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DonViejo

(60,536 posts)
Mon Apr 22, 2013, 10:34 AM Apr 2013

Republicans worry about hanging on to open Georgia Senate seat


And finding themselves in another Todd Akin situation

BY JILLIAN RAYFIELD


Republicans are concerned that they could lose an open Senate seat in Georgia, vacated by retiring Sen. Saxby Chambliss – particularly with two Todd Akin-esque candidates, Paul Broun and, to a lesser degree, Phil Gingrey, in the race.

From the Associated Press:

The question is whether a bruising party primary becomes a liability, particularly if voters nominate U.S. Rep. Paul Broun, who once called evolution and the Big Bang Theory “lies straight from the pit of hell.”

Broun and U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey, both conservative physicians, are the only Republicans to announce officially since incumbent Saxby Chambliss said he will retire. But the GOP primary field eventually could include as many as a half-dozen candidates with a credible shot at a runoff spot.


full article
http://www.salon.com/2013/04/22/republicans_worry_about_hanging_on_to_open_georgia_senate_seat/
18 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Republicans worry about hanging on to open Georgia Senate seat (Original Post) DonViejo Apr 2013 OP
Could be the Repub Presidential Primary Clown Show, Act II yellowcanine Apr 2013 #1
Georgia needs to BlueCaliDem Apr 2013 #2
We're working on it. But the rest of the party needs to wake the fuck up too. Hosnon Apr 2013 #3
Absolutely! BlueCaliDem Apr 2013 #4
Congressman John Barrow Hosnon Apr 2013 #5
He's pro-Keystone XL? BlueCaliDem Apr 2013 #6
Like I said, this one will be more about a "D" than anything else. Hosnon Apr 2013 #11
Well, let's hope BlueCaliDem Apr 2013 #14
Hopefully they'll do what they did with his House seat in 2012: Hosnon Apr 2013 #15
So, is every Republican primary going to continue to look like some kind of..... Wounded Bear Apr 2013 #7
Can we get Max Cleland to run? illegaloperation Apr 2013 #8
He tried twice and failed twice. Let face it: for some reason Georgians just don't get it. Liberal_Stalwart71 Apr 2013 #10
Um - he used to be a Senator. He got swept out of office in the post-9/11 absurdity. Hosnon Apr 2013 #13
I know that, obviously. But you have to understand the change in the power structure. Liberal_Stalwart71 Apr 2013 #17
I hope DU understands that Georgia is not a progressive state. I grew up there. Liberal_Stalwart71 Apr 2013 #9
Not true. Georgia is actually pretty progressive (for the South). Hosnon Apr 2013 #12
You're right about Savannah, Athens and Augusta (to a certain extent), but the STATE as a whole Liberal_Stalwart71 Apr 2013 #16
Would require an unlikely combo Awsi Dooger Apr 2013 #18

Hosnon

(7,800 posts)
3. We're working on it. But the rest of the party needs to wake the fuck up too.
Mon Apr 22, 2013, 02:44 PM
Apr 2013

If a Democrat is going to win this seat, they will pretty much have to be fairly middle of the road. This race needs to be more about getting another D in the Senate, as opposed to getting someone who will be a big liberal heavy-weight.

I am familiar with Barrow and trust him. He has won some very tough races here in GA and has cross-party appeal. I support him.

BlueCaliDem

(15,438 posts)
4. Absolutely!
Mon Apr 22, 2013, 05:03 PM
Apr 2013

And I believe DiFi should be replaced, too. She's been too long in the Senate and she's too moderate-to-conservative to be a Democratic Senator from California, so Californians need to wake the fuck up too. I like Boxer, but she'll keep moving {as she's been moving} to the center if DiFi isn't replaced.

But you're absolutely right. As long as we get another "D" in the Senate, that's all that matters.

Who is Barrow?

BlueCaliDem

(15,438 posts)
6. He's pro-Keystone XL?
Mon Apr 22, 2013, 08:28 PM
Apr 2013

Well, I guess a conservative {BlueDog}Democrat is still better than a moderate or Right-wing Republican, and it adds another D to our column. Do you think he has a chance? Georgia is really red.

Hosnon

(7,800 posts)
11. Like I said, this one will be more about a "D" than anything else.
Tue Apr 23, 2013, 10:22 AM
Apr 2013

If you demand anything less "DINO", a Republican will win.

