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If you don’t run the race, there’s no way you can win it. That’s Michael Coles philosophy. Long-shots are part and parcel of his persona. He is an intelligent man, a passionate man. He is focused on Georgia and its citizens. Michael Coles embodies the intelligence, the passion, the dedication, that Georgians need in the United States Senate. The Republican incumbent, Paul Coverdell, doesn’t have that fire. Having left Georgia, he is now part of the “inside the beltway” cult. Unfortunately, he has lost touch with the common Georgian. Coles’ story is one of determination; he got his degree in the School of Hard Knocks. Injured as a young man in a motorcycle accident, doctors told him he’d never walk unaided. Today he rides a bicycle in cross-country events. He and his wife began a cookie store business with $8,000; today it’s worth millions (including an outlet in Lakeshore Mall). His long-shots Include challenging House Speaker Newt Gingrich in 1996. In the heart of Republican country, Coles got 42 percent of the vote, Gingrich 47. Today, he is challenging a well-financed Coverdell. Coles has no illusions about the uphill chase. But if he can get his message across, he’ll do well. Coles is not wedded to party ideology. He supported Republican Johnny Isakson for governor in 1990, and has contributed to the campaigns of other Republicans. Overall, he considers himself a conservative Democrat, in the mold of former Sen. Sam Nunn. And he appreciates the populist approach of Gov. Zell Miller. “Business people and families need a voice in Washington,” Coles explains. For example, health care is a primary concern; he would turn health care over to the states, removing federal regulations and reforming a system under which “people are losing their rights.” Michael Coles is the underdog in this race. But for voters who are willing to look at the individual, his candidacy answers the needs of Georgians. Give him your vote! |
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