Is Karen Handel, Possible GOP Gubernatorial Candidate, the Best Choice for Blacks, Latinos & the GLBT Communities in Georgia?

Can possible GOP gubernatorial candidate Karen Handel best represent blacks, Latinos and the GLBT communities in Georgia? 

As a resident of the Peach state, Georgia, I have been following the campaigns Republican gubernatorial candidates Karen Handel and Nathan Deal, with the question always in the forefront of my mind, what will either candidate mean for the black community? Both candidates will face each other in a runoff on August 10. Karen Handel, whose campaign saw a huge surge with voters after former Alaska governor Sarah Palin endorsed her, considers herself as a fiscal conservative, while Nathan Deal, who secured the endorsement of Newt Gingrich, bills himself as a "true conservative" candidate, which infers he holds strong views on gay rights, abortion and immigration, which may work against him for proponents of each hot button issue. In all honesty, Newt Gingrich's endorsement means more to me than one from Sarah 'Quitter' Palin, though I realize that she is very popular for unknown reasons. It is interesting to note that Karen Handel also got the endorsement of Arizona governor Jan Brewer, whose state passed legislation cracking down on illegal immigration, which has been the subject of widespread outcry over the strong possibility of racial profiling. If similar legislation is introduced, it will lead to many blacks and Latinos viewing her campaign and her would-be administration warily. After all, an illegal immigration bill similar to that of Arizona is bound to come to Georgia, as Ms. Handel has alluded. It's just a matter of time.

Karen Handel prides herself as having saved Georgians $100 million, cutting budgets by 17% and passed the "toughest ethics laws in the country," which I must add, led to the dismissal of Fulton County Sheriff Jackie Barrett, the nation's first black female sheriff, on corruption charges. If Handel wins the run-off and prevails at the polls, she would be the first woman governor in the state of Georgia. She was elected Secretary of State in 2006. She implemented  the Georgia's photo ID law, which requires Georgian voters to show state-issued photo identification before casting their vote in person. She created the agency's first Chief Investigative Officer to go after perpetrators of elections and consumer fraud. The voter ID program sparked controversy and many in the black community said it worked against them and was a way to deter blacks from voting. The law was challenged as unconstitutional, but was eventually upheld by the Supreme Court.

Controversy also found Karen Handel, a protégé of Gov. Sonny Perdue, on other fronts. First and foremost, she has climbed the ranks professionally with just a high school diploma, when her opponent Nathan Deal was educated at Mercer University and Walter F. George School of Law in Macon, Ga. He also served in the United States Army. It seems that Karen Handel didn't place any value on getting an education and that speaks volumes. Don't get me wrong. Many people have attained the highest levels of success without a college degree, but Karen Handel, if governor, will be in a position to effect change in education and the Board of Education in this state. How can she act in the best interest of the students of Georgia, when she placed such little importance to gaining a solid education?

Secondly, an issue from her time as a candidate for the commission continues to dog her. The former head of the Log Cabin Republicans, a group of gay and lesbian GOP voters, recently released emails from 2002 and 2003, all sent from Ms. Handel's e-mail address, indicating she supported granting benefits to county employees in same-sex domestic partnerships. She has vehemently denied sending these e-mails. She said it was her campaign manager in her failed 2002 race. She also denies ever filling out a questionnaire for Georgia Equality, another gay rights group, that also showed her supporting domestic partner benefits, even though it was on her campaign's letterhead. She said the only thing that should matter is the fact that she voted against a proposal to extend benefits to domestic partners. She also said she would back legislation to outlaw gay marriage. Not good.

In a recent interview with 11 Alive's Doug Richards, she said a child should be in a household with married heterosexual parents. A home without such a makeup is not a suitable environment to raise a child. She was then asked about single parents and sidestepped the issue, but it was abundantly clear that she doesn't view such a home favorably. That speaks to the fact that Karen Handel won't make significant inroads in the black community. I wonder how her background, which was fraught with problems at home, makes her an expert on parenting in the home? She said her mother was an abusive alcoholic and her father was a passive bystander, who did nothing to help his children by leaving the home with them in tow. Don't get me wrong, there are many people who lived in such a household and pulled themselves up by the bootstraps and were successful in their lives. That doesn't mean that Karen Handel is suddenly an expert on the family and family structures. She also said she is not in favor of gays adopting children. Again, that is very hypocritical, considering there is no hard evidence that states living in a home with same-sex parents is detrimental to the wellbeing of a child.

To be honest, the only thing I applaud Karen Handel for is her stance on abortions in certain situations, such as rape and incest of a minor. Other than that, I see her as nothing more than talking points. It is unfortunate that the Democratic Party doesn't have a better candidate than Roy Barnes, who may win on name recognition and strong support from the black community. Or, it could go the opposite way and another Republican will become our next governor. I am personally not thrilled about Roy Barnes as governor again. Been there, done that. Though some analysts have said blacks could help former governor Roy Barnes get his old job back. He has rounded up a slew of prominent black endorsements form local pastors to civil rights icons and many in between.

Nathan Deal has accused Handel of failing to serve a complete term in office, much like her endorser Sarah Palin. She has disputed this characterization, though she announced late last year that she would resign as secretary of state to run for governor. Deal is also guilty of cutting-and-running. He resigned from Congress before the end of his term to pursue the governor's seat. His resignation also stopped a Congressional investigation into allegations he violated House ethics rules by lobbying Georgia officials not to change a state program that benefited his own business. I would also love to know how all three propose to bring jobs to Georgia, since the state ranks second in job losses nationwide. Still, I can't endorse Karen Handel without the thought of her being an enemy of blacks, Latinos, gays and lesbians. Nothing in her campaign has led me to think otherwise.

Note: I called Karen Handel's campaign office in Alpharetta, Ga., last Thursday, to get her views on the issues of greatest concern to the black and Latino communities, and I have yet to get a return phone call. I would hate to think that the issues we hold dear in our communities don't matter very much to her.