Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Georgia ensures no filibuster-proof majority for the Democrats

Losing the presidency was like a nightmare for the Republican Party. Losing both houses of Congress was like their worst nightmare. The prospect of the Democrats also having a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate - effectively denying the minority party ANY vote - would have been the end of their world. But it had seemed possible with Georgia and Minnesota in the midst of runoffs and recounts respectively. But the win of Republican Saxby Chambliss has ensured that the GOP can still have a voice in the upcoming Congress. A small tiny, whiny voice. But a voice nonetheless

n the end, Martin, a 63-year-old former state lawmaker from Atlanta, wasn't able to get Obama voters back to the polls in large enough numbers to overcome the Republican advantage in Georgia, which has become an increasingly a reliable red state since 2002.
Turnout was light throughout the state Tuesday. A spokesman for Secretary of State Karen Handel predicted between 18 and 20 percent of the state's 5.75 million registered voters would cast ballots - far less than the 65 percent who voted in last month's general election.
The runoff between the former University of Georgia fraternity brothers was necessary after a three-way general election prevented any of the candidates from getting the necessary 50 percent.

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