Hinton for Congress: Changing the History of Politics

I apologize for the lack of updates over the past week. I have been swamped with phone calls and emails concerning my possible candidacy for Congress.

There have certainly been many rumors flying this past week regarding other possible challengers to Cynthia McKinney. The most prominent of these have been current DeKalb County CEO, Vernon Jones and former 4th District Representative Denise Majette. I have said previously that I would not file for candidacy if a better challenger to McKinney appeared. At this point, I don't believe this has happened. Vernon appears to be resisting pressure to run and seems happy running things in DeKalb County. At this point, I don't believe that Majette could defeat McKinney if she ran again. I don't believe that Denise's heart is really in politics based on her indecision on what to do this year.

So do I really have a chance? Isn't this just some blogger stunt to get more traffic?

No, according to conventional wisdom, and no.

Conventional wisdom says the following about winning a Congressional race in the 4th District of Georgia:

1. You must be either wealthy or a career politician.
2. You must be black.
3. You must be Democrat.

I am not willing to accept this conventional wisdom. And I don't think the people of the 4th District do either. The people of the 4th District of Georgia are ready for someone who actually represents the district and does things for the district.

What has Cynthia McKinney done for the district? Very little indeed. Cynthia talks and talks about being an advocate for the poor and oppressed yet what has she done for them in her district. Nothing!

In 12 years in Congress, Cynthia McKinney has had a post office in Decatur renamed and created the Arabia Mountain Heritage Area. Even under the Clinton administration, Cynthia accomplished very little if anything for the people of the 4th District, especially for those she claims to represent.

And so what can I do that Cynthia has not done?

Work with others. Right or wrong, the Democratic leadership and even the Congressional Black Caucus no longer support Cynthia McKinney. In light of this, how in the world can McKinney effectively represent us? She can't.

I am willing and able to work with Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. Progressives, conservatives, and moderates. It is time to have effective representation that doesn't resort to extreme rhetoric.

I do believe that we need to be doing more to protect our environment. But I don't think we should demonize those who have not seen the urgency of this issue.

I believe that many of the black neighborhoods in the district have been historically discriminated against and are underrepresented by banks and retail. But I want to work with the business community to fix this problem.

I believe that fixing our health care problems is a nonpartisan issue that requires urgent attention rather than divisive rhetoric that "speaks truth to power".

Last year, McKinney stood before the House of Representatives and said,

"Mr. Speaker, it has been a long time since I have taken the well of the House of Representatives. Today, the people of Georgia's 4th Congressional District are happy that I am back. I have received notes, calls, letters and visits from people all over America who are glad to see me back in Congress. They are glad to have a voice. That voice. The voice. The voice [is] back."

We need more than a voice. Cynthia McKinney needs to get her own talk show if she wants to be a voice. We in the 4th District of Georgia need a leader and public servant who can be an advocate for us. What has 12 years of a voice done for us? Not much!

So are you willing to help me make political history? Why does it have to be that only wealthy incumbent politicians get elected? (Did you know that McKinney is just that? A wealthy incumbent politician)

I need two things to make this a reality. First I need volunteers and local supporters in the 4th District. Please email me here if you are willing to help. Unfortunately the deck is stacked against an Independent candidate but we can overcome that with your help. I am going to need help getting 15,000 signatures for my nomination petition. I have already had many Democrats, Republicans, and Independent tell me that they are ready for a change and want to help me.

I also need financial contributions for this campaign. I know that some of you are hesitant to give money to an unknown candidate with any questions you may have. Please email me with any questions you may have. Get to know me. You won't be disappointed. If you would like to contribute to this history-making campaign, click on the icon below. Please make sure to include your name, address, company you work for, and job title when you make your contribution. I am required by the FEC to collect this information.

(Donations from corporations are strictly prohibited)

Update: Check out this weeks article in The Sunday Paper about the campaign and my challenge to McKinney.

Update: Big thanks to Joe Katzman at Winds of Change.NET for helping spread the news. Join the team by emailing me.