Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Lessons from the Georgia Runoff
TownHall ^ | December 8, 2008 | Guy Benson

Posted on 12/08/2008 8:33:04 AM PST by dbz77

click here to read article


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-23 next last

1 posted on 12/08/2008 8:33:06 AM PST by dbz77
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: dbz77
Guy, I know you think you know how things are, but you're sadly mistaken. The reason Saxby did so bad during the General Election was because of his first attempt at traitorously supporting McCain, Bush and Kennedy at the ill-fated "Comprehensive Immigration Reform Altar". He caught holy hell for it - changed his tune, but not his heart (along with Isakson). To tell you the truth, I could have give a crap if he lost and I think he was taught a lesson.

It was only after the aftermath and the thought at giving the rats another win did the voters relent - that and the promise and support of the true 'one' - Sarah, did we amass and take back the reins of conservative control in Georgia.

2 posted on 12/08/2008 8:42:10 AM PST by Gaffer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Gaffer

Good comment. Coupled with the unexpected defeat of William Jefferson for what was supposed to be an automatic re-election in New Orleans over the weekend, we may have hope of keeping this country for the next four years. But it won’t be easy.


3 posted on 12/08/2008 8:48:28 AM PST by Vigilanteman (Are there any men left in Washington? Or, are there only cowards? Ahmad Shah Massoud)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Gaffer

I think it came down to the question of

GEORGIA VOTERS, Do you guys want the dems to have 60 in the senate ?

The answer from Georgia was, No and Hell No.


4 posted on 12/08/2008 8:57:02 AM PST by staytrue (YES WE CAN, (everyone should get in the practice of saying it, it will soon be manditory))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Gaffer
The reason Saxby did so bad during the General Election was because of his first attempt at traitorously supporting McCain

I respectfully disagree. I think the difference is that there was not the huge voter turnout that was present in the Presidential election. No ACORN, no historic black vote, no Democrat win. Any Republican would have won in Georgia.

5 posted on 12/08/2008 9:09:48 AM PST by Zevonismymuse
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Zevonismymuse
think the difference is that there was not the huge voter turnout that was present in the Presidential election”

Applies to both parties. Balanced each other out

No ACORN, no historic black vote, no Democrat win”

ACORN didn't magically dissapear. The fraudulent ACORN registrations were as much alive last week, as they were on Nov 4th

Any Republican would have won in Georgia.”

Not necessarily. Any Republican could have lost too. Heck, McClain barely won in his own home state of Arizona in the presidential elections.

6 posted on 12/08/2008 9:19:54 AM PST by SmokingJoe
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: dbz77

The Nov. vote was definitly a “Punish Saxby” vote. You can tell by the numbers that a lot of people voted McCain for Pres and Martin for Senate.

Too many people in GA still think “our democrats” are different from national democrats, that’s why they felt comfortable voting for Martin in the main election.

Martin was exposed in the runoff. Martin had enough sense to keep Obama as far away as possible, but the DNC (bless their hear) ran a lot of ads just before the election saying that GA needed to send Martin to the senate to help Obama. They tied Obama around Martin’s neck.

The runoff was as much an anti-Obama vote as anything. The Republican base was fired up to vote against Obama, the Demos didn’t get fired up to help Obama.

I didn’t cast a pro-Chambliss vote, I cast an anti-Obama vote. Chambliss skated through this election as the lesser of two evils, but if he doesn’t change his tune he will be in trouble six years from now.

This is exactly the problem with the Republican party. They have become the lesser of two evils. You don’t win elections (much less get things done) that way.


7 posted on 12/08/2008 9:19:55 AM PST by Brookhaven (The Fair Tax is THE economic litmus test for conservatives)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dbz77

The GOP win in Georgia should not be over-hyped

ROTFLMAO. Really???? We need some good news even though it is a RINO from a deep red state.


8 posted on 12/08/2008 9:22:38 AM PST by napscoordinator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dbz77
Additionally, Jim Martin was a poor candidate whose liberal record on taxes, guns, and abortion bordered on disqualifying any Georgia politician seeking statewide office”

That didn't stop him from doing surprisingly well in the first round elections on Nov 4th. Clearly, voters on Georgia didn't think he was as poor a candidate as the author seems to think

9 posted on 12/08/2008 9:23:21 AM PST by SmokingJoe
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Brookhaven

That pretty much sums it up.


10 posted on 12/08/2008 9:24:55 AM PST by SmokingJoe
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Zevonismymuse
The reason Saxby did so bad during the General Election was because of his first attempt at traitorously supporting McCain

I respectfully disagree. I think the difference is that there was not the huge voter turnout that was present in the Presidential election. No ACORN, no historic black vote, no Democrat win. Any Republican would have won in Georgia.

Saxby's problems all go back to his support of McCain/Kennedy immigartion bill. He didn't just support it, worked hard as an advocate to get the bill passed.

Had the Democrats run a better candidate, they easily could have won this election without the runoff. Georgians still believe "our democrats" are different from the national democrats. Remember, it isn't that long ago that Zell Miller was a democratic senator from GA. Had the Dems run someone more moderate than Martin Chambliss would have lost.

