So how on earth did David Tolleson lose this election, when he had everything going for him?

Make no mistake; Tolleson was a very formidable mayoral candidate. He raised plenty of money, he had an almost cult-like dedicated base of voter support on Roswell’s east side, he cultivated his stand-up speaking ability to rival any candidate – as demonstrated by his stellar performance in The Beacon’s run-off mayoral debate – and he was running against an incumbent who’s negatives were so high that 60 percent of Roswell’s voters rejected him on November 3. Plus, his east side campaign machine got their base precincts voters out in staggering, almost dizzying numbers.

So what happened?

Three fundamental campaign bugaboos led to Tolleson’s surprising defeat on Tuesday night, and with it, the demise of the infamous “East Roswell Political Cartel (ERPC).”

*His Campaign Lacked An Issue.

Tolleson ran on style and geography alone. He didn’t have a single issue, platform, policy recommendation or proposal to differentiate himself from his opponent, Jere Wood. Had he come up with just one major plan that resonated with voters, he’s mayor. In failing to do so, he let Wood off the hook.

*He Never Grasped The Power Of The Henry Campaign, Or The Loyalty Of Her Followers.

The Tolleson campaign brain trust never understood the Lori Henry Mayoral campaign, or her followers. They scoffed at the councilwoman, wrote her off early, and mocked her incessantly in an underground whisper campaign for months. But despite her lack of a sophisticated campaign organization, she ran on real issues of substance with a bonafide and bold platform for change. Henry was a stubborn candidate, resolute and uncompromising in her beliefs. That may not translate into a slick campaign machine, but it gains followers and true believers. The Tolleson camp thought Henry’s 2,800 votes would break to them, as anti-Wood. But most of her supporters were not necessarily “anti-Wood.” They were “pro-Lori.” When Henry endorsed Wood, many of her voters followed their leader, mainly out of respect for what their candidate attempted to accomplish on November 3. Tolleson should have cultivated and coveted her support all along, instead of pushing her away and trashing her with mailers and fliers in the final days of the general election 

In the end, the Henry believers sealed Tolleson’s fate on December 1, by voting for Wood.

*He Turned His Campaign Over To Strategists.

Tolleson acted as a figurehead for a candidacy, rather than the candidate. He let his political advisors, strategists and volunteers call too many shots, and never got off the ground in west Roswell.

When Tolleson was Tolleson, he was good.

When his surrogates were tooling his message, his themes garbled. Had he taken a 30-day leave of absence from his job and campaigned door-to-door in Henry’s key west Roswell precincts, he’s mayor. But he chose instead to depend on direct mailers, neighborhood flyers and third party telephone calls. The personal touch wasn’t there, and it reared its ugly head on Tuesday night.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR LORI HENRY?

“Little Miss Lori” is on a roll these days. You wouldn’t have guessed by her vibrant glee and jubilation at Jere Wood’s election night headquarters at the Double Tree Hotel that she didn’t win the mayor’s race herself.

But Wood’s win puts the soon-to-be former councilwoman in the catbird seat. She anticipates a serious volunteer role in the new Wood Administration come January, and is expected to contribute mightily to see to it that Wood’s campaign promises are executed. Like her supporters, she is very loyal. She demands it from her core enthusiasts, and she always reciprocates. Watch for Henry to serve Wood with grace, class and deference for the next two years.

Then we expect her to run for Roswell City Council again in 2011, against none other than her former protégée turned Benedict Arnold, Rich Dippolito. If she does, it’s curtains for Dippolito. Then in 2013 she’ll likely run for mayor again, when Wood is expected to retire. Four years older, that much wiser, with Wood as her new political mentor and a previous mayoral campaign under her belt she’d be the odds on favorite to win regardless of who else runs.

JAN JONES’ METEROIC RISE TO THE TOP

I’m going to break again with conventional wisdom and predict that Majority Whip Jan Jones (R-Milton) becomes the GOP’s new Speaker Pro-Tem, when Mark Burkhalter becomes House Speaker on January 1. Yes, Jones has only been in the State House for seven years. Yes, Jones is from a neighboring, contiguous district to Burkhalter. Yes, Jones would jump over many other veteran legislators. But 2010 will be a historic session in the Georgia General Assembly, the challenges facing the state — and Burkhalter — are daunting, and Jones has proven herself to be a highly effective, capable and trustworthy top lieutenant in Burkhalter’s leadership team.

Burkhhalter is all about results. That will likely trump geography. That makes Jan Jones Speaker Pro-Tem.

CLINTON LEADS BAKER FUNDRAISER ON MONDAY NIGHT

We have been predicting that Attorney General Thurbert Baker will be the Democrat nominee for Georgia governor for months now. Another good sign for the quiet yet venerable judicial leader is the fact that former President Bill Clinton is headlining a fundraiser for him on Monday night in New York City. Clinton is the number one surrogate Democrat fundraiser of all time.