Fresh Loaf

While I was up in Washington, D.C. and New York City on a fact-finding mission, it looks like y’all had a helluva time. Mayor Shirley Franklin asked the feds for a life preserver, the Georgia Department of Transportation decided years-old e-mails of a lascivious nature weren’t grounds for dismissal (use Gchat, Gena!), Buckhead was — gasp — called overdeveloped, and the DeKalb County Courthouse was visited by Peter, Ray and Egon. Oh yeah, and some guy who lost a presidential election visited. And there was also this news.

Sure, all I have to show for my hedonistic jaunt are a lot of blisters and FedEx receipts because I shipped all my books, DVDs and tiger-taming gear from my old NYC apartment to Decatur. But it’s good to be back. I’m eager to get back into covering the U.S. Senate and Public Service Commission races and all the other sordid beats. And finally getting the pedicure that I, being the “prominent journalist” that I am, promised a lucky lady. Viva Atlanta! Viva Creative Loafing! Viva chaos!

How was your week, Atlanta?

Bookmark It

Jeanne Cummings of The Politico writes about the Saxby Chambliss-Jim Martin runoff:

President-elect Barack Obama may risk some of his newly earned political capital in Georgia, where a Dec. 2 Senate runoff could move Democrats a step closer toward a filibuster-proof, 60-vote majority in the upper chamber.

Cummings, who was a reporter for the AJC in the early ’90s, writes of “eerie similarities” between Obama’s dilemma and President-elect Clinton campaigning in the 1992 runoff that Democratic Sen. Wyche Fowler lost against Paul Coverdell.

… Republicans crowed that it was a signal of Clinton’s already weakened political standing.

Clinton’s allies scoffed at the criticism, but it stung, all the same.

Clinton’s experience and the history of runoffs suggest that Obama’s safest course may be to keep some distance.

That could be one reason McCain’s committed to campaign for Chambliss while Martin hasn’t yet secured a visit from Obama. Then again, the president-elect’s probably a bit more busy.

Obama may end up helping with support from his campaign’s Internet lists and radio ads geared toward increasing black turnout in the runoff, rather than by stumping the state, according to one of Cummings’ sources.

See the full story: “Senate runoff a test for Obama.”

Bookmark It

• Georgia Democratic Party and the Obama campaign at the Hyatt Regency downtown
• Jim Martin at Park Tavern
• GOP bashes at the Intercontinental Hotel in Buckhead
• Libertarians at the Mansour Center in Marietta
• The Watchtower at Sugarhill
• DeKalb County Democratic Election Night Celebration at the Holiday Inn Conference Center in Decatur
• The usual suspects at Manuel’s Tavern
• Election Day Costume Party at Cenci
• Election Party at 595 North Ave.
• Huge Election Watch Party at Amsterdam Atlanta
• Stonewall Democrats Election Night Party at Halo Lounge
• Barack Obama Official Yes We Did Final Watch Party at Fox Sports Grill
• Yes We Have! Obama Presidential Election Results Celebration at Verve Restaurant and Lounge
• Presidential Election Watch Night Party at Encore in Duluth
• One Nation Under a Change Election Night Party at Luella’s Restaurant in Jonesboro
• Election Results Party at McCray’s Tavern on the Square in Lawrenceville

Did we miss one? Leave it in the comments for your fellow election watchers.

Bookmark It

FiveThirtyEight, one of the most entertaining and informative online resources for this Presidential election, posts an excellent Georgia-centric rundown on the state’s demographics and political dynamics — and how the combination of the two may determine who runs the country come Jan. 20.

From the site:

Since native son Jimmy Carter was on the ballot, Democrats have found Georgia tough sledding. But with African-American turnout soaring to unprecedented levels, Georgia may be a state where the public polling models are off, and indeed Barack Obama has put last minute advertising resources into the state in an effort to both go over 400 electoral votes as well as help a rising tide lift Jim Martin’s boat against Max Cleland-smearing incumbent Saxby Chambliss.

It’s a long read, but it says Georgia’s may be one of the closest races we’ll see on Nov. 4. Definitely worth checking out.

Bookmark It

In the last of its Jawja polls of the day, Rasmussen says John McCain still leads Barack Obama by five points in Georgia.

Interesting tidbit:

In the latest poll, Obama now leads 53% to 44% among unaffiliated voters in the state. Last week, McCain led those voters by an identical margin. McCain leads 73% to 26% among white voters in Georgia while Obama earns overwhelming support from black voters. While men favor McCain 55% to 45%, women are split between the candidates at 49% each.

Bookmark It

… but it was just a vote of Atlanta Public School students. According to an APS press release:

Obama crushes McCain
in APS student mock election

More than 17,000 students in 70 Atlanta Public Schools participated in a national mock election Thursday, chosing Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama over Republican rival John McCain by a margin of more than 17-to-1. …

Obama garnered 15,798 votes or 92 percent of ballots cast, compared with McCain’s 910 votes or 5 percent. Green Party candidate Cynthia McKinney won 99 votes, independent Ralph Nader won 62, Chuck Baldwin of the Constitution Party won 59 and Libertarian Bob Barr won 45.

