Well, McCain still got 76% of the white vote in 2008 even in a down year for the GOP, the same 76% Bush got in 2004 in a good year for the party. So she has a bit of a margin to play with. Getting around 67% shouldn’t be that difficult.
And if you look at the total votes Handel by herself came pretty close to Barnes’ total. If you add up all the GOP votes they more than doubled the dem total. So there’s more GOP interest.
Throw in Issakson running in a statewide race, no Obama on the ballot, 2010 being a bounceback year for the GOP and the party having momentum and she should do ok, I’d think.
Plus, I think if Haley continues to poll well in SC that could help her. GA and SC are neighbors so I’d think if GA sees that SC is going with Haley that could spill over and help her. Not wanting to be left out or anything. You’ll probably see a bunch of stories about these two bastions of the Confederacy both having their first woman Governor, how times are changing, etc... That’ll start to sink in. And you’ll have other races nationwide like Whitman and Fiorina in CA, Brewer in AZ, Martinez in NM, Angle in NV, etc... I think the cumulative effect will end up helping all of them.
But you probably no more about the state politics than I do. It would just seem to me that if the GOP can’t win a Governor’s race in GA in 2010 given the circumstances, the party is in much deeper trouble than I thought.
Impressive observations!