Down the ballot: Run-off Day
Posted: Tuesday, December 02, 2008 9:21 AM by Domenico Montanaro
GEORGIA: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution covers the final day of campaigning in the Georgia Senate run-off. “Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss and Democratic challenger Jim Martin crisscrossed Georgia on Monday, rubbing shoulders with celebrities and the common folk as their bitter four-week runoff came to a close… Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin roared back onto the campaign trail for the first time since the Nov. 4 election, telling thousands of voters at rallies across Georgia that the state’s U.S. Senate runoff is a chance to begin rebuilding a wounded Republican Party.”
Video: Bloomberg News’ Margaret Carlson talks about Sarah Palin’s stump speeches in Georgia Monday for Sen. Saxy Chambliss in his election run-off with Democratic challenger Jim Martin.
More: “Martin ended his last day on the campaign trail at the state Capitol in Atlanta, where he was lauded by a civil rights veteran and a who’s-who of hip-hop, including Atlanta-based Ludacris, Young Jeezy and T.I. Ludacris told several hundred Democrats bundled against the cold that Chambliss was running for the wrong reasons. ‘He’s just about politics and not about helping the American people,’ said the hip-hop star.”
The New York Times: “A victory for Mr. Chambliss against his challenger, Jim Martin, would prevent Democrats from gaining a filibuster-proof, 60-seat majority in the Senate and limit Mr. Obama’s support in Congress. It would also salve Republicans’ bruised egos after a disastrous election cycle.”
One of the surprising things about this race: The Democrats have chosen to allow themselves to be outspent, and that didn’t need to happen. That says everything right there about their true feelings about their chances.
"Today's runoff election between Martin and Chambliss will offer the first test of whether Obama is able to bequeath more to local allies than merely the trappings of a presidential campaign," the Boston Globe's Issenberg writes. "The results may offer a tentative answer to questions that will ghost American politics for at least the next four years: Is there a sustainable Obama coalition, and is the Obama machine durable? Has Obama created anything greater than himself?"
MINNESOTA: With 92% of the recount completed, the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s tally has Norm Coleman leading Al Franken by 340 votes, with nearly 6,000 challenged ballots. Per the Star Tribune, the campaigns suggested yesterday that they would begin to withdrawal some of their challenges to disputed ballots. “The lead recount lawyer for DFLer Al Franken said the campaign would this week announce the withdrawal of "more than dozens" of challenges made on behalf of the candidate. A spokesman for U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman countered later Monday, saying the senator's campaign was "prepared to sit down with the Franken campaign to discuss how to reduce the number of frivolous ballot challenges."
NEW YORK: Gov. David Paterson says he'll wait until Clinton's confirmed before naming her replacement. That could be six weeks from now.
