Comments on: Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

markkraft — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:14:33 -0800

This thing ain't over yet! Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss of Georgia has failed to reach 50% of the vote, thereby triggering an automatic runoff election on December 2nd, between him and Democratic challenger Jim Martin, who received 47% of the vote. This gives the Democrats a rare opportunity to concentrate all their efforts over the next month on a state in the heart of the South. Can we expect President-elect Obama and Jim Martin to launch a concentrated campaign across the state of Georgia, hoping to do what they did in Indiana, and turn a traditionally Republican state blue again? Yes, I suspect, we can!

By: Benny Andajetz

Benny Andajetz — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:20:08 -0800

After what Chambliss did to Max Cleland, I sincerely hope he gets stomped. The scorched-earth old guards need to go.

By: The Card Cheat

The Card Cheat — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:20:23 -0800

Good news. If anyone deserves to lose his seat, it's Chambliss.

By: markkraft

markkraft — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:28:46 -0800

Here's Chambliss' dirty ad, btw. (As for me, I'm down for another $25...)

By: absalom

absalom — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:34:34 -0800

Fuck that guy. I hope the machine is still in full swing when it comes vote time and this remorseless, soulless piece of human detritus gets taken out to the curb where he fucking belongs.

By: Horace Rumpole

Horace Rumpole — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:44:13 -0800

Certainly it couldn't happen to a more deserving scumbag, but I'm skeptical that the low-propensity voters who turned out for the general and made this such a close race are going to show up for the runoff.

By: delmoi

delmoi — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:44:29 -0800

Don't forget the recount in the MN senate race. Coleman's margin of victory is 400 votes, and provisional ballots still need to be counted...

By: Dr. Grue

Dr. Grue — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:05:41 -0800

The last US Senate runoff was in 1992 between the incumbent Wyche Fowler (D) and Paul Coverdell (R). Clinton had just won, the momentum was with the Democrats for the first time in a decade and Fowler had the advantage of incumbency. He lost. If Obama only got 47% of the vote yesterday, Martin can't do any better. The turnout will not be there for him. In 1992 it was the Libertarian's votes that kept either Fowler or Coverdell from a 50% +1 vote count. If you look at the numbers from last night, Allen Buckley, the Libertarian candidate for Senate polled four times as many votes as did Bob Barr, who is even from Georgia. Those votes were from disaffected Republicans (believe it or not, there are a ton of Republicans is this state who don't think Chambliss is conservative enough) who will, if they vote at all, will probably slink back to Saxby. I'd like to see Cleland get some sweet sweet vengeance, but I don't think it is likely to happen. And I would like to point out that contrary to the link's title (though not that article's text) traditionally Georgia is a Democratic state. The Democrats ran Georgia longer than the PRI did Mexico or the Communists Russia. The current Republican governor is the first one that hasn't required the federal army to keep his office. Though certainly now it seems like Georgia will be a GOP bastion for the forseeable future.

By: wendell

wendell — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:08:39 -0800

It's just nice to see that election junkies won't have to quit cold turkey, the tragic effects of which are documented here.

By: Medieval Maven

Medieval Maven — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:16:49 -0800

For those of you who are in Georgia and especially the ATL area - my husband and I plan on working for the Martin runoff race. We should make an outing of it, any of us who can.

By: GuyZero

GuyZero — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:21:44 -0800

Please, let's not make MetaFilter an all-election blog. The Presidential election is over. This isn't really the best of the web and it's not so huge that everyone cares.

By: DU

DU — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:22:22 -0800

You mean Saxby "Hussein" Chambliss? Doesn't he hate America? I know for a fact he spits on babies.

By: wendell

wendell — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:26:48 -0800

I thought acts of saxby chambliss were illegal in Georgia.

By: An Infinity Of Monkeys

An Infinity Of Monkeys — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:35:21 -0800

Only with members of the same gender, wendell.

By: Michael Roberts

Michael Roberts — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:45:50 -0800

Which reminds me yet again that I AM NOW A BLUE STATER! WOOOOO!

