The Battle For Georgia

On December 2, four weeks after the general election, the people of Georgia went back to the polls and reelected their senior senator Saxby Chambliss in a runoff election that had significant national implications. The following is a summary of that race from someone who was involved in the process and some thoughts about where we go from here. As a result of the November 4 general election not only did the Democrats win the White House, make gains in the House of Representatives but they were very close to reaching the filibuster proof number of 60 seats in the Senate. The last two roadblocks were in Minnesota where the incumbent Republican Senator Norm Coleman holds a precarious lead in an endless recount with Al Franken and in Georgia where Chambliss had been forced into a runoff with Democrat Jim Martin.

Because of the importance of the Georgia race both parties threw huge resources into the contest. Millions of dollars were spent in negative advertising and by the end of the race it was impossible to turn on the radio or TV and not hear terrible things about Chambliss or Martin. Both parties also brought in their big names. McCain, Rudy, Romney and Huckabee for Chambliss, Bill Clinton and Al Gore for Martin. Obama did not come but he made a radio commercial and robo calls for Martin. On the day before the election the two sides brought in their rock stars: Sarah Palin for Chambliss and the rapper Ludicrous for Martin.

My late father took me to my first political rally for Dwight Eisenhower (I was a babe in arms) and since that time I have attended many political events for famous and not so famous politicians. Without question Sarah Palin can generate a genuine frenzy of support from a large crowd to a greater degree than any political leader I have ever seen. She had traveled to Augusta, Savannah, Perry and the stop in Duluth was her final appearance. Her high energy level, her stress on the importance of the election and her appeal to use the election of Chambliss as a springboard for the restoration of the conservative movement energized the crowd. The final polls showed that Chambliss was leading by 3-5 points. He won by 15 and though Palin's appearances for him were not the only reason for the large margin, everyone, especially Chambliss, understands how big a factor she was.

On election day I worked as a pollwatcher at a precinct 9C in the west side of Atlanta. A pollwatcher represents a political party to insure that the pollworkers in a given precinct handle the voting in a honest manner and follow the rules. As a GOP pollwatcher I was sent to a heavily Democratic precinct. In some cities such as Chicago and Philadelphia Republican pollwatchers have been abused and harrassed in trying to carry out their duties. Thankfully this was not my experience. I had been a pollwatcher at the precinct located in a large African American Baptist Church for the Presidential election, and I volunteered to go back to same precinct for the runoff. The pollworkers were all highly professional, the rules were followed (be thankful for photo ID) and though I was a true minority I was treated with respect. The precinct has about 2,500 registered voters. During the presidential election about 1,000 voted early and 754 voted on election day. Of those Obama got 732 to McCain's 20 (really brave people). On the day of the runoff Martin got 800 to 21 for Chambiss. However, just over 100 voted early. Therefore, I knew that the Democrats had not delivered their base for Martin in the numbers they needed to win. I strongly recommend that those reading this blog consider serving as a pollworker (you get paid for that service) or a pollwatcher (you don't get paid and it requires some courage) as way to contribute to your community. It will also give you a great chance to see that our system works fairly for all.

The election of 2008 was truly historic even if did not have the outcome many of us would have preferred. The election of Obama was understandbly a huge source of pride for the voters at precinct 9C. At same time during my two poll watching experiences it was obvious to me that the voters I met for the most part were devout, church going individuals who shared a strong belief in faith and family. Thanks to the overwhelming support of the African-American community the pro-marriage Proposition 8 won in California. Every poll shows that the African-American and Hispanic communities are among the most pro-life sectors of our society. I hope the GOP is wise enough to make values a cornerstone in their restoration efforts. It would also be a wise thing to elect Michael Steele as head of the RNC. Symbols are important and Michael Steele's election would remind people that the GOP is the party of Lincoln.