And I have some more good news for you all:
http://politics.blog.ajc.com/...
Democrat Michelle Nunn is neck-and-neck with four top-tier Republican U.S. Senate candidates in hypothetical match-ups by Public Policy Polling.
The full results of the poll commissioned by liberal group Americans United for Change are here and put Nunn in the lead, but around the 3.9 percent margin for error. She leads Rep. Paul Broun, 42-41, Rep. Phil Gingrey, 45-41, former Secretary of State Karen Handel, 44-40, and Rep. Jack Kingston, 44-42.
The results are a small bump for Nunn from what PPP found in August, when Nunn was either tied or slightly ahead of the GOP field. The automated poll of 640 Georgians recorded an even split of Republicans and Democrats at 38 percent each, with 24 percent classifying themselves as Independent or other. Notably, the sample was 53 percent female. - Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 1/29/14
You can read the results here:
http://www.americansunitedforchange.org/...
The polling results show that Nunn get 10% of the GOP vote and she has Democratic voters united behind. The independent vote is close all around. And here's some other good news from Nunn:
http://politics.blog.ajc.com/...
“I support raising the minimum wage, but we need to do it in concert with business leaders to limit any unintended consequences,” she said at a recent appearance in Athens. “We need to ensure Georgia is a place of great opportunity so people can work their way out of poverty.”
She added: “I think the income inequality is an important set of issues, and it will be a part of one of the priorities I’m talking about: Jobs and the economy. Everyone knows jobs and employment are the best way to grow the economy.” - Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 1/28/14
All in all, good news indeed. Meanwhile on the GOP side, the Republican candidates are trying to prove who's purist of them all:
http://politics.blog.ajc.com/...
If there was another point of departure at Monday’s event, it was the topic of Internet sales — and whether companies that sell their goods online should be subject to state sales taxes like their bricks-and-mortar brothers.
Georgia passed such a law last year. The U.S. Senate has passed out the Marketplace Fairness Act, which would address the question on a nationwide scale. The six Republican candidates were asked their opinion. These were among the replies:
– Gingrey praised Georgia’s effort, and said he would consider the federal version, but strongly implied that he would ultimately vote against it:
“I don’t it really should be a federal issue. I know the Senate has already passed that. I know our two senators voted in favor of it. It hasn’t come to the House yet. It’s something I’ll look at very, very closely. I’m so much against raising taxes – and [for] promoting entrepreneurship of these small shops, mom-and-pops, that are on the Internet. But we need to look closely at it.”
– Broun was more succinct: “We shouldn’t be raising taxes on anybody,” he said.
– David Perdue, the former CEO of Dollar General, broke from the pack by endorsing the measure:
“Being the only retailer up here, I can tell you – I’ve seen both sides of this conversation. Look, one of the things the federal government does – or should do, frankly – is make sure all players in our free enterprise system play on an even playing field. Here’s where, because of technology, they’re not. Frankly, I think whether you have brick-and-mortar, or Internet sales, we should have the same rules apply to both. That’s from a retailer.”
– Rep. Jack Kingston portrayed an Internet sales tax as a slippery slope:
“If you put this Internet sales tax on the table, then you are also going to inch municipal bonds there. Now, I do not favor stopping the tax exemption for municipal bonds, because I know how important that is for you as a tool for economic development.
“But if you start picking and choosing which taxes you want, that’s what’s going to happen. When we take the plunge for tax simplification, we have to do it all at once.”
– And Karen Handel said implementing the tax would be daunting:
“I appreciate that we want to have fairness across the board for businesses. I’ll tell you, I have real concerns that this bill might have some unintended consequences. Remember, the revenue threshold for this is $1 million. For most small businesses, they’re margins are going to be 5 percent, maybe 10 percent. The compliance aspect of this is going to be enormous….” - Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 1/27/14
Not to mention, this might be another reason why the GOP candidates are slightly trailing Nunn:
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/...
When a moderator for a recent Georgia Republican primary debate asked candidates by a show of hands whether they would vote to extend benefits for the thousands of American workers who have been stuck with long-term unemployment, the question was met with an awkward pause.
At the Mayor's Day Senate Forum in Atlanta earlier in the week, none of the six candidates raised their hands in favor of extending benefits, but when the opposite question would ask -- who would vote against such a proposal -- all six candidates raised their hands. Rep. Paul Broun's (R-GA) arm shot up the fastest.
The candidates' reaction could indicate that the extension of unemployment benefits could become an issue in Republican primaries.
There are 66,729 people on extended unemployment benefits in the state of Georgia, about 1.4 percent of the state's nearly 5 million-person workforce. The state's unemployment rate is 7.4 percent according to the Associated Press, hovering a bit above the national average. - TPM, 1/29/14
Republicans fear a nasty primary could cause a runoff election and hurt the GOP's chances against Nunn. But who will end up becoming the nominee relies on a few factors:
http://www.ctpost.com/...
Even amid the maneuvering over style and substance, the two spots in a likely runoff could come down to geography and money.
Gingrey has a sizable campaign account left over from easy House campaigns. He's been a fixture in the Atlanta media market, which reaches much of the state's 10 million residents, for more than a decade. And through redistricting, he's represented a significant portion of metro Atlanta and outlying areas at some point in his tenure.
Kingston is well known across south Georgia, but must introduce himself to the Atlanta area. He should have the money to do that, having raised at least $800,000 each quarter since entering the race to lead all Republicans.
Perdue hasn't held office before, but he's said he's willing to spend enough of his own money to be competitive.
Handel, also from vote-rich north Georgia, trails in the money race but is the only candidate who has won statewide before. And she lost a close Republican primary for governor four years ago despite being outspent.
"Everybody has a path to defeat and a path to victory," Kingston said. - AP, 1/26/14
We shall see indeed. In the mean time, if you would like to donate or get involved with Nunn's campaign, you can do so here:
http://www.michellenunn.com/