By: markkraft

markkraft — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 18:07:13 -0800

"If Obama only got 47% of the vote yesterday, Martin can't do any better. The turnout will not be there for him." I don't see that as inevitable at all. What matters most is how many people turn out on that given day... and the grassroots network for Obama is very strong.... certainly stronger than anything that Clinton had in Georgia back in '92. Indeed, the runoff in '92 only gave Fowler until Nov. 11th to campaign. Obviously, turnout for the election probably won't be as high as for the presidential election... but the result could be every bit as convincing as Obama's win in the Georgia primary.

By: markkraft

markkraft — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 18:13:17 -0800

It should also be remembered that Coverdell beat a somewhat unpopular incumbent Fowler after Fowler failed to get 50%. And if you're the incumbent, failing to achieve 50% tends to suggest to people that you're vulnerable. Right now, lots of people must be thinking that Chambliss looks kinda weak... and lots of Georgians are thinking "Wow... the Democrats did really well in Georgia yesterday..." And that includes all those registered Democrats in Georgia who failed to vote yesterday. Nothing makes your vote seem worth something more than a close race.

By: wildcrdj

wildcrdj — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 19:18:33 -0800

If Obama only got 47% of the vote yesterday, Martin can't do any better. The turnout will not be there for him. Haven't seen exit polls, but anecdotally I know several McCain voters who voted for Martin. Chambliss is not popular among many moderates/independents, many of whom voted for McCain in GA.

By: jeffburdges

jeffburdges — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 19:39:02 -0800

Yes, please please help nix Saxby Chambliss' political career! You can mention that Chambliss voted for the bailout if you need an argument to convince a Republican.

By: eustatic

eustatic — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 21:43:30 -0800

Please, let's not make MetaFilter an all-election blog. The Presidential election is over. This isn't really the best of the web and it's not so huge that everyone cares. please let's not ignore what goes on in the south! this is important!

By: louche mustachio

louche mustachio — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 00:52:23 -0800

I thought acts of saxby chambliss were illegal in Georgia. Dammit, I wish we had thought to name a narsty sex act after him, a la Satorum. I don't know if we can disseminate such a term into popular culture soon enough for it to effect the runoff. Although I suppose it's worth a shot. Any ideas? I'm thinking something involving the scrotum.

By: markkraft

markkraft — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 03:36:30 -0800

"Dammit, I wish we had thought to name a narsty sex act after him, a la Satorum. . . I'm thinking something involving the scrotum." The obvious roots would be "sacks", chamber, which comes from Old French chambre, derived from the late Latin "camera", and, of course, bliss. I'm thinking something like this... (text, but still, NSFW).

By: markkraft

markkraft — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 03:42:07 -0800

BTW, the "Saxby Chambliss" appears to have been popularized in the gay porn classic from '88, "A Night Alone With Al Parker". (text, NSFW)

By: sfts2

sfts2 — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 05:34:13 -0800

I think its funny that he is campaigning for Georgia to be the site of the military's African Command Center. Funny of course, meaning ironic and pathetic.

By: qcubed

qcubed — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 05:47:39 -0800

Maybe 'chambliss' could be the odor of unwashed genitalia after its insertion into the anus?

By: Brandon Blatcher

Brandon Blatcher — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 06:09:31 -0800

Actually, while a run off seems likely, it's not official yet. They're still counting votes. This gives the Democrats a rare opportunity to concentrate all their efforts over the next month on a state in the heart of the South. Um, they're a little busy setting up a new government and there are several other close races.

By: Kadin2048

Kadin2048 — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 06:51:41 -0800

You can mention that Chambliss voted for the bailout if you need an argument to convince a Republican. Not very convincing, given that we're within two Senatorial votes of being a one-party government. I would vote for the guy no matter how repulsive he may be (and the more I look into it, yeah, he's really repulsive), simply in order to preserve some semblance of balance. Giving one party the ability to ram legislation through completely uncontested is far more dangerous than anything one asshole Senator is going to do by himself.

