Democrats not letting Georgia go without a fight

Early predictions are for voter turnout to be higher than normal with what is expected to be a close, perhaps even razor thin, presidential election. Believe it or not, even our state is expected to be a battle ground area as Barack Obama has let it be known he isn’t letting the Peach state go without a fight.

The current president has won Georgia without much trouble during the last two presidential general elections although the tide may change in 2008. For one, Obama’s campaign has gained so much momentum across the country that I wouldn’t expect any state to be a complete one-sided affair. Even John McCain’s home state of Arizona is reasonably close in recently polling numbers.

How serious is the Obama campaign in making a stand in Georgia? A newspaper article this past weekend outlined how the campaign was opening offices in cities that might surprise you. In nearby Barrow County, an Obama campaign office was opening in Winder. This surprised me because Barrow County has gone heavy in favor of Republicans in recent elections. In fact, there is only one elected Democrat in the county.

There was also a report in the article that an Obama support group is forming here in Banks County. While Banks County has also been swept under the tide of Republican fever in recent elections, there are some faithful Democrats who are going to do everything in their power to turn out the vote for their candidate.

Another reason political experts are predicting Georgia may be competitive this November is the candidacy of Bob Barr. The Libertarian nominee for president is well known in the state and it is feared by Republicans he may draw enough voters from McCain to make a difference in the outcome of Georgia. Barr, for what it’s worth, has said he is not looking to benefit either candidate. Rather, he is looking to advance the cause of the Libertarian Party and point out how both candidates of the so-called major parties have failed in numerous areas including civil liberties, taxes and our involvement overseas.

Another race on the Nov. 4 ballot may help make the presidential race more competitive. Jim Martin won the Democratic primary runoff for U.S. Senate and will face Saxby Chambliss in the General Election. (Libertarian Allen Buckley is also working hard on the campaign trail).

Martin’s strategy is to connect Chambliss to the failed policies of the current president. Many political pundits have pointed out Chambliss has been little more than a rubber stamp of approval for the president’s policies, many of which have been failures, and that our state needs someone who is not afraid to stand out on issues.

Martin is a decorated Vietnam veteran and has a stellar record of serving the citizens of this state. If he can get his message out, he would have a chance to unseat Chambliss. That, in turn, would make voters in the state think about casting a vote for Obama as well.

There was a time when a Republican could not get elected state-wide in Georgia. Now the opposite is almost true. Perhaps the fall of 2008 will be when things begin to turn back the other way. It usually takes a major shakeup at the top of the country’s leadership to make changes at the statewide level. There is definitely a chance for that in Georgia when voters go to the polls on Nov. 4.

If nothing else, it’s going to be fun to watch the votes be counted during election night.

Chris Bridges is a reporter for The Banks County News. Contact him at 706-367-2745 or e-mail comments to chris@mainstreetnews.com.