Robocall blasts Kasim Reed for lack of support for Jason Carter (Update)
Reed dismisses robocall’s claims, blasts Democrats’ campaign strategy in response
The fallout from the Georgia Democrats’ blowout continues following crushing Nov. 4 losses in both the both the gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races. Since the rout at the polls, some Democratic party members have criticized Mayor Kasim Reed for his lack of support on the campaign trail for gubernatorial candidate Jason Carter.
And, apparently, the ire against Reed has caused someone to launch a robocall campaign against the mayor. We haven’t heard the call yet — if you have the audio clip, send it CL’s way — but the recorded message reportedly urges Democrats to “never forget” the mayor’s inaction. Here are a couple accounts of the robocall:
.@politicalinsidr @GAPoliticsNews Just got call slamming K Reed for not endorsing Carter, saying Ds shd never forget. caller ID 2020 Insight
— louisgw (@louis_g_w) November 14, 2014
GA Dems get slaughtered after wasting millions on an inept campaign & respond by attacking their own. Brilliant! @KasimReed @MikeTSterling
— Justin Giboney ن (@jgiboney14) November 14, 2014
20/20 Insight is a Democratic research firm run by Jeff DiSantis, U.S. Senate candidate Michelle Nunn’s campaign manager, and Chris Huttman, a former political candidate who also worked for former Gov. Roy Barnes’ 2010 gubernatorial campaign. Chris Huttman tells CL that the robocall did not come from his firm.
Reed, who’s been rumored to have ambitions for higher political office after his second-and-final term as mayor ends in January 2018, fired back at the attack with a blizzard of tweets this morning:
@ajconwashington I saw that and wondered where were all these “True Democrats” in 2012 when Pres. Obama was in a tough re-election fight.
— Kasim Reed (@KasimReed) November 14, 2014
@ajconwashington I never saw any of them. When I was running for re-election, I proudly accepted President Obama’s endorsement and support.
— Kasim Reed (@KasimReed) November 14, 2014
@ajconwashington When the President landed to visit the CDC. I was there to greet him. That’s what a “true Democrat” would do.
— Kasim Reed (@KasimReed) November 14, 2014
@ajconwashington Finally, a “true Demcrat” would not lead their party to failure and then get on Fox5 & blame “Obama, Obama, Obama...” Wow.
— Kasim Reed (@KasimReed) November 14, 2014
@kwingfieldajc @ajconwashington They should be calling whomever thought it was a good idea to sign-off on and send out that Ferguson mailer.
— Kasim Reed (@KasimReed) November 14, 2014
@kwingfieldajc @ajconwashington Or the folks who thought it was a good idea to have no 72 hour GOTV effort.
— Kasim Reed (@KasimReed) November 14, 2014
@kwingfieldajc @ajconwashington A real GOTV effort is worth 1-2 Points in campaign. Senator Fort’s quote said it all...
— Kasim Reed (@KasimReed) November 14, 2014
@kwingfieldajc @ajconwashington Finally, by mentioning me they hope you will be distracted & not look for the $30M spent on who knows what.
— Kasim Reed (@KasimReed) November 14, 2014
@rwlee2 Just remember, someone thought it was a good idea to start this with me. Probably the same person who sent the Ferguson mailer.
— Kasim Reed (@KasimReed) November 14, 2014
@ggreeneva @ajconwashington They probably sent the robo-call from an island where they are sitting counting their fees & waiting for 2016...
— Kasim Reed (@KasimReed) November 14, 2014
In response, Reed spokeswoman Anne Torres sends over the following essay in response to the robocall and the state of Georgia’s Democrats:
“What Makes a True Democrat?”
There is no lack of short-term memory in politics. In fact, it appears that selective memory is plaguing some members of the Democratic Party in Georgia specifically concerning the 2014 election results. Certainly, a healthy debate of how Democrats can move forward after the midterm election is welcome and needed, but that is not happening here.
The robo-call that made the silly claim that Mayor Kasim Reed did not do enough for Jason Carter to win this year’s governor’s race and that he “must decide if he is a true Democrat” was clearly sent by someone who is hoping that voters will have short term memory, and will be distracted enough to ignore how $30 million was spent to support this failed effort.
True Democrats stand with their Party, even when overpaid consultants and campaign managers tell you otherwise. When President Obama faced a tough re-election, I do not recall seeing these so-called “true Democrats” standing to defend the President’s record and leadership. They were not seen when the Mayor was riding from Tampa to Jacksonville or Orlando. They were certainly not seen when he was campaigning in snow in Ohio. However, Mayor Reed did stand behind President Obama, and when he ran for re-election as Mayor in 2013, he proudly accepted President Obama’s endorsement and support. True Democrats do not lead their party to failure and then blame their loss on President Obama. True Democrats understand that all voters matter — including African-American, Hispanic, and minority voters. They work to communicate with key constituencies during the entire campaign, not merely at the end of it in a token fashion.
True Democrats support policies that help people from all walks of life, like the minimum wage increase supported by President Obama, enacted by Mayor Reed’s administration for municipal employees and popular with Georgia voters.
Those responsible for the robo-call need to step forward and accept their own failed policies and strategies as the real reason Georgia Democrats faced a resounding defeat on November 4.
To be clear, this is not a personal attack on Jason Carter or Michelle Nunn. It is a thoughtful critique of an unsuccessful campaign strategy that backs away from President Obama and the values of the Democratic Party.
The Mayor’s position on this election has been clear and consistent from the start. In July, in an interview with GPB’s Bill Nigut, he said that to win, the campaigns needed to invest $3 to $5 million dollars to engage minority voters, increase registration and turnout and speak to the issues we know Democratic voters care about. His post mortem analysis is not a personal attack on Michelle Nunn or Jason Carter. It is a repudiation of campaign strategies that repeat the same mistakes cycle after cycle. It is a repudiation of a Party that backs away from President Obama and Democratic values.
Whatever the motivation of the operatives behind the robo-call, Mayor Kasim Reed will not be distracted from the important work that is required to make Georgia Democrats relevant, successful and effective. As he has said many times before, the future of politics is performance. His speaks for itself.
Note: This post has been updated to include additional information.