By: GuyZero

GuyZero — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 07:55:23 -0800

please let's not ignore what goes on in the south! this is important! "the south"? Like South American you mean? Or the south island of New Zealand? Or South Africa? Or perhaps South Korea? You want people to start posting about third-tier government elections in all those places? MeFi may be primarily by Americans by virtue of English-language demographics but last I checked it wasn't explicitly about Americans.

By: kjs3

kjs3 — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 08:25:46 -0800

Well...as someone who just had to choose between Saxby and Martin, I chose the protest vote. The campaign was execrable on both sides, but Martin lost me with his carpet bomb ad push trying to make the "Fair Tax" proposals Saxby has supported out to be "a 23% tax increase on everything you buy". Every time I heard one (and if the TV was on, you got to hear it at least 10 times an hour), I thought "do you really think I'm stupid enough to buy that?". My intelligence thus insulted, I couldn't vote for him. Not sure what I'm going to do now.

By: TedW

TedW — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 08:32:55 -0800

Dr. Grue pretty much nailed what I have seen here in GA. Outside of Atlanta this is a redder state than most people realize. I will get out and vote for Martin in hopes of getting rid of Chambliss, but am not optimistic. And I have another 4 weeks of political ads to look forward to--ugh!

By: gyc

gyc — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 10:03:22 -0800

When did MeFi become a fan site for the Democratic party? Wait... don't answer that

By: GuyZero

GuyZero — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 10:21:28 -0800

When did MeFi become a fan site for the Democratic party? We don't make posts on "the red" you know.

By: Ziggy Zaga

Ziggy Zaga — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 10:26:10 -0800

Well...as someone who just had to choose between Saxby and Martin, I chose the protest vote. The campaign was execrable on both sides, but Martin lost me with his carpet bomb ad push trying to make the "Fair Tax" proposals Saxby has supported out to be "a 23% tax increase on everything you buy". On the contrary, I was more disgusted with Saxby's "Jim Martin wanted to let sex offenders run amok!" Sensationalism of sex crimes is bad enough; when you're campaigning based on that, it's gone too far IMO.

By: kjs3

kjs3 — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 11:20:22 -0800

ZZ: Meh...that sorta sleaze is par for the course from Chambless (and I thought the "he let children suffer" stuff was more odious). Guess I've been desensitized. But that Martin ad just grated me the wrong way; kinda like "I need to appeal to really, really stupid people". I suppose I'll vote for Martin in the runoff, but I'll be grumbling.

By: markkraft

markkraft — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 17:47:39 -0800

So, how is this 23% claim from the Martin campaign in any ways untrue?

By: markkraft

markkraft — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 17:55:54 -0800

And here is the ad for that 23% claim. Note that it's *NOT* from the Martin campaign, and therefore not fully under their control as far as wording. In any event, though, a 23% flat sales tax is regressive, and would actually hurt Georgians -- and specifically, Georgia's poor -- more than other Americans... especially since it taxes groceries. It's also a really great way to discourage consumer spending in the midst of a recession. Frankly, it's an idea that deserves to be mocked, if only because Chambliss knows for certain that it's strictly posturing, and that such a plan would never pass under current circumstances. It's dogma for the dogmatic... another do-nothing wedge issue to rally his base.

By: jeffburdges

jeffburdges — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 06:50:23 -0800

A "fair tax" need not be regressive because they usually imagine including universal welfare. I'm not however sure a national sales tax is a safe goal. Sure they imagine eliminating income tax, but the most likely compromise result is a balance between income tax & sales tax. So some years later both taxes can be increased, meaning you play more than before.

By: kjs3

kjs3 — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 14:11:38 -0800

So, how is this 23% claim from the Martin campaign in any ways untrue? I never said it wasn't true, though it is a misrepresentation of what Saxby supports. I said the ad insulted my intelligence enough for me not to want to vote for Martin. Note that it's *NOT* from the Martin campaign, and therefore not fully under their control as far as wording. Sorry. I don't give him a pass on that. And the idea that this ad came out of nowhere with respect to the Martin camp is quaint. It's dogma for the dogmatic... another do-nothing wedge issue to rally his base. True.