Breakfast With Doc
originally published February 21, 2007
As I write this, former Athens Mayor Doc Eldridge is seriously considering running for Congress. As you read this, he may have already decided to run, or not.
In pursuit of this story, I meet Doc at 8 a.m. on Thursday morning, Feb. 15, for breakfast at Mama’s Boy. Doc is in his element. He loves politics—the who knows who will do what when—and he is energized by the speculation and the anticipation. The prospect of hitting the campaign trail to meet people, shake hands and ask for their votes has Doc all pumped up. I’d rather cut pulpwood in August.
You’d have to call Doc an extrovert. He’s got a new cell phone and his children have taught him how to text message. As we begin to talk, he’s getting messages already and a few calls. This is the day of former Congressman Charlie Norwood’s funeral in Augusta, and Doc has decided not to go join the crowd, many of whom are there honoring Charlie by lining up support to succeed him.
An open congressional seat is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the chance to be a player on the national stage and the go-to guy at home for all who have problems needing the healing federal touch, i.e. everybody, rich or poor, sooner or later.
Since reapportioning legislative districts has become a blood sport indulged by whoever is in power, the present 10th Congressional District is not exactly the old one, but whatever its boundaries, the 10th has been owned by Augusta and its suburbs for a generation. Powerful politicians are aligning down there to assure their area retains title. The question as we begin to eat our Texas Pete-drenched veggie-egg scramble is whether all that Augusta Republican ambition can be channeled into one candidate. State Senator Whitehead and State Representative Fleming are both said to want it mighty bad.
Doc, on the other hand, will need every vote he can draw in Athens if he is to have any chance. He believes that if Fleming and Whitehead both run, they’ll split the vote, making it easier for Doc to crash the inevitable runoff.
Doc’s infectious love of politics has me speculating along with him and figuring his chances. He is kind of the odd man out. The state Republican hierarchy in Atlanta will naturally favor one of their own from the legislature. Doc got beat in his re-election bid for mayor and only then revealed his true colors by turning Republican. He was elected to one term on the Athens-Clarke County Commission and then to one term as mayor—both times as a Democrat—and then got beat by Heidi Davison. He went through a long period of nursing his hurt feelings and shaking off the dust of the Democratic Party. Now, he has sold his business, his children have grown up and he’s back in the briar patch.
While we’re talking, a contingent of elders from the Republic of Cobbham troops into Mama’s Boy: the very demographic that kicked Doc out of office.
We go over to their table and Doc banters with them. I ask if they would vote for this guy for Congress. After some preliminary “it depends on who else is running,” all agree they could very well vote for Doc as a moderate Republican who would represent Athens’ interests.
Back at our table for a second cup, Doc gets another text message. He stares at the screen. “I’m in,” he says. He holds it up for me to read: “Fleming and Whitehead both in.”
Word filters back from the Norwood funeral of much handshaking and winking. I’m reminded of Vito Corleone’s funeral when right there at the graveside Tessio is arranging a meeting.
After more talk and coffee, Doc admits, “I may be in.” Still unknown is whether the Democrats will run a strong candidate who will siphon off the Cobbham vote, leaving Doc without a widespread hometown base.
Later, I call up Jane Kidd, the new chair of the Georgia Democratic Party, still smarting from her loss in her state Senate race, largely due to Republican gerrymandering of her district.
“I can assure you that we will have an attractive Democratic candidate,” Jane tells me. Though she can’t say whether that candidate will be from Athens, a strong Democratic candidate with a chance to win would wreck Doc’s hometown strategy of uniting both Democrats and Republicans to offset the Augusta vote. I don’t even ask her if there’s any chance the Democrats could get behind a moderate Republican like Doc in this conservative district that’s unfriendly to her party. Jane’s out to make her bones in her new job, and she’s not in business to promote Republicans.
By Monday, Fleming is out, and the Augusta-area Republicans have coalesced behind Whitehead. No Democrat has surfaced. Doc is working his phone, loving the fun.
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