Are Dems nationally AND at DU writing off the Dec 2 GA runoff, where Chambliss leads by 6%? WHY?

[cloudythescribbler]

URGENT CROSSPOST

Has the Democratic Party at the national level decided to punt the Chambliss/Martin race? Where is Carter? Obama not going to GA --he could at least go and be very nice about it. Even if HE doesn't want to appear too partisan -- must WE at DU follow suit?

I put up posts about this before on BOTH "General Discussion" AND "General Discussion: Presidential". Attention levels could be lower, but we would have to try REALLY hard.

K & R if you think more attention should be focused on the ONE REMAINING URGENT ELECTION in national politics, coming up Dec 2

Here's two pieces from TPM Election Central, which seems to recognize the importance of these elections, to their credit (in contrast to some others):

(1) Obama Not Going To Georgia To Campaign In Senate Runoff?
By Greg Sargent - November 24, 2008, 3:57PM
http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/11/obama_not_going_to_georgia_to.php

(2) Poll: GOP Senator Hangs On To Solid Lead In Georgia
By Eric Kleefeld - November 24, 2008, 1:42PM
http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/11/poll_gop_senator_hangs_on_to_s.php

[wyldwolf]

1. Clinton and Gore have been here in the last 7 days and team Obama is on the ground

[Seen the light]

2. How can you have Team Obama without Obama?

:shrug:

[wyldwolf]

4. that's an odd question

:shrug:

[BrklynLiberal]

3. I hope no one is giving up on Martin and handing this to Chambliss!!!

[hlthe2b]

5. No... have donated and am pressing everyone I know in GA

(from my previous time living there) to get out and get everyone they know to vote (and vote early, if possible).

I do sense some burn-out developing, what with the Franken recount likely to drag on for weeks of court fights...Plus, an awful lot of oxygen is being diverted (for obvious reasons) to the post-Prop8 activism and boycotts.

Maybe make the rounds of the big blogs, in addition to DU to try to drum up attention and activism (e.g., TPM, Daily Kos, Crooks and Liars, FiredogLake (for sure) and others).

[tosh]

6. We are working on Dem turnout down here in this SW Ga "blue belt".

We can use all of the help we can get, though.

The Martin campaign has done well with fundraising for the runoff.

I've heard plausable arguments for why Obama shouldn't come, but I'm disappointed that more BIG dems haven't shown up outside of Atlanta.

BTW, Jim Martin was in this area at the end of last week.

[Cha]

7. Rec'd~ Send money

Dear z,

A few weeks ago, I wrote you about our party's Senate candidate in Georgia, Jim Martin. I asked for your help and you came through, contributing almost $30,000 to his campaign.

Our efforts paid off, and Jim Martin held Saxby Chambliss to under 50% of the vote, forcing a runoff election that will take place on December 2.

You can help put Jim Martin over the top and give Barack Obama another vote in the Senate to pass his agenda.

http://www.actblue.com/page/supportjimmartin

In 2002, Saxby Chambliss and Karl Rove ran one of the most disgusting campaigns imaginable, airing a television commercial that attempted to scare voters with images of Osama Bin Laden.

Back then, John McCain called the ad "worse than disgraceful" and condemned it. Well, last week John McCain headed down to Georgia to campaign for Chambliss.

Jim Martin needs all the help he can get to fight back.

Contribute to Jim Martin's Campaign

Democrats have already picked up seven seats in the Senate, bringing our total to 58, including Mark Begich who was declared the winner in Alaska last night. In Minnesota, a statewide recount begins today and several experts predict that Al Franken could prevail.

If Jim Martin can pull off a win in Georgia on December 2, that just might give Barack Obama 60 votes in the United States Senate.

Contribute to Jim Martin's Campaign

I know it's been a long campaign season, but right now Jim Martin needs your help more than ever.

Thank you,

Max Cleland

[Bicoastal]

8. Don't criticize Obama for not wanting to jump back into campaign mode.

He's got a LOT of shit to do right now, and I'm sure he's absolutely SICK of zigzagging all over the country making speeches.

[No Elephants]

17. This is the last election, though; and it could mean SIXTY Senators.

[BootinUp]

9. No one is giving up as far as I know.

Lots of email activity in the progressive world as well as major Dems here campaigning.

[diane in sf]

10. I'm sending more money when my next paycheck arrives.

[cloudythescribbler]

11. Some of these descriptions and justifications are pretty weak

(1) Why on EARTH would Chambliss be able to raise more money? If this is made a national campaign, and Cleland-slimer Chambliss is a poster boy for the post-nov4 election GOP, he's an embarassment, and the victory for the GOP, if there is one, would be pyrrhic

(2) WHAT ABOUT JIMMY CARTER?

