Oxendine Leads Republican Candidates in Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) Membership Poll

As it does each year, GMA conducted a survey of both elected and appointed city officials a few weeks before its Annual Convention. The survey was successfully emailed to 2,099 mayors, council members, managers and clerks. GMA received 528 usable responses for a response rate of 25.15%.

The results are as follows:

If held today, who do you think would win the 2010 Republican primary for Governor?

John Oxendine 25.4%
Nathan Deal 18.2%
Karen Handel 12.9%
Eric Johnson 8.9%
Austin Scott 1.3%
Other 1.3%
Ray McBerry 0.4%
Undecided 31.6%

If held today, who do you think would win the 2010 Democratic primary for Governor?

Roy Barnes 44.1%
Don't Know 20.7%
Thurbert Baker 16.1%
David Poythress 10.9%
Dubose Porter 7.5%

"It is an honor to receive this support from Georgia's municipal leadership. I am committed to our local government leaders. My Administration will work as an equal partner with Georgia's counties and cities on behalf of the people we all serve," said Oxendine.

"I appreciate the hard work our municipal leaders do on behalf of Georgia. Day in and day out they make decisions that impact real Georgia families and businesses. They do so with a sense of professionalism and pride which makes Georgia a better place for all of us," said Oxendine.

"I look forward to continuing to earn the trust and support of the members of the Georgia Municipal Association," said Oxendine.

John Oxendine
Governor 2010

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Fox 5 Atlanta Oxendine, Barnes Top Picks For Governor

A poll to be released Wednesday by Strategic Vision, LLC, a public relations and public affairs agency, shows that state insurance commissioner John Oxendine and former governor Roy Barnes are the leading candidates for Georgia's governor.

If the Republican primary for Governor were held today, for whom would you vote, Nathan Deal, Karen Handel, Eric Johnson, Ray McBerry, John Oxendine, or Austin Scott? (Republicans Only)

John Oxendine 35%
Karen Handel 13%
Nathan Deal 12%
Eric Johnson 4%
Ray McBerry 2%
Austin Scott 2%
Undecided 32%

If the Democratic primary for Governor was held today, for whom would you vote, Thurbert Baker, Roy Barnes, Dubose Porter, or David Poythress? (Democrats Only)

Roy Barnes 49%
Thurbert Baker 30%
David Poythress 5%
Dubose Porter 2%
Undecided 14%

Strategic Vision, LLC is an Atlanta-headquartered public relations and public affairs agency. Results are based on telephone interviews with 800 likely voters in Georgia, aged 18+, and conducted June 12-14, 2009 by telephone. The margin of sampling error is ±3 percentage points. Additional information on Strategic Vision, LLC may be obtained at www.strategicvision.biz.

"While it remains early in the campaign, Team Oxendine notes that John Oxendine continues to lead in every independent poll and leads the undecided category - the first time a Republican candidate has done so with the current field," said campaign manager Kathryn Ballou.

"We are proud that John Oxendine continues to earn the support of Republicans across Georgia. With Governor Barnes entrance into the race, Georgia Republicans understand that our Party must support the candidate who can win in November of 2010. These numbers indicate John Oxendine is that candidate," said Ballou.

John Oxendine
Governor 2010

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Poll Finds Strong Support Across Racial and Ideological Lines for Improving Rehabilitation Services for Prisoners and Ex-Offenders

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A recent poll has found that Americans across the country and in Georgia overwhelmingly support providing progressive rehabilitation and education services for inmates and ex-offenders recently released from prison, underscoring that the nation appears ready to shift criminal justice policies away from mass incarceration, which has not been making communities safer.

Seventy-two percent of respondents nationally and 86 percent of those in Georgia said they are concerned about crime in their community, according to the poll conducted in December 2008 by Zogby International for Community Voices at Morehouse School of Medicine. At the same time, the overwhelming majority of respondents said it is "very important" to improve access to job training, drug treatment, mental health care, mentoring and family assistance before and after inmates are released.

