In my newspaper column today I make clear I am sticking with Karen Handel in the Georgia GOP gubernatorial primary.

This is the silliest thing. It is virtually unheard of for a candidate going into a runoff with a greater than ten point lead to lose the runoff. Nathan Deal, in the midst of a federal grand jury investigation of his business conduct, is throwing everything he can at Karen Handel and she is doing it back to him. But Deal is the one crying like a baby over it, denying he is going negative.

They both are. It’s how one wins a runoff in an intra-party battle.

For the life of me, I cannot see how it is wise for the GOP to pick a 69 year old big spending former Democrat under federal investigation to challenge former Governor Roy Barnes.

Here’s the start to my column:

Silly Season — that time when Democrats try to out Democrat one another and Republicans try to out Republican one another — is almost over.

Voters are concerned about jobs, the economy, making ends meet and education. Nathan Deal and Karen Handel are talking about gays and abortion. This is what primaries are like. Runoffs are worse.

The way to win a runoff is very simple: The first candidate to go nuclear on the other candidate wins. Negative campaigning works. It works well. It is and has always been how politicians win intra-party runoffs.

Neither Deal nor Handel will support gay marriage or abortions. They are both pro-life and support traditional marriage. They are both unquestionably conservative.

I will vote for Karen Handel.

You can read the whole thing here.