Poll: State GOP could sweep to victory (Atlanta, Decatur: transplants, tenant)

[neil0311]

Poll: State GOP could sweep to victory *| ajc.com

"The deep dissatisfaction Georgians feel toward Democrats in Washington is evident in a new poll showing the state GOP may be poised to make historic gains in November’s election.

The poll conducted for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Georgia Newspaper Partnership shows the Republican candidate holding a slight edge in the race for governor but huge leads in the races for U.S. Senate and lieutenant governor. The poll, conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc., has Republican gubernatorial nominee Nathan Deal leading Democrat Roy Barnes, 45 to 41 percent."

Hmmm....don't I recall some forum members after the 2008 election prognosticating about how Georgia was getting "more blue" and how the election of Obama nationally proved something? If I remember correctly, I disagreed and gave my reasons why. Looks like the AJC agrees with me.

[nortonguy]

In a Augusta Chronicle article, they said a poll showed Barnes had caught up to Deal.

Barnes catches Deal, poll says | The Augusta Chronicle

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by neil0311

Hmmm....don't I recall some forum members after the 2008 election prognosticating about how Georgia was getting "more blue" and how the election of Obama nationally proved something? If I remember correctly, I disagreed and gave my reasons why. Looks like the AJC agrees with me.

Anyone that thinks GA is trending blue is engaged in some serious wishful thinking. Even the Democrat candidate for governor knows that his biggest liability is his party and its' leadership...why else would he have run for the hills (well, in his case, the south GA lowlands) when POTUS showed up in Atlanta?
This poll simply reflects a larger trend in our country at this moment.

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

This poll simply reflects a larger trend in our country at this moment.

Totally agree. Some tried to tell us that the election of Obama in 2008 was a fundamental shift in voter alignment to the left and that GA was somehow moving left due to transplants and the younger generation.

My opinion then was that the national election in 2008 was a reaction to Bush and the war, combined by a reaction to Obama by minority voters who don't typically stay involved. As pointed out in 2008, the runoff in GA showed that Obama voters couldn't even be bothered to come out and vote for Jim Martin after Obama was elected. This year will be a tidal wave against incumbents in general, as big or possibly bigger than 1994, and Democrats will take the brunt.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by nortonguy

In a Augusta Chronicle article, they said a poll showed Barnes had caught up to Deal.

Barnes catches Deal, poll says | The Augusta Chronicle

That could well be, although I believe that to be an aftershock to the revelation of Deal's financial problems. I think Deal's smarmy political ads will continue to be effective against Barnes, as they do an effective job of exposing his 'vulnerabilities'.
To me, it is telling enough that a candidate as weak as Deal is still holding his own.

[convextech]

I voted Democrat because I wanted Bush out at all costs and was sick of that way of thinking. Unfortunately I don't feel that Obama has done everything he said he would, or he has changed his tune sometimes, so I am not feeling it at all. If my way of thinking is the trend, I'd imagine all Dems will be out, all over the country.

[DustinTownsend]

Vote Libertarian. The GOP and Dems will deliver the same results.

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by DustinTownsend

Vote Libertarian. The GOP and Dems will deliver the same results.

The problem with many Libertarian Party candidates is they're not well organized and often a little wacky. I'm libertarian in my beliefs, and I would love to be able to vote for a serious set of Libertarian Party candidates, but too often that just gets the Democrat elected by siphoning off conservative leaning votes from the Republican candidate. In a tight race that can get the Democrat elected.

The 1992 US Presidential election is an excellent example of a wacky 3rd party candidate siphoning off votes and the Democrat getting elected. Principle is great, and I applaud voting on principle, but sometimes discretion is the better part of valor. I may just end up holding my nose and voting for Deal. I have never been this undecided this close to an election. I wish we had better choices.