises you can’t pay for. First you said you’d find the money by raising various sales taxes, then you excluded almost all of them one by one. Which taxes will you raise to pay for your promises, or which promises will you break?”

Barnes: "First, I think I've answered this once before. There are [$10.9 billion], as of 2006, in exemptions just from the sales tax before you get to the income tax. I always said all of the tax exemptions that apply to everyone are not special interest. Second, I hope you're not here defending that big corporations that can afford lobbyists are the ones that need to be benefited rather than the children in the classroom."

DuBose Porter to Barnes:

“You voted against, when you were state senator, the MLK holiday, took away the appeal rights of teachers and later apologized for that, and when defeated, [you] left those of us who stayed to rebuild the party. Are you a Whig or Democrat?”

Barnes: "All of us make mistakes. I hope we have enough sense to learn from them. DuBose, when you voted against changing the Georgia flag, I hope you've had time to reconsider that. I think it was a tough time, and I think we should have stood up together. I'm tired of the nuts on both sides. I'm tired of the nuts in the Republican Party. I'm tired of the nuts in the Democratic Party. If you want to condemn that, you may. I think it's what the people believe and it's what I think."

David Poythress to Porter:

“You seem to have emerged as the pro-life candidate in this race. Under what circumstances do you oppose a woman’s right to choose?”

Porter: "If it's rape or incest. I think how you handle this issue, you have fewer abortions when you have people who are better educated. I'd put the emphasis on education. How you meet those health needs in our state is by education early. When people are more educated, there are fewer abortions. No one is for abortion and I'm certainly not, but those are the conditions that I just personally believe in."

Barnes to Porter:

“There are at least two candidates and maybe more in other parties running on a platform of abolishing income tax. What would that do to education?”

Porter: "It would wreck it. What I would propose is collecting the uncollected and unreturned sales tax in this state. Had we done what I introduced the last two years we would not have had to furlough one teacher, one state employee or even talk about shortening the school year. We've shown how to do it, but the Revenue Department and the current administration have refused to consider the idea of sharing information between the Revenue Department and local government."

Republicans

Asked during their debate Sunday whether they would support their party’s nominee for governor if it was not them, Republicans gave these comments:

Nathan Deal:

“I need to know who that person is. My goal is of course to be in that runoff. It is important that we select the right person as the nominee. I’ll reserve judgment until then.”

Eric Johnson:

“If it’s not me, I’m a conservative first and a Republican second. If we nominate a conservative, I’ll be on that bandwagon supporting them with all my efforts.”

John Oxendine:

“As a conservative reformer, I will be there to fight for Republican ideas. The Republican Party has been good to me. Loving Georgia, loving the Constitution and standing up for what is right is more important. I’ll have to see who that person is.”