Democrats must learn to be fearless and better purveyors of significant messages to have a chance at winning local elections, former Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes said Wednesday.

Barnes spoke to nearly 50 students at the University’s Young Democrats weekly guest speaker series and addressed problems and necessities of the Democratic party.

“Democrats are not hungry enough to win,” Barnes said.

Primarily, he said, Democrats must do a better job of isolating and forming campaigns around important issues and must not be afraid to lose.

Barnes used himself as an example.

“I get beat for governor about every 10 years,” he said, laughing.

Barnes also said if he were in charge of a Georgia Democratic gubernatorial campaign, he would focus on insuring children, raising the minimum wage and alleviating metro-Atlanta traffic.

“I haven’t heard one word about the largest problem that addresses the largest population,” said Barnes, referring to the traffic.

By addressing issues such as these, Democrats would have little problem taking the governor’s seat from a Republican party that he said people already are becoming discontent with.

Barnes said these issues are especially more important than Go Fish Georgia – Gov. Sonny Perdue’s $19 million state fund allotment to promote Georgia fishing.

Students in attendance expressed their enjoyment of Barnes’ laid-back speech.

“He demonstrated that he’s still got a great command of issues affecting the state,” said Payton Bradford, political director of the Young Democrats.

“I think Georgia Democrats would be wise to listen to him,” he said.

Barnes earned both his undergraduate and law degrees from the University.

Shortly after graduation, Barnes was elected to the state senate and in 1999, became the 80th governor of Georgia as a member of the Democratic Party.

While filling Georgia’s gubernatorial position, Barnes campaigned for healthcare and education reform.

Barnes’ tenure also is memorable for his fight to have the emblem of the confederacy removed from the state flag.

Barnes lost his campaign for reelection to Gov. Sonny Perdue in 2002, the first Republican Georgia governor since the 1870s.