Blog Topic: Raging Election

In the Loop: Athens Activists Organize to Stop Trump

By Blake Aued | November 20, 2016 12:26pm

Photo Credit: Joshua L. Jones/file

A post-Election Day protest against President-elect Donald Trump at the Arch.

Like many people, you may find yourself wondering, "What now?" after Donald Trump's stunning win Nov. 8. Athens for Everyone's answer is: "Organize!"

The local progressive group is holding a public mass meeting at 3 p.m. today at The Cotton Press (a catering facility in the Chase Park warehouses) to discuss how Trump's policies could affect Athens and how to resist the president-elect's agenda. The organization says:

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In the Loop: Drunk White People Downtown Love Them Some Donald Trump

By Blake Aued | November 16, 2016 10:28am

Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore

Georgia-based sketch comedy duo Home Brewed humor took to the streets of downtown Athens last weekend to interview drunk Auburn and Georgia fans about Donald Trump's win.

The results were predictable but will nonetheless make you despair for your city, your school and (possibly) your race. Warning: Language is NSFW.

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In the Loop: Dan Matthews Wins Watkinsville City Council Seat

By Blake Aued | November 15, 2016 12:26pm

Photo Credit: Lee Becker

Dan Matthews, a longtime Democratic activist and a fixture in the Athens music scene for decades, has won a Watkinsville city council seat, according to the Athens Banner-Herald.

Matthews, the office manager at Eric Krasle’s law firm, beat Mark Melvin 570 votes to 568. He was declared the winner Monday after a handful of absentee ballots arrived from overseas. It was Matthews’ fourth run for local or state office.

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In the Loop: Athens Did Its Part to Help Elect Hillary Clinton (and More Local Election Results)

By Blake Aued | November 9, 2016 2:02pm

Most of us can empathize with this guy watching the results come in at Hi-Lo.

Most Flagpole readers probably are still processing Donald Trump’s stunning upset, the biggest since at least Harry Truman in 1948. If it’s any small comfort for local Democrats, you did just about everything you could to elect Hillary Clinton.

Turnout was higher in Clarke County this year than in 2012, with 4,000 more votes cast, and Clinton won 65 percent of the Athens vote, outpacing Obama by two percentage points. Trump won just 28 percent of the vote locally, six points less than Mitt Romney. Libertarian Gary Johnson won 4 percent—a bit higher than usual—and 1,137 people cast write-in votes, but looks as if third-party candidates drew more from Trump than Clinton, at least locally.

Still, Trump won Georgia handily, 51-46, which is about the usual margin we’ve come to expect here. I have thoughts on the national race—though I wouldn’t blame you if you don’t care, given the pundits’ record—and we’ll get to those, but first, some more local results:

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In the Loop: Where to Get Drunk and Watch the Election Results

By Blake Aued | November 8, 2016 3:42pm

via GIPHY

Whether in despair or in triumph, you will be drinking tonight. Here's where to do it.

For Democrats: The Clarke County Democratic Committee will be watching results at Southern Brewing Co. It’s free, but a brewery tour that includes 36 ounces of beer samples is $12.

For Republicans: The Athens GOP is hosting its viewing party at Locos on Barnett Shoals Road.

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In the Loop: Reminder: Several Athens Polling Places Have Changed Locations

By Blake Aued | November 7, 2016 10:49pm

As you go to vote today (and you are voting, right?), be aware that several polling places in Athens have changed.

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In the Loop: Anonymous Mailer Attacks Oconee County Commission Candidate as 'Career Politician'

By Lee Becker | November 7, 2016 12:16pm

The campaign for the open Post 2 seat on the Oconee County Board of Commissioners turned negative this week as a campaign flier attacking candidate Chuck Horton as a “career politician” who has threatened the county’s school system arrived in select mailboxes in the county.

The dark colored, six-inch by 11-inch flier does not indicate who paid for the mailing, but it lists as the mailing address the postal box used by Marcus for Oconee BOC, the organization of candidate Marcus Wiedower.

Wiedower has not responded to repeated attempts to talk to him about the advertisement.

Ben Bridges, the third candidate for the Board of Commissioners position, said Thursday night he had not seen the flier and had nothing to do with it.

Horton also said that 25 to 30 of his campaign signs posted on private property have been stolen or damaged. Several of the damaged signs were run over by a vehicle, he said.

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In the Loop: The ABH Has Endorsed Donald Trump

By Blake Aued | November 6, 2016 1:09pm

Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore

This is the man Athens Banner-Herald owners Billy and Will Morris think should be president.

And what a great endorsement it was.

Please don't put us in jail, Mr. President.

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In the Loop: Man Accused of Harassing Voters at ACC Library

By Blake Aued | November 4, 2016 12:03pm

Photo Credit: courtesy of Tim Denson

The Athens-Clarke County Board of Elections has received several complaints about a man holding up anti-Hillary Clinton headlines in front of voters in line at the ACC Library.

On Thursday, the man was sitting in a reading room located adjacent to a hallway where people were lined up for early voting. He was pressing a tabloid with an anti-Clinton cover up against the glass facing the hallway.

"It's obvious he wanted to be seen," ACC Elections and Voter Registration Supervisor Cora Wright said. "He's not just sitting there reading."

Athens for Everyone President Tim Denson said the man was "harassing" voters. He sent Flagpole a video of a confrontation with the man.

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In the Loop: Early Voting at the Tate Center Is Crazy Right Now

By Blake Aued | November 1, 2016 1:28pm

Photo Credit: Houston Gaines

University of Georgia students are lining up in droves today to vote at the Tate Student Center—the first time Athens-Clarke County has set up an early-voting site on campus.

As of about 11:30 a.m., more than 800 people had already voted today at Tate, according to Student Government Association President Houston Gaines. He was kind enough to send some photos of lines snaking through the building and out the door, which are posted above and below.

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