Edit: Yes, I think he does. He has done an excellent job of walking that fine line. Most Republicans I talk to about him don't have strong feelings either way, but generally think he's a good person (ideologically).

Hosnon

(7,800 posts)
15. Hopefully they'll do what they did with his House seat in 2012:
Tue Apr 23, 2013, 10:39 AM
Apr 2013

Run some crazy-ass Teabagger.

Had the Republicans fielded a "normal", pre-Tea Party candidate, Barrow would have lost.

illegaloperation

(260 posts)
8. Can we get Max Cleland to run?
Mon Apr 22, 2013, 11:55 PM
Apr 2013

He doesn't have anything to lose and is a Vietnam War veteran so he has a lot of bipartisan appeals.

 

Liberal_Stalwart71

(20,450 posts)
10. He tried twice and failed twice. Let face it: for some reason Georgians just don't get it.
Tue Apr 23, 2013, 08:43 AM
Apr 2013

Their hatred consumes them. I grew up there. I know. Outside of Atlanta, forget it.

Hosnon

(7,800 posts)
13. Um - he used to be a Senator. He got swept out of office in the post-9/11 absurdity.
Tue Apr 23, 2013, 10:28 AM
Apr 2013

I'll never forgive Chambliss for the ad he ran.

But Georgia did elect him (and don't forget that Jimmy Carter is from Georgia).

 

Liberal_Stalwart71

(20,450 posts)
17. I know that, obviously. But you have to understand the change in the power structure.
Tue Apr 23, 2013, 01:42 PM
Apr 2013

Max Cleland was elected senator but that when the Democrats in Georgia were still pretty visible and there was a strong Democratic Party apparatus. It's not the same anymore.

Jimmy Carter, Sam Nunn, Roy Barnes--all were great Democrats to varying degrees. (Sam was a little too conservative for me.) However, again, that's when the Democratic Party in Georgia and in many areas of the south was still a strong party at the state level.

It's not the same now. That Max Cleland can lose twice tells me all I need to know about the winds of political change down in my old neck of the woods.

The Republicans now dominate nearly every aspect of government in Georgia. It's going to take a long time for the change to occur.

(There are some progressive pockets across the state, like Athens and Savannah--these are college towns. Other than that, we got vestiges of the Old South and it's going to take a while for that to change.)

 

Liberal_Stalwart71

(20,450 posts)
9. I hope DU understands that Georgia is not a progressive state. I grew up there.
Tue Apr 23, 2013, 08:42 AM
Apr 2013

Only Atlanta and the *immediate* surrounding areas are progressive. Outside of that, forget it.

It's going to take a very long time for this state to change.

Whoever runs on the Democratic side will not be liberal; he/she will be fairly moderate to conservative. We need to accept that.

Hosnon

(7,800 posts)
12. Not true. Georgia is actually pretty progressive (for the South).
Tue Apr 23, 2013, 10:26 AM
Apr 2013

Savannah and Athens are liberal, and Augusta is about 50/50.

I agree that any Senate candidate will have to be moderate, but hey, that's small "d" democracy for ya. This isn't Massachusetts.

 

Liberal_Stalwart71

(20,450 posts)
16. You're right about Savannah, Athens and Augusta (to a certain extent), but the STATE as a whole
Tue Apr 23, 2013, 01:37 PM
Apr 2013

is not progressive. It is changing, but changing VERY slowly. The demographics may help that change speed up only a little bit, but there's still a lot of disengaged people who don't vote. We tried very hard in Georgia in 2008 and even the potential first black president couldn't those most affected out to vote. Trust me on this.

It's going to take a while. If everyone came out to vote, we may have a chance. But the wingnuts are still very present and still very active; not to mention the fact that the state legislature is now dominated by Republicans. Again, it's going to take a long time.

I love Max. I worked hard for him. Very hard. But even he couldn't pull it off, and he's a pretty moderate fella. Liberal on a very few selected issues, but not many.

 

Awsi Dooger

(14,565 posts)
18. Would require an unlikely combo
Tue Apr 23, 2013, 02:49 PM
Apr 2013

Decisive candidate to candidate edge, along with an immensely favorable cycle. The latter is not going to happen in 2014. Figures to be a small to moderate GOP tide in a second term midterm.

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