"The poll results strongly indicate that Americans have determined that mass incarceration of criminals, a policy that has been in existence since the 1960s, is not making their neighborhoods safer," said Dr. Henrie Treadwell, director of the Community Voices program. "The nation is crying out for a new policy that rehabilitates criminals and better prepares them to be productive when they are released."

Dr. Treadwell noted that largely because of tougher sentencing, particularly for drug convictions, the incarceration rate in the United States is the highest in the world at 715 inmates per 100,000 residents, far outdistancing the Russians, who are second at 584 per 100,000.

"Communities recognize that the mass incarceration policy needs to be replaced with a mass rehabilitation policy," Dr. Treadwell said. "Our neighborhoods need better health, education, job training and counseling services for inmates that are returning to their communities."

Among the poll results indicating that Americans want to move in that direction:

-- 70 percent of the national respondents and 69 percent of Georgians
said they would rather see additional state money spent on treatment
programs and other services for ex-offenders than on constructing new
prisons.
-- 93 percent nationally and 91 percent in Georgia said that former
felons should be provided with job training.
-- Overwhelming percentages supported providing student loans (80 percent
nationally, 78 percent Georgia), public housing (79 percent
nationally, 73 percent Georgia) and medical services (88 percent
nationally, 84 percent Georgia).


The poll findings cut across ideological lines. Of the 1,039 people interviewed nationally, only 20 percent identified themselves as liberals, while the remainder were moderate (27 percent), conservative (33 percent), very conservative (8 percent) or non-ideological (12 percent). Strong agreement across racial-ethnic lines was found in a national sample that was 74 percent white, 13 percent African-American and 9 percent Hispanic.

"Clearly, Americans are looking for public policies that make communities safer and don't just lock people up to make them more hardened criminals when they are released," Dr. Treadwell said. "We have new leadership in Washington. Hopefully, ending mass incarceration and vastly improving rehabilitation services will be a critical part of the 'change' agenda."

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Americans' Confidence in Their Leaders Declines Sharply

PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- 80% of Americans believe that the U.S. faces a leadership crisis today -- up from 77% in 2007 and 65% in 2005 -- according to poll results just released by the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Merriman River Group.

Many Americans also agree that they are not getting the leadership they need from President Bush and his advisers. 60% say they have not much or no confidence in the leadership of the executive branch, up from 49% last year.

Despite this lack of confidence in presidential leadership, the poll results reveal important points of agreement on how the next president should lead. Moreover, Americans place great importance on the 2008 election: 77% believe it matters a great deal for the future of the country, up from 65% a year ago.

"We hear a lot about deep political divides in this country, but this poll shows that Americans have clear ideas about the kind of leadership they expect from their presidents," said David Gergen, Director of the Center for Public Leadership.

The poll asked a demographically representative sample of 997 U.S. citizens (margin of error +/- 3.1%) to choose between alternate conceptions of good presidential leadership. Many basic aspects of presidential leadership, such as building alliances and preserving checks and balances, are favored by a majority of Americans. For example:

-- 72% say presidents should use the military only to defend America and
react to enemy attacks
-- 71% say presidents should share power equally with Congress and the
Supreme Court
-- 64% say presidents should make decisions based on fairness
-- 56% say foreign policy should focus on building alliances
-- 55% say they prefer presidents who are never willing to be unethical
or bend the rules.

The poll also revealed some key differences in the facets of presidential leadership favored by supporters of John McCain and Barack Obama. "These core debates about presidential leadership give us some clues about how the candidates' leadership profiles attract supporters," notes the study's lead author, Seth Rosenthal.

"McCain supporters have a general preference for presidents who act as independent moral agents and focus on the country's safety and strength," noted Rosenthal. "In contrast, Obama supporters seem to prefer practical presidents whose decisions are more directly responsive to Americans' opinions and needs." For instance, when asked to choose between alternate conceptions of presidential leadership:

-- 62% of McCain supporters say presidents should be willing to offend
people and make enemies when necessary, while 61% of Obama supporters
prefer that presidents always be respectful and diplomatic
-- 60% of McCain supporters say presidents should lead based on moral
beliefs about what is right and wrong, while 52% of Obama supporters
counter that presidential leadership based on practical beliefs about
what works and doesn't work is more important.
-- 58% of McCain supporters say presidents should protect the public's
safety, even if it infringes on their freedom, while 49% of Obama
supporters believe that presidents should protect the public's
freedom, even if it infringes on their safety
-- 40% of McCain supporters want presidents to reduce the government's
power to allow Americans to succeed and fail on their own, a sentiment
with which only 15% of Obama supporters agree

