Fenn Little for Congress: GA 05

Ok, so as the picture illustrates, maybe Fenn is not so Little.  But after meeting him the other evening in the Atlanta metro City of Sandy Springs-- just inside I-285 near the Glenridge Connector--I can attest that Fenn is a man whose heart is as big as his waistline.  It takes a lot of heart, after all, to engage in what many initially saw as a valiant but ultimately hopeless struggle to topple his opponent, civil rights icon and 24-year incumbent Congressman John Lewis (D-GA 05).

If Fenn manages to upset Lewis on Tuesday, he will likely become instantly famous as a Giant-killer, as would Sean Bielat of Massachusetts should he prevail in his contest to unseat liberal icon Barney Frank.  In normal election years, Little would be guaranteed a one-way ticket to obscurity on the Wednesday after Election Day.  But in a wave election that promises to be historic, one has the sense that anything is possible, including a self-described North Georgia redneck succeeding one of the longest serving black liberals in Congress.

Fenn considers Lewis a hero for his role in the civil rights movement, including the famous 1960s march to Selma, Ala., during which Lewis got his head bashed in on the Edmund Pettis bridge.  He challenges Lewis's policies and voting record, not his personal character, which is refreshing in an election year in which negative personal attacks are the norm.  Little's focus is on the issues, not on personal attacks.

That Little admires Lewis' civil rights record is not surprising.  Little is himself a civil rights lawyer, representing individuals, including many minorities, in civil rights, police misconduct and free speech cases.  He has also defended first amendment rights in the arena of freedom of religion, and so has some real "street cred" when talking to people of faith of all colors and affiliations.

Fenn has been asking for votes everywhere throughout his district, which includes a vast number of minorities who are reliable Democrat voters.  Through his legal work Fenn has established deep personal ties with clergy and other leaders in the black community, which gives him entree into churches and other venues where he can meet regular folks.  When he gets a chance to convey to them his message of jobs, lower taxes, faith, freedom and smaller government he is amazed at how many people who have never voted for a Republican come up to him to shake his hand and say they will vote for him.

Fenn is careful to state that he is not a "Tea Party" candidate, although he respects and values the Tea Party's contribution to politics.  He has received endorsements from some Tea Party groups, and shares many of the same positions on spending, taxes, government, and the Constitution.  Both as an article of his Christian faith and his geo-political sensibilities, Fenn is pro-Israel, and is dismayed at the lengths the Obama Administration has gone to alienate one of our best friends in the world.

Little is clearly not a politician, and that is one of his strengths.  He doesn't claim to have extensive or detailed knowledge of the "legislative process," but he is obviously quick enough to catch on.  In an election in which the voters are willing to boot the experienced pols, Fenn's status as a Washington outsider can only help.

As far as I can tell this race is not on the radar screen of the pundits and pollsters.  I don't even know if this race has been polled, other than by the Lewis' campaign's internal pollsters.  Thus, it is fair to say that if Fenn does triumph over Lewis on Tuesday, he will catch the nation's political and media class by surprise--and not  a happy one for most of them.

Could Fenn Little, husband, father of two young girls and accomplished chef, become Georgia Fifth's next congressman.  The odds are long, but then again, in this political year, I wouldn't bet against it.

To help Fenn cross the finish line, please visit his website here.