Saxby's Win: 08's Most Intellectually Pure Contest

American Thinker ^ | December 4, 2008 | C. Edmund Wright

[St. Louis Conservative]

For all of the talk about "bi-partisanship," the Georgia Senate run-off was nothing if not blatantly partisan. It was, simply, ALL about the party, and by extention, was the most intellectually sound and pure election in all of the 2008 cycle.

Six years ago, Republican Saxby Chambliss routed incumbent Max Cleland by running a partisan and aggressive campaign that "infuriated Democrats" at the time. Since then, Chambliss has often wandered off the conservative partisan plantation and infuriated mainly his own base. He even got chastised for a "reach across the aisle" energy vote in an appearance on the Rush Limbaugh show when oil was over 100 bucks a barrel. (If you heard the interview, you probably remain undecided as to whether Chambliss even realized he was being mocked.)

This philosophical meandering had the conservative base less than thrilled with Saxby to the point that a libertarian candidate polled strongly and kept Chambliss from winning 50% plus one on election day in November.

This rightward bleeding, plus Obama mania and the attached voter drives, had him in a run-off against a charismatically challenged and unknown state legislator named Jim Martin.

As we know, it has been trendy for years for voters to claim an aggressive lack of party affiliation and to proclaim that one "votes for the man (or woman) and not the party." It sounds so darned enlightened and open minded. When turnout is high, many who fit this category vote.

But with respects to the Congress this makes almost no sense. After all, a vote for any single Democrat in 2008 was effectively a vote for one of only two people: Harry Reid or Nancy Pelosi.

[tom h]

Good point re Shamnesty. But I’m pretty sure that it won’t happen, like Hillarycare, because the blue dog Dems who voted for Obama are not in favor of awarding illegals with citizenship. Even the remaining liberal Republicans like Arlen Spector, the two ladies from Maine, and the fellow from Nebraska, will listen to their constituents. The chorus from the conservatives will be huge. Amnesty could well be Obama’s Hillarycare, delivering the Congress back to the GOP.

I hope.

[Timocrat]

The party in power always loses seats in the first off-year election. ALWAYS.

Ahem. 1934 and 2002

[tom h]

Oops. Shouldn’t have been that categorical. Forgot that 2002 curiosity. Well, I hope you think that my general point was true ... [/blushing]

[Timocrat]

Oops. Shouldn’t have been that categorical. Forgot that 2002 curiosity. Well, I hope you think that my general point was true ... [/blushing]

I've just finished reading Burton Fulsom's "New Deal or Raw Deal" ( which I highly recommend as a primer for what's going to happen in the next two years ) and the Dems 1934 increase was mentioned in the book.

I agree with your general point so long as the Repubs can identify and publicize the causes of the coming recession. It's difficult to believe some of the exit interviews after the last election e.g. the widespread belief that the Repubs control Congress. A few simple messages need to be re-enforced and re-enforced.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Damn right. It’s sad it has to be explained to Republicans who swallow the Orwellian media newsspeak labelling. They can take their RED and shove it up their Commie asses.