ATLANTA -- Don’t look now, but the Republican runoff for Georgia Lieutenant Governor has taken an ugly turn – with the two candidates trading trading barbs of corruption and lying and other rascally behavior.
One TV ad shows flames licking the color-drained face of "shameful" state Sen. David Shafer.
Another shows former state Rep. Geoff Duncan frozen in front of a wall of dollar bills.
Duncan is a former minor league pitcher who introduced some hardball into his campaign for Lt Governor against Shafer.
"They’ve shown they will literally do or say anything no matter how dishonest or untruthful," Shafer said in an interview. Shafer has counterattacked, with advertising calling Duncan a liar.
Duncan makes no apologies. "I’m asking these questions because if we don’t ask them as Republicans, and vet each other out, I can assure you the Democrats will," Duncan said in an interview.
Buzz Brockway is a Republican who knows and likes both candidates. But he understands what’s behind the attacks. "People say they hate negative advertising. But it works. I mean it just – you hate to say it, but it works," Brockway said.
Brockway also knows what doesn’t work. When he ran for Secretary of State this spring, he produced a series of wry ads that aimed for the funnybone. "I finished last," Brockway noted wryly. "So maybe the cautionary tale for folks out there is, don’t be like me."
Georgia history shows that lieutenant governors are highly, highly likely to run for governor one day. Which makes it an office worth fighting for – even if the fight is ugly.
