DALTON, Ga. – Democrat Roy Barnes, behind in the polls a little more than a month before election day, says he is changing his tone.
Speaking to teachers in Dalton on Saturday, the former governor said he will focus on jobs and the economy as he wraps up his campaign to return to the office he left eight years ago.
Links to ads from Deal and Barnes:Nathan Deal’s new jobs adRoy Barnes’ new jobs ad
“We try to draw this contrast; who is the best to lead this state in this difficult time, regardless of party,” Barnes said after an hourlong talk with teachers. “But now I want to talk about the things I want to do.”
An InsiderAdvantage Georgia poll released Wednesday showed Republican Nathan Deal, a former U.S. representative, with 45 percent to Barnes’ 37 percent. Barnes has fluctuated in the polls but never eclipsed Deal.
New TV spots focus on Barnes’ plan to create jobs. He said he’ll air future ads on education and other topics. And though most of the talk Saturday was positive, he jabbed a few times at Deal.
“If you were a businessman, who would you choose right now to come run your business? Would you choose Congressman Deal or would you choose me?”
Barnes has assailed Deal’s failed business dealings, his personal debt and a handful of congressional ethics charges and omissions from the Gainesville Republican’s financial disclosure forms.
Deal’s camp says Barnes has been negative because his ideas don’t appeal to voters.
“Roy Barnes has run eight straight weeks of slanderous ads because he knows his plans for bigger government and higher taxes won’t sell this year,” said Brian Robinson, Deal’s spokesman.
“Georgians are horrified by the explosive growth of government under Washington Democrats. Georgians aren’t going to make the mistake of letting Democrats do the same thing to our state government.”
But on Saturday, more than 100 teachers seemed mostly impressed by Barnes’ talk on how to reform the state’s public education system.
He said he’ll end furloughs, push for the state to send enough money to counties to fund the entire 180-day school year and reinstate bonus pay for advanced degrees and certifications. He said the state should mandate just one standardized test to gauge academic aptitude.
He said he can pay for the changes by instituting a sales tax on certain purchases that are currently exempt. He said a 1 percent tax on those items – such as fuel sold to airliners at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport – could generate enough revenue to fully fund schools.
Teachers angry with his education positions and people mad because he changed the state flag are believed partly responsible for costing Barnes a second term in 2002 and leading to GOP dominance in the Legislature.
“There is some residual skepticism … but he seems humbled by that and more willing to be accountable to the public now,” said retired Murray County teacher Elizabeth Gould, who attended the Dalton forum.
She said she was backing Barnes because she trusted him more than Deal.
“Now we have [Roy Barnes] on the record saying what he is going to do and how he will pay for it.”