It has been 151 years since the Confederacy was vanquished in the Civil War, and yet its dark and twisted spirit lives on, ironically enough, in the party of the Confederacy’s archenemy, Abraham Lincoln.
In Georgia, die-hard supporters of the Confederacy are gearing for another battle in the long-ended war to honor a society built on the spiritual and economic evil of slavery. And while the issue is familiar — returning the Confederate battle flag’s “Stars and bars” to Georgia’s state flag — their foe is a fellow Republican, Gov. Sonny Perdue. The governor used to be one of their own, or so they thought:
They helped rout former Democratic Gov. Roy Barnes in 2002, and now they’re rallying their troops for a run at Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue.
Supporters of the 1956 state flag with its dominant Confederate cross plan a final all-out charge to oust a Georgia governor who outflanked their no-retreat-no-surrender efforts to keep the controversial banner flying.
“We can’t elect our own governor. We’ve tried, but we don’t have enough votes. What we can do is make ’em one-termers,” said Elijah Coleman, a Mableton member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.
Political experts — and even some from their own ranks — say the flag forces are fighting a long-decided battle. And they’re going into the skirmish with divided troops.
“Our members are pretty disgusted with Perdue and the promises he broke,” said Jeff Davis, the Gainesville-based chairman of Georgia Heritage Council, an umbrella group that includes leaders representing other heritage groups. “They certainly will not be supporting him. Some will vote [for Democratic candidate Mark Taylor, the current lieutenant governor]. Some will go fishing that day. Some will support a third-party candidate.”
