Chambliss takes Fayette runoff; turnout above 50%

Wed, 12/03/2008 - 8:35am
By: Cal Beverly

Perhaps spurred by the avalanche of political advertising for the past three weeks, Fayette County voters turned out in unusually high numbers for a Tuesday runoff election to give a nearly 7-to-3 winning margin to incumbent Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss over Democrat Jim Martin.

Nearly complete returns for Fayette show Chambliss with 25,875 votes (69.2 percent) to Martin’s 11,519 (30.8 percent).

Statewide, with more than 97 percent of all precincts reporting, Chambliss overwhelmed Martin 1.2 million votes to 905,000, or 57 percent to 43 percent.

Striking for a runoff election, the Fayette voter turnout was 52.38 percent. Of the 71,512 registered Fayette voters, 37,460 cast ballots in the three weeks leading up to the Dec. 2 runoff.

In Fayette, as across the state, Republican Lauren McDonald swamped Democrat Jim Powell for a vacant slot on the Georgia Public Service Commission.

In Fayette, McDonald got 68 percent, while Powell received 32 percent.

For the Ga. Court of Appeals, Mike Sheffield edged Sara Doyle 50.2 percent to 49.71 percent in Fayette, but that trend was reversed statewide, with Doyle winning 52 percent to 48 percent.

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Cyclist's picture
Submitted by Cyclist on Wed, 12/03/2008 - 8:50pm.

having second thoughts about the windfall profit taxes on oil companies.

Story
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Caution - The Surgeon General has determined that constant blogging is an addiction that can cause a sedentary life style.


JeffC's picture
Submitted by JeffC on Wed, 12/03/2008 - 9:34am.

So the citizens of Georgia decided that they would reelect a junior senator from a shrinking minority party to represent them. And that helps Georgia how? By assuring that their representative will continue to be totally ineffectual and irrelevant?

I blame the public schools.


Submitted by loanarranger707 on Wed, 12/03/2008 - 11:33am.

In the last few years we have witnessed a resurgence of religious fanaticism in both the United States and the Arab world, one helping feed the other. People have simply not had the intelligence and courage to stand up to those who purport to speak for “God” and who brainwash them into believing things that are nonsensical.

I suspect the election results we got reflect the influence of churches upon the people of Fayette County.

What is instructive is the vote for Mike Sheffield, for the Georgia Court of Appeals. Most people would normally be disinclined to vote for a criminal defense lawyer, because these attorneys are perceived as people who, for money, try to get their client off. But Sheffield was the only candidate who answered questionnaires from religious extremists of the far right who prodded him into disclosing anti-abortion views and other viewpoints they support.

Many Fayette voters are one-issue voters who have been prodded by those they accept as religious leaders to look for and care only about a candidate’s anti-abortion position. Lynn Westmoreland got elected that way, and so did the late Dan Lakly. Saxby didn’t do this as overtly, and in fact did a quite un-Christian hatchet job on Jim Martin, but he owes his election to those who saw him as sharing their religious views.

I don't blame the public schools.

WakeUp's picture
Submitted by WakeUp on Wed, 12/03/2008 - 11:33am.

You are baiting the bloggers again here. Now I did a quick analysis and the data I culled shows that in fact, Fayette county is not as backwards as your "I blame the public schools" comments indicate. My source was http://www.dataplace.org and the year this data covered is 2000.

National Rankings out of 3,140 counties

103 4 years + college degree
15 Median income
30 Average Income
3101 No High School or GED

It seems that with the educational levels and business talent (earning potential) we as a group possess, that we are above average (way above average).

Maybe this above average population knows something or has values the rest of the country should. Just a thought.

But don't play the poor eduction, dumb country folk cards here. We know better.


JeffC's picture
Submitted by JeffC on Wed, 12/03/2008 - 6:31pm.

I throw in that public school stuff 'cause I listen to Boortz all the time. My kids have gone to the PTC schools and received mostly excellent educations. I was just baiting the bloggers again as you said. It's been kinda slow since the election.


WakeUp's picture
Submitted by WakeUp on Wed, 12/03/2008 - 7:56pm.

I knew better than to be sucked in by you. Smiling I figured you were up to something like that.

I trust you had a good Thanksgiving and let me be one of the first to wish you and yours a Merry Christmas.


Mike King's picture
Submitted by Mike King on Wed, 12/03/2008 - 10:03am.

Did you really expect the 60 member majority in the Senate, or is it that with but 59, those of your ilk will have to work a bit more? I personally believe that the denial of a super majority was the overriding factor.

Let's face it, Mr Obama has already made a move to the center, and that until he gets his feet "wet", he will remain centrist. You do realize that it will be those 58 of your party's faithful that decides the seat in Minnesota, don't you?


JeffC's picture
Submitted by JeffC on Wed, 12/03/2008 - 6:38pm.

It suits me. I suspect that there will be few reasons for 60 to break a filibuster. National health care may be one but I'm suspecting that the Dems are going to be fractured (as will the Reps) and the filibuster action isn't going to come into play.

Minnesota is seemingly coming down to the "rejected" ballots which probably means a court fight. If it goes to the Senate Al wins I think. I'm not sure if that would be a majority vote or what. If it comes to that I'm sure somebody will research it and let us know.

As you probably know, Al is a acquaintance/friend. I'm hoping he wins of course.


Mike King's picture
Submitted by Mike King on Thu, 12/04/2008 - 6:46am.

Actually, I didn't know he was a friend. Either way that ball bounces, I wish you/him well.

You are correct in the requirement to break a fillibuster-I don't see any of the 100 as being "up for it." Strom Thurmond's record will remain intact.


Submitted by 1bighammer on Wed, 12/03/2008 - 11:07am.

of the "Super Majority". And for whoever said the Dems and Harry Reid wouldn;t stick together...your delusional. That's one thing I envy the Democrats for. They stick together...if the republicans could do that they could get some things done!

poipendicular's picture
Submitted by poipendicular on Wed, 12/03/2008 - 10:00am.

Preventing a super majority maybe more the goal, than re-electing Saxby.


sniffles5's picture
Submitted by sniffles5 on Wed, 12/03/2008 - 10:03am.

I believe that the "preventing a super majority" theme was a very strong argument for the Republicans, despite the ludicrous premise that a Senate led by Harry Reid could consistently deliver a 60-vote voting bloc...There are just too many factions within the Democratic party, not to mention Judas Lieberman and his gamesmanship.


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