Apparently, the Republican candidates for Governor are busy debating who is best to take on Barnes. I find the tone of Ox's email missive today to be quite humorous, really. Look, he's acknowledging suburban counties are trending Democratic in Georgia. That's really good news for Democrats. I wonder if Ox understands that Barnes, the champion of Georgia's Sunshine Laws, might just take him to the woodshed for his appointment of the donor to the board that meets in secret? This could be fun.

Here's the text:

Memo
From: Kathryn Ballou, Campaign Manager
To: Team Ox Leaders
Date: 5 June, 2009
RE: Roy Barnes


Who can win in November of 2010:

John Oxendine has received more votes in three of the past four general elections in Georgia than any other single candidate on the ballot of either party. 

John Oxendine has proven he can win in swing counties and traditional Democrat counties in a general election.  John regularly carries counties such as Fulton, Richmond, Dougherty, Muscogee, Bibb and other counties that historically vote for Democrats in November.
 
John Oxendine has over 14 years of executive management experience in state government and over 7 years of management experience in the private sector.

The Polls:

To date, every poll that has been released has John Oxendine in the lead among announced candidates. The latest poll by Democrat leaning Daily Kos has John Oxendine defeating Roy Barnes and the other Republican candidates losing to Roy Barnes. Polls show the other GOP candidates in single digits in statewide name ID and approval ratings.
 
Only John Oxendine has the name ID to compete with Roy Barnes statewide. Other GOP candidates will have to raise millions of valuable campaign dollars (in this stressed economy) just to mount a professional campaign to introduce themselves both to GOP Primary voters and General election voters.

Our Party needs a proven statewide vote winner with high approval ratings, who poll after poll demonstrates he can defeat Roy Barnes.  That person is John Oxendine.

Image:

John Oxendine has been a leader on duty for Georgians for over 14 years. Georgia knows that John Oxendine knows how to manage a crisis. Georgia knows that John Oxendine understands state government.


John Oxendine is the only candidate who has the ability to present a Ronald Reagan conservative image to carry traditional rural Democrat counties against Roy Barnes in November.


John Oxendine is the only candidate who can hold the line on the suburban counties that have started to trend Democrat.


That is why John Oxendine remains the best positioned candidate for the Georgia Republican party to nominate to face Roy Barnes in November 2010.

       
John Oxendine
Governor 2010