Posted on 10/23/2008 2:53:30 PM PDT by Palin4President
The already high-profile battle for the Georgia U.S. Senate seat held by Republican Saxby Chambliss could move up a few notches if none of the three candidates gets a majority of votes Nov. 4.
There is always the possibility of a runoff in a three-way political contest. But the race between Chambliss, Democrat Jim Martin and Libertarian Allen Buckley carries an unusual dynamic in an election year when national Democrats are trying to cement a filibuster-proof 60-vote “super majority” in the U.S. Senate.
Some political observers believe Democrats could be close to that margin after the Nov. 4 balloting. And if the Georgia race is thrown into a four-week runoff, the national political spotlight will shine brightly on the state, no matter who becomes president.
Democrats and Republicans will almost certainly pour money and time into Georgia under that scenario. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has already pumped more than $500,000 into television ads attacking Chambliss.
“This becomes the center of the universe for the next four weeks if Georgia is the 60th seat,” said University of Georgia political scientist Charles Bullock said Wednesday. “You’ll have Barack Obama campaigning here. You’ll have Sarah Palin campaigning here.”
There are only a few polls in the race, but most show it tightening as the election nears — polls show Chambliss with a 6-point lead to dead-even with Martin.
A Dec. 2 runoff would be required if neither candidate gets a majority of the vote.
An under-funded Buckley could have a major impact on the race if he draws more than 3 percent of the vote and Chambliss and Martin run neck-and-neck, with neither breaking 50 percent. Buckley pulled 2.1 percent of the vote in his last Senate bid in 2004.
Both Martin’s and Chambliss’ campaigns on Wednesday dismissed the idea of a runoff as they both push for an outright win,
“We’re focused on Nov. 4,” said Chambliss spokeswoman Michelle Grasso. “Our goal is to win on Nov. 4, regardless of Libertarian turnout or early voting.”
Martin spokesman Ellery Gould expressed similar sentiments for the Democrats.
“We think Georgia voters are ready to reject Saxby Chambliss, and we expect to win outright on Nov. 4,” Gould said.
The head of the DSCC, meanwhile, appeared to try to lower expectations for a super majorty in recent comments in “Politico,” an online political magazine.
“As for 60 (Senate seats), it is possible,” said U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-New York) “You can look at the map yourself. But given the red terrain we’re fighting in, it’s very difficult. And I don’t want people to get such high expectations, because it’s hard to win in states like Georgia or Mississippi. It is. And we need some of those states to win.”
Chambliss and McCain will take Georgia.
Bank it.
If McCain takes Georgia Chambliss will win as well. McCain will win Georgia handily.
You must not live here in Georgia.......
We are pretty angry on Saxby’s vote on the bailout.....
I may vote for the libertarian just to help foster the run-off.....
I’ll probably end up voting for Saxby in the run-off if it occurs but a message must be sent....
Yeah, Saxby here went from a high-single digit and even a double digit lead in the polls to being just 1-4 points ahead after his bailout vote. Jim Martin is making a real big issue of it too.
I do live in Georgia. Newnan to be exact.
I am angry too, but not angry enough to hand a 60 vote majority to the scumbag party.
Sorry, didn’t realize you were a resident...LOL, I’ve never seen the name Yankee used here in the South without the word “Damn” in front of it.....
I was 18 years old before I knew they were two separate words.
Yes I’m a Damn Yankee.
5-1/2 years now.
You must not live here in Georgia.......
We are pretty angry on Saxby’s vote on the bailout.....
I may vote for the libertarian just to help foster the run-off.....
I’ll probably end up voting for Saxby in the run-off if it occurs but a message must be sent....
I live in Georgia and I’m pissed at Saxby but the answer is most CERTAINLY not the spector of a filibuster proof hypocrat congress!
If you must send a message, call his office, write a letter, or both, etc.
Meanwhile, I’m excited about Rick Goddard, my old wing commander up in Plattsburgh AFB NY back in the day.
Doesn’t matter though.
Thanks to Acorn, I could probably vote for Saxby from my former home on Long Island. :)
Gee, I didn't realized Georgia faced such a problem with financial ignorance.
There were plenty of other solutions that could have been explored within the private sector, the problem with those is that the politicians wouldn’t have controlled them......
But it appears that you like government socialist bailouts......
I am angry at Saxby for supporting the Shamnesty bill too. I think he is going to be an undervote for me since he doesn’t care to represent me on some important issues. Let some other conservatives step up in Georgia since Saxby apparently finds it more important to support the interests of big business and the K Street crowd rather than individual Georgians who don’t want to be swamped with illegals and who don’t want to pay for the bailout.
Um, I thought the post-general election runoff in Georgia was eliminated back in the ‘90s (after Wyche Fowler’s surprise upset) ?
I remember, the 1996 Senate race didn’t have a runoff, even though Max Cleland finished with less than a majority in a cliffhanger that year. And I don’t recall the law being changed.
Yeah, Cleland won by only 1% over Guy Millner, 48.9-47.6%. Why was there no runoff ? I suspect had there been, Millner would’ve won.
Found this.
http://georgiaunfiltered.blogspot.com/2008/10/martin-vs-chambliss-50-plus-one-still.html
“After Wyche Fowler was defeated by Paul Coverdell in 1992, the Democratic-led Georgia General Assembly changed lowered the threshold for electoral victory to a plurality rather than a majority. In 2005, the Republican-led General Assembly changed it back to a majority, 50% plus one, to win.”
Chambliss isn’t going to need a runoff anyway. Knock on wood.
It would be quite annoying it if ends 49-48 Chambliss though.
We so need 2012 to be a GOP landslide year.
I also don’t like Chambliss on several issues (like the ridiculous FairTax) but I will be voting solidly for him. I find it hard to imagine that Georgia is really in play. The thought of 60+ liberal senators makes me fear for the US...
OK, thanks. That explained why there was no Cleland-Millner runoff in ‘98 that Millner likely would’ve taken (since the Libertarian deprived Millner of an outright win). I did remember correctly they had sacked the runoff. I had no idea the new GOP majority reinstituted it.
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