Moreover,
-- 70% of Obama supporters want presidents to keep religious faith a
personal or private matter, while 54% of McCain supporters prefer that
presidents express their religious faith in public
-- 64% of Obama supporters say presidents should do what the American
people think is right, while 50% of McCain supporters want presidents
to do what they themselves think is right
-- 63% of Obama supporters want presidents to ensure that America is
respected for its fairness, while 53% of McCain supporters say it's
more important for presidents to ensure that America is respected for
its strength
-- 63% of Obama supporters say that presidents should focus on uniting
people, while McCain supporters are about equally split on whether a
president should focus on uniting people or on accomplishing goals,
even if it divides people.

Crisis in Confidence

The crisis in confidence in America's leaders is clearly reflected in the National Leadership Index 2008, which presents the public's confidence in the leaders of multiple sectors of society. From 2007 to 2008, many sectors experienced their steepest annual declines in confidence since the inception of the National Leadership Index in 2005. Among the survey's key findings:

-- Confidence in the leaders of seven sectors -- business, the Executive
Branch, Congress, religious, educational, the Supreme Court, and state
government -- fell more sharply in the past year than ever before
-- Confidence in business leaders dropped further than did confidence in
leaders of any other sector
-- Confidence in the Executive Branch and educational leaders has
declined for three years in a row
-- The only sectors in which Americans have more than a moderate amount
of confidence are military and medical leadership
-- Confidence held steady from 2007 for military, medical, nonprofit &
charitable, and local government leaders
-- For the third year in a row, confidence in leaders has not increased
for any sector.

However, Americans may see some light at the end of the tunnel. A plurality, 39%, believe that things will be better after the 2008 election, while only 7% believe things will be worse.

"The American people are experiencing tremendous anxiety at the uncertain state of the nation, and they're holding those at the top responsible," said Todd Pittinsky, Research Director at the Center for Public Leadership. "The next president will face significant challenges. And one of the most important will be to take the lead in restoring Americans' confidence."

For the complete survey and report visit: http://content.ksg.harvard.edu/leadership/images/CPLpdf/nli%20report.pdf.

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New Survey Finds Georgians Support Increased Access to Domestic Oil and Natural Gas Resources

PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Georgians are concerned about the price of gasoline and the majority of them support increased access to domestic oil and natural gas resources, a new survey finds.

"This research confirms what every recent poll has shown. Georgians, like Americans everywhere, are feeling the crush of high gasoline costs and support increasing domestic supplies of oil and natural gas," said Ric Cobb, executive director of the Georgia Petroleum Council (GPC). "Sadly, some in Congress are ignoring this groundswell and blocking a balanced energy policy that includes development of America's vast natural resources, along with more conservation, energy efficiency and increased supplies of all sources of energy."

The poll was conducted by telephone between July 10 and July 27, 2008 by Harris Interactive and commissioned by API. The survey of 501 registered Georgia voters who are likely to vote in the upcoming presidential election found 66 percent of those surveyed said they somewhat or strongly support increased access to domestic oil and natural gas resources. Only 23 percent of respondents said they opposed increased access. An overwhelming 97 percent said they are somewhat or very concerned about the price of gasoline.

"America's oil and natural gas companies are ready to work with government at all levels to enact a comprehensive energy plan that includes increasing domestic supplies while protecting our environment," said Cobb. "It's time for Congress to lift the ban on offshore drilling."

Currently, Congress is blocking the exploration and development of abundant oil and natural gas reserves beneath non-park federal lands and coastal waters. Advanced technology means America's oil and natural gas companies can efficiently explore for these resources while protecting the environment. Based on federal government data, these resources could provide enough oil to fuel more than 65 million cars for 60 years and enough natural gas to heat 60 million homes for 160 years.

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