(3) You can't convince me that a couple of days in the next couple of weeks is too much for Barack Obama -- the notion that he wants to radiate "nonpartisanship" makes much more sense, even if I disagree. It's true that unions and the Obama campaign have committed SOME to the campaign, but surely the Democrats, including A THERMOMETER AT DU to raise funds, can make things a lot stronger.

(4) The "oxygen" line is really not very plausible. Most Democrats outside of activists like myself (who was at the Nov 12 Demo, w/poster, at the Mormon Church at 65th and Columbus in Manhattan, w/10,000 others, and who missed the Saturday demo only because my car broke down (at Catherine and South St -- only blocks from the Demo) and had to be attended to) and the gay community, most people are just gossiping about Obama's appointments and such, AS ON DU!!!!!

COME ON PEOPLE -- the lesson of Obama is, or A lesson is to FIGHT TO FUCKING WIN, even if it's without the Patton attitude

[GarbagemanLB]

12. the AA vote will not be close to the levels that it was on Nov. 4th....and that is the only

shot at winning that seat.

I am glad Obama is staying away from Georgia.

[cloudythescribbler]

15. are you FROM GA? Do you think appearances by Obama will generate a white backlash vote more ...

than the increase in black turnout? Everything in the election results, other than in a belt from Tennessee to Oklahoma, suggests otherwise to me.

[WI_DEM]

22. I don't think Obama is coming into Georgia to campaign.

[Zynx]

24. Jimmy Carter would not win his own state anymore.

[illuminaughty]

13. Sorry, cloudy. I got sucked into the abyss of the threads

that had almost 400 responses in a couple of hours yesterday. Even I was shocked when I saw how much time I'd spent on here and gone through so few threads.

I sure haven't forgotten Georgia. Chambliss was the number one senator I wanted to see ousted on Nov. 4th. K&R

[thoughtcrime1984]

14. Republicans suck

My donation to Jim Martin is complete.

[cloudythescribbler]

16. good motto

[No Elephants]

18. K&R DONATE, even if it's $5. This could be sixty Senators. I know Dems don't always

vote together, but this is not about voting on a bill. It's about voting to invoke cloture so that a vote on a bill can be taken. I think they will vote together to stop Pubs from fillibustering Dems to death. And 60 would be so demoralizing to the Pubs. This is the last election this season. Please donate. www.martinforsenate.com

[No Elephants]

19. BTW, the runoff is December 2, so donate FAST.

[mcg]

21. Ok, I just donated again to Jim Martin's campaign via Martin's web site ...

http://www.martinforsenate.com/home.html

[bridgit]

20. Obama's ground team is said to be there organizing, dem money has flowed into the region...

But Chambliss is running his same old fear game claiming to be the savior of America against the evils of everything from socialism to "those terr'ist loving liberals" (even has a pic of KO on a recent flyer as a lightning rod for liberal-mean)...and some people are still too stupid, sadly it is their choice and they're drinking the sand down there.

With a hack like Chambliss playing everyone like tired old fiddles; regional-stupid is hard to overcome. Say one thing about Chambliss after the rank shit he pulled on Cleland and now Martin...

Saxby Chambliss seems to understand the fears & IQ of 'his people' very well.

[mcg]

23. "This election is about who wants it more.” - Jim Martin

From
Georgia Senate Seat Still Up For Grabs
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/11/24/politics/politico/main4631488.shtml

All of Obama’s 25 Georgia field organizers remained in the state to work on the runoff, and the 25 Obama regional offices were immediately converted into Martin for Senate campaign offices. All told, more than 100 Obama field organizers are now in Georgia working Martin’s get-out-the-vote efforts, along with leading operatives who served under Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Charles Schumer of New York during the past election cycle.

“We had more operatives and help than we could deal with,” said one leading operative working on the Martin campaign.

About a dozen Democratic field organizers were on hand when Martin paid a visit Friday afternoon to his storefront campaign offices in the Democratic stronghold of DeKalb County in suburban Atlanta, where Martin needs strong turnout to prevail.
...

“This is extraordnary! This is absolutely extraordinary!” Martin said, as his campaign staffers and a smattering of supporters applauded. “You know, it’s all about getting out the vote. ... This election is about who wants it more.”

We can win this.

http://www.martinforsenate.com/home.html

[Laelth]

25. As of 11-24-08 Chambliss leads by only 3%.

Chambliss leads 50-47 with 3% undecided. Politico.com has the story here:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1108/15957.html

The United States is a LIBERAL Country.

:dem:

-Laelth

[iceman66]

26. The Repugs would not be pulling out all the stops for Chambliss

like they are, if his re-election was a sure thing.

Obama AND Biden should be campaigning for Martin!