Of course, 86 percent of Atlanta Public School students are black, and African-Americans nationally are polling around 98 percent for Obama. I wonder what the mock vote would have been in Cherokee County.

Bookmark It

The headline’s a bit misleading, sure, but this sounds like it’ll be just as interesting.

Grady High School’s award-winning Speech and Debate Team is hosting “The Final Showdown,” a U.S. presidential debate tonight at 7:30 p.m. in the school’s Main Theater. Seniors Mike Robinson and Demarius Wilson will portray John McCain and Barack Obama and debate healthcare, the economy, foreign policy and other issues. The fundraising event will be moderated by members of the press and Emory University’s Barkley Forum. Students and audience members will be able to pose questions to the “candidates.”

Can’t make it out to the event? No worries, you can watch the debate from home — the team will streamcast it live on its website here.

A chili dinner will be offered at 6 p.m. in the high school cafeteria. Tickets cost $12 and can be purchased at the door or online here.

Bookmark It

This is going to be an interesting week. And a busy one.

Pollster, a website that somehow eats every single political poll IN THE WORLD and then burps them out in color-coded maps, says Georgia is now a “toss up” between John McCain and Barack Obama. Yep, Georgia.

Wonkette says no way, but we’ll see.

Pollster’s also calling “toss up” about Georgia’s U.S. Senate seat. Nearly everyone thought incumbent Republican Saxby Chambliss would easily win a second term in his race against Democratic nominee Jim Martin and Libertarian challenger Allen Buckley. Turns out all of ‘em — me included — were wrong. Signs point to a run off in that race.

Bookmark It

The latest poll from Rasmussen is the fourth straight snapshot that shows John McCain with more than 50 percent of the vote.

From the polling organization:

The race for Georgia’s Electoral College votes is getting closer.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the state shows that John McCain’s lead over Barack Obama is down to five percentage points, 51% to 46%. In September, McCain led by 11. Earlier in October, that lead had slipped to nine points.

However, while Obama continues to gain ground, this is the fourth straight poll of Georgia voters to find McCain at the 50% level of support or above. In August, McCain led Obama 50% to 43%.

Sixty-eight percent (68%) of voters in the state expect McCain to win Georgia on Election Day.

Bookmark It

– The race between “that one” and Johnny Mac isn’t the only thing on the November ballot. Even beyond the race between the “Sax Machine” and “Big Ears,” there’s some more obscure, but equally important, questions to decide. DriftGrift gives the lowdown on Constitutional amendment No. 1, which preserves forests and who doesn’t want to preserve forests? But wait ’til you read the fine print.

— Sure, “that one” is ahead in the polls. But optimists thought Gore and Kerry were going to win, too. Can the Republicans steal another election? You betcha. Reporter-Cub ponders the possibilities.

— In Catch 22, there was the Major Major, who looked like Henry Fonda and never did much of anything. But at the Daly Report, there’s the one and only Sergeant Major. Daly’s days in Iraq are coming to an end. And he looks back at his favorite officer.

— DownRight, cries out, “Where have you gone Newt Gingrich? A lonely nation turns its eyes to you.” They also give J-Mac a reluctant endorsement.

— The lovely Sara at Going Through The Motions reveals that she is a Red Sox fan. She likes Greek food. She thinks she jinxes FSU whenever she shows up at a game (go to as many games as possible, Sara). But in her “this & that” post, she also has this sobering reminder: the state of Georgia will kill Troy Davis, who is likely an innocent man, next week. And whatever happened to American justice?

— And, finally, Left On Lanier has discoverd a candy that is the world’s most … well … you know … I suppose it all depends on your point of view. Is it tasty? Or tasteless? Either way, it’s definitely perverted.

Bookmark It

A recent Democracy Corps poll focused on Georgia shows a slight 46-44 margin for John McCain over Barack Obama and a 48-44 margin for U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss over Democratic challenger Jim Martin.

But it was a question about the 2010 Governor’s race that caught my eye:

(more…)

Bookmark It

Was anybody else weirded out by McCain’s freaky laughing last night?

Paper mache doll by the Missile Dick Chicks outside the 2008 Democratic National Convention

More info on the Missile Dick Chicks here

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

Bookmark It

Tomorrow night the final presidential debate between John McCain and Barack Obama takes place in Hempstead, N.Y., and with the presidential election three weeks from today, this is pretty much the last chance for John McCain to make one of his game-changing Hail-Mary-pass campaign stunts. The political blog FiveThirtyEight.com offers a handy risk-assessment-level graphic (right) to determine how likely a stunt would be, based on the McCain campaign’s mood.

To foresee what actual shape a stunt may take, Slate recently predicted McCain’s next Hail Mary stunts, including:

1. Returns to Vietnam and jails himself.
2. Offers the post of “vice vice president” to Warren Buffett.
3. Challenges Obama to suspend campaign so they both can go and personally drill for oil offshore.
4. Learns to use computer.

Bookmark It

After Thursday night’s roller-coaster ride on the YouBetchaExpress, this evening’s presidential debate was relatively staid. I thought Barack Obama clearly led the night, but McCain’s final two answers were stronger.

Your thoughts?

Bookmark It