As a long time resident of Georgia, I have watched the presidential race closely here. I am tired of voting for the loser. I was a Dean supporter, a Gore supporter, you get the picture. This year I have eagerly read other Georgia diaries and keep wondering why the effect of Bob Barr's libertarian run for president is not discussed more. I can understand how other states may downplay Barr's effect on the campaign since it will have little to no effect. However, Bob Barr is a former Georgia representative and is a known candidate. He is a definite X factor here in Georgia. More below the fold:
In reading through Bob Barr's website I counted 343 meet up groups in the Atlanta area alone. He is scheduled to speak at Georgia Tech next week. His campaign is active here in Georgia.
As the race between McCain and Obama gets closer, now within 3, I find myself wondering if the unthinkable can happen. Can Bob Barr syphon enough votes from McCain to give the win to Obama?
First: Two months ago Creative Loafing said this (and McCain was way ahead in GA. polls then):
But veteran politicos acknowledge the possibility of – to employ a neo-cliché – a perfect storm in which new voter registration, Democratic soft-money campaigning and a mini-surge in Libertarian votes could conspire to tip our state to Barack Obama. If that turned out to be the case, though, Obama would likely be having a big night elsewhere, picking up electoral votes in other states where Barr is even more likely to make a difference.
Put simply, could arch-conservative Bob Barr actually have a hand in helping the Democrats win in November?
To paraphrase a well-worn campaign slogan: Yes he can.
Can the unthinkable happen here? I am starting to believe it can. The Atlanta Journal on October 2 by Margaret Newkirk:
A disproportionate number of Georgia’s 194,138 early voters are African-American, in what could be an encouraging sign for Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. As of Wednesday, about 39 percent of those voters — 74,961 — are African-Americans, Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel’s office said.
The Political Insider on Oct. 4th said:
That’s a 27 percent increase in new voter registration for African-Americans over ’04, and a 13.7 percent decrease in new voter registration for whites over ’04.
This is significant given that, overall, blacks make up 29 percent of Georgia’s 5.5 million voters. And it fits with the fact that, in the first days of early voting in Georgia, African-Americans have cast nearly 40 percent of the ballots.
Handel’s office won’t say how many names have been purged this year, but 274,000 were removed last year for inactivity
There’s nothing to suggest that this process isn’t on the up-and-up. But remember the Feb. 5 presidential primary? African-Americans made up 30 percent of the 2 million votes cast. That means, statistically, a disproportionate number of African-Americans protected themselves from being purged from voter rolls for inactivity.
Finally, today's poll tracker gives Barr 2% of the Georgia votes. How angry are some voters that Saxby Chamliss voted for the bail out? This is
incredible.
http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/...
Finally, I have been concentrating on the presidential election, but this from Oct 11 from the Gainesville Times on recent State poll:
In the Senate race, incumbent Republican Saxby Chambliss and Democratic challenger Jim Martin are tied at 45 percent each, according to the poll. Another 2 percent chose "other," with Libertarian Allen Buckley also on the ballot. Eight percent remain undecided.
"We really have a Senate race on our hands now where a few weeks ago it appeared Chambliss was coasting to an easy re-election," Bullock said.
Jim Martin is TIED with Saxby Chambliss. Saxby was so sure of a win he didn't even start advertising on TV until a couple of weeks ago.
Okay, Georgia volunteers, NOW is the time. We give it all and we win. Let's get our friends, families and neighbors to the polls.
Just a few more Obama and Barr voters and we turn blue!