11 posted on 12/08/2008 9:25:01 AM PST by Brookhaven (The Fair Tax is THE economic litmus test for conservatives)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: SmokingJoe

Once again, I am going to respectfully disagree. High voter turnout favors Democrats. We Republicans are much more reliable voters. As a life long Republican I have prayed for rain every election. And I realize that ACORN did not disappear but many of their registered voters did not materialize because if what I believe to be true, that ACORN is responsible for many illegally submitted absentee ballets, I think their impact was lessened because many of their useful idiot foot soldiers were spent from the Presidential election. I did not mean absolutely without exception any Republican would have won; I meant it is reasonable to assume just about any Republican would have won since the people who put Obama in office have all returned to their home states and countries and are busy celebrating their victory. My point is that Georgia is a reliably conservative state. Without the hype, the booze and cig rewards, the motor voter cheating, Republicans tend to win in Georgia.


12 posted on 12/08/2008 9:31:14 AM PST by Zevonismymuse
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Gaffer
The reason Saxby did so bad during the General Election was because of his first attempt at traitorously supporting McCain, Bush and Kennedy at the ill-fated "Comprehensive Immigration Reform Altar".

Don't forget that he voted for the $700b bailout, too.

To tell you the truth, I could have give a crap if he lost and I think he was taught a lesson.

Same here. I voted for him in the general, but refused to vote in the runoff for exactly that reason.

the promise and support of the true 'one' - Sarah, did we amass and take back the reins of conservative control in Georgia.

See my tagline.

13 posted on 12/08/2008 9:34:39 AM PST by Terabitten (To all RINOs: You're expendable. Sarah isn't.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Brookhaven

The MSM and the leftist pundit class quote from the same playbook. Don’t give Sarah Palin any credit and thus acrosss-the-board credibility. One who is deemed to be a lightweight, an idiot, a buffoon and cannot ever be given credit for being a kingmaker. The former and the latter do not jibe. Thus the turkey story, the shopping stories, Barbara Walters calling Sarah uninformed and slamming her in her ‘fascinating’ special. But truth will out. Bottom line Chambliss was projected to win by 4-5 points a day or two before the vote-a win for Chambliss, but a narrow won. I have never denied this and have never said Chambliss had any chance of losing the run-off. So call this a signal to the base of Sarah’s potential to have a huge impact any election. To go from 5% to 15% in 1 or 2 days when the only intervening event on the GOP side was the one-day barnstorming appearance of Sarah Palin is astonishing. Sure Sarah may not account for all of that 10% but to credit her with at least 1/2 of that, in her ability to rally and mobilize the base, is I don’t think is out of line. To change a political race by 5+% with an one-day appearance on the stump is the mark of a closer, a winner and a game changer. Sarah is on the rise, and that has the MSM and the Dems frightened for 2012.


14 posted on 12/08/2008 9:42:25 AM PST by techno
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: techno

I like Palin, but you are giving her too much credit here.

I live in GA, and IMHO, Palin’s impact on this race was minimal. Chambliss’ polling lead the day before the elction was based upon similar voting turnout as the main election. We know that didn’t happen. The factors that helped Chambliss were:

1. Martin allowing himself to be tied to Obama.

2. A Democratic base that was not enthused about comming out to vote for Martin.

3. A Republican base that was fired up to prevent the Dems from getting a 60 seat majority and handing total power to the Dems/Obama.

4. A host of Republicans (including Palin) comming into the state to Support Chambliss. IMHO (again), Huckabee’s visit to the state probably did as much or more to help Chambliss as anyone else (because it was coordinated with a major GA talk show, Neil Boortz on WSB, and the Fair Tax coalition, which enjoys more support in GA than any other state by a pretty large margin.)

I like Palin, but there is no way you can attribute the entire bump to here.


15 posted on 12/08/2008 9:59:43 AM PST by Brookhaven (The Fair Tax is THE economic litmus test for conservatives)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: dbz77

The lesson is pretty basic. It is that states that are reliably red (or blue) will remain so, for the next few cycles at least, absent overriding issues in a particular campaign.

States that are not reliably one or the other could still be swing states are the states that matter most.

Unfortunately, Obama won every single one of those, which is why he had a convincing electoral win.


16 posted on 12/08/2008 10:01:55 AM PST by ConservativeDude
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dbz77; Gaffer; Vigilanteman; staytrue; Zevonismymuse; Brookhaven

Everyone on this post is wrong or almost wrong except Zevon.

Saxby’s win was due to turnout, or lack thereof. 1.3 million FEWER voters turned out for the runoff. Obama didn’t just have coattails, his presence on the ticket dragged out more than just marginal voters. Nationwide.

The turnout for the runoff is more typical that of an off-year election.

It is actually good news and says that the GOP will probably win back the House.


17 posted on 12/08/2008 10:06:44 AM PST by tom h
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: tom h
Everyone on this post is wrong or almost wrong except Zevon.

Yay! I love it when I am recognized for my old lady strength. I really have been around the political block a time or two.

It is actually good news and says that the GOP will probably win back the House.

I completely agree with this prediction.

BTW Rush is currently talking about this election on his show.

18 posted on 12/08/2008 10:25:36 AM PST by Zevonismymuse
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: Brookhaven
2. A Democratic base that was not enthused about comming out to vote for Martin.
Which was entirely predictable to anyone with at least one eye, one ear, and one brain.
19 posted on 12/08/2008 11:05:38 AM PST by dbz77 (uo)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Zevonismymuse

Zevon, we live in paradise in California also, in North SD county. Where is your paradise?


20 posted on 12/08/2008 11:53:11 AM PST by tom h
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-23 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson