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EDITOR OF REDSTATE

Deal in Georgia

By: Erick Erickson (Diary)  |  August 11th, 2010 at 11:19 AM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

While we can question the wisdom of putting Nathan Deal up against Roy Barnes, that’s what Republicans decided in Georgia last night and we’ll respect their decision.

The Deal campaign ran a great runoff. The Handel camp ran a textbook runoff race, but came up about 2500 votes short.

This morning I’m told Karen Handel will be conceding the race. Republicans will now unite to beat Roy Barnes.

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  • dhorowitz3

    At least Deal is good on immigration. He always sponsored good legislation and we need someone in Georgia who will prioritize this issue. Georgia has recently become one of the fastest growing illegal immigration hubs.

  • chihank

    turn people off. Handel was too overly aggressive with Deal and other candidates int he primary. Also Handel seemed to think that Metro ATL alone can deliver the runoff for her. Whereas, Deal traveled all around the state and asked for votes. Deal won because he worked the hardest in the runoff. That is why undecideds trended strongly for Deal. Congrats to Deal.

    However, I fear that Deal’s weak showing the Metro ATL will play to Roy Barnes’s advantage in the Metro ATL.

  • Brian Hibbert

    Now we MUST have a unified front. We can’t afford to give the State of Georgia over to the Democrats. That would be an act which could take decades to recover from.

    While I prefer to see the most conservative candidate get elected, that didn’t happen this time. Now Deal is the most conservative person in the race. It’s time for all of us to put our support behind him.

  • chihank

    http://blogs.ajc.com/political-insider-jim-galloway/2010/08/11/handel-concedes-in-republican-runoff-for-governor/

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

    Considering the margin of victory/defeat, it’s hard to discount or credit either strategy.

  • WoodstockRedCat

    Barnes this morning in the AJC pledging not to run a negative campaign.
    Pretty easy pledge when the Atlanta Constitution and Urinal will do it for him.

    Wondering when the 10 page spread on the ethics charges against Deal will appear in the AJC.
    I’m betting Sunday, October 23rd.

  • ktsub

    Class, she is a class act. Just like Kay Bailey lining up to support Rick Perry, this is a unified party. Hope Karen has a future in Georgia.

  • rdelbov

    I echo your sentiments-

    I might add that the eternal campaign for GA9 also seemed to end last night as Congressman Tom Graves won his GOP primary runoff. 4 races in 4 months? The GE in November should be a coast for him.

  • WoodstockRedCat

    Erick,

    Does Mike Crane have a shot against David “don’t catch me painting swastikas on my own buildings” Scott ?

  • chihank

    Sabato talks how Barnes’s has a huge advantage in Metro ATL. But aren’t the ATL suburbs very GOP? After all, much of the ATL suburbs voted Barnes out in 2002.

  • proudgop

    her move and I am glad she has already united behind Deal

    We cannot afford to lose the Governor race in GA. Too much is at stake-redistricting for one

  • bk

    http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=38508

    Seems kind of dumb to me to take a chance at ticking off Palin fans or Handel supporters over this. He didn’t seem to mind that Gingrich (ok he’s a Georgian) or Huckabee backed Deal.

  • IJB
  • ywhyvon1

    I say this while I plug my nose but he’s still a “lesser evil that Barnes”

    And yes, I wil show up to vote.

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

    The GA GOP is all riled up, and now it only has him to pick on.

    Heh.

  • chihank

    Kingston endorsed Deal in the runoff. Handel did well in Chatham County, Kingston’s district. That is why Kingston is upset.

  • Castor

    Although I vote in Florida, all of my family members in Georgia voted for Handel. We must unite, as this will be the first Georgia redistricting with a Republican governor since reconstruction. Karen Handel can help a lot with the Atlanta area vote. As we all know Barnes is just a shill for Obambi.Let?s make sure that Nathan is the REAL DEAL come November.

  • bk

    To have Handel show class and unity by conceding right away (even if she could have shown more class earlier) at the same time a Deal supporter is taking shots strikes me as a really stupid move. Deal should tell him to shut the heck up.

  • Oz

    Most of my friends are either Republicans or conservative independent types and already this morning the conservative independent types are on my facebook account saying they will vote for Barnes because of Deal’s ethical issues and his comments about needing to have a college degree to be governor.

    In the end, I blame Handel’s general election strategy for this loss. I mentioned this in another thread, but I think she could have left Johnson out (simply ignored him) of her attacks in the general and then she would have had a chance to split his voters or get his endorsement and hence have a chance to win the primary.

    Now that we have Deal, he will have our support but I am worried about the ethics allegations.

    I think that Deal is going to have to take some very strong stands on illegal immigration to back Barnes into a corner. He also needs to take on size of government as that is something else that resonates with people.

    I’d say that Barnes probably starts at +5 when the first polls come out.

  • ywhyvon1

    I jumped to the bottom of this post so there may be other folks who have commented on Handel’s classy concession via email to her supporters.

    If not, let me reiterate Karen Handel’s main message in this concession: Nathan Deal is not the enemy. Roy Barnes is the enemy.

    Remember, the Govenor’s race is very important to republican(and dems) due to upcoming redistricting issues. Kick your neighbor in the*** tell ‘em to get out there and vote for the REPUBLICAN. Nose plugs optional

  • ywhyvon1

    Find issues to slam Barnes.

    personally I don’t know what it means but it seems(and I wasn’t even interested in politics at the time) that I remember Barnes heading for SWITZERLAND after he lost the last election. Call me racist, bigotted, stereotypical or whatever, but why did a Georgia Redneck decide to go to SWITZERLAND of all places, for vacation. Might not mean anything-Just asking.

  • ywhyvon1

    nt

  • pilgrim

    Why isn’t it Handel in Georgia & Byrne in Alabama? I do not blame it all on candidates’ campaign efforts. Something else is going on.

    In Georgia the Cobb County Association of Educators has endorsed Republican gubernatorial candidate Nathan Deal. The Cobb County Association of Educators represents 3,000 teachers.

    http://www.dealforgovernor.com/snews.php?n=42

    In Alabama the Alabama Education Association believe they turned out 50,000 votes for Bentley. Perry said the teachers union identified 1,500 members locally who were committed to voting for Bentley, although he said he could not say how many already planned to vote in the Republican race.

    http://blog.al.com/live/2010/07/aea_officials_believe_they_tur.html

  • ywhyvon1

    Shredded BBQ Pork: Why did Barnes go to SWITZERLAND after his last election defeat? Just asking.

  • ywhyvon1

    I hate to say it, but it could be (partially) as simple as this. Everything I learned about voting, I learned from American Idol.

    Everybody thought Ruben Studdard was safe, voted(or not voted at all) for their 2nd or 3rd favorite. Ruben bottom 3.

    Everybody thought Fantasia Kimberly Hudson and Tonya(i think that is her name, how soon we forget) were safe, voted for other underdogs or did not bother ot vote. All were in bottom 3 and AI was rigged and racist.

    Morning of Ga primary runoff Karen Handel up by 5 to 6 %: Handel voter’s decided to let the rest of the supporter’s carry the slack and decided to go to lunch instead of go to the polls. Deal Wins

  • C. Marie

    Now that the runoff campaign for Karen is over , we’ll get new bumper stickers and yard signs. Don’t forget the blue and white Scott Signs.
    The drumbeat has to be steady and fervent for conservative, State Representative <a href=Austin Scott to unseat the clever Congressman Jim Marshall (D-8).

    Let the positive editorials, blogs, and good money flow!!!!
    Austin Scott for Congress
    http://www.scottforga.com/

  • redtillimdead

    So this is sad. Anyone know which house district she lives in? Maybe she could run in 2012? Congrats to Deal, time to beat Barnes!

  • ywhyvon1

    By the way, do you remember when he lost out to Sonny he went to SWITZERLAND?

  • ywhyvon1

    Before the final voting, Handel was up 5 to 6 %. Methinks we had a lot of lazy Handel voters.

  • WoodstockRedCat

    FLOTUS to Spain’s riviera; Barnes to the Swiss Alps.

  • ywhyvon1

    I’m not, but I have always been curious why Barnes went to SWITZERLAND.
    Just CURIOUS, thats all

  • ywhyvon1

    After all, He does look like a skier. Probalby nothing to it.

  • jisaacconnett

    When Deal is cleared of ethical charges I will vote for him. I am now too old to keep holding my nose as I have done in almost every general election since the late 1960′s. Sorry, but that is just the it has to be.

  • bobojake
  • jstjoan

    and vote for Deal while muttering to myself under my breath “Redistricting. Redistricting. Redistricting.”

  • http://groups.yahoo.com/group/republican587/ Elizabeth Christian

    n/t

  • tacoslayer

    From the reports I saw Handel was up …..until the negative ads began.

    I don’t like negative campaigns. I understand politics is a blood sport….but I also know that folks are sick and tired of politicians. It seems to me if you can’t verbalize what your campaign stands for and what you aim to accomplish if you are elected…..then perhaps you shouldn’t be running for office.

    I’m glad she has decided to concede the election. I think it is what is best for all involved parties.

  • http://groups.yahoo.com/group/republican587/ Elizabeth Christian

    @Most of my friends are either Republicans or conservative independent types and already this morning the conservative independent types are on my facebook account saying they will vote for Barnes because of Deal?s ethical issues and his comments about needing to have a college degree to be governor.

  • ywhyvon1

    I haven’t been kicked around enough yet but, with redistricting coming up, if Deal can’t do anything else that is for the party good, at least he can be a fair proponent of ethical(ha ha ha ha) redistctricting?

  • http://groups.yahoo.com/group/republican587/ Elizabeth Christian

    Deal was VERY negative but Lamestream media forgot about that

  • Martin Knight

    If you can’t see Deal beating Barnes, that’s okay. Just keep it to yourself until after the election and you can give us a post-mortem.

    A better idea is to let us know what you think Deal can do to beat Barnes.

  • Martin Knight
  • Oz

    Just an observation that it’s going to be a tough race.

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

    Let’s stay constructive instead of just parroting tired, old primary attacks.

  • Oz

    Either that or youv’e had too much caffiene :-)

  • Achance

    and make life a living hell for any elected or appointed official at the state and local level in America. It is a conscious strategy on the left to file ethics and campaign finance charges against both their opponents and, especially, their opponents contributors. SLAPs and finance complaints are especially effective in driving wealthy private contributors off the field. Obviously, that strategy works on people like you.

    I listened to all the slings and arrows here about Sen. Stevens and Rep. Young’s “ethics charges,” and they were both ultimately cleared, though not in time to save Stevens’ seat and perhaps now his life.

    A malicious individual, interest group, or, especially, a partisan AG or prosecutor can file charges any time s/he wants against anyone. The charge is on the front page and the dismissal or acquital is in six point on page 34. We should get ethics/campaign charges against Republicans to hearing as soon as possible and get them acquitted or convicted as soon as possible. We, unlike Democrats, don’t celebrate or even tolerate corruption or perversion, and if, and only if, they’re legitimately convicted we should punish them appropriately.

  • chihank

    Today on a press conference, reporters asked Gibbs about the GA Gov race. Robert Gibbs said Deal has ethics issues. Its time for GOP unity.

  • Richard Mullins

    that want to be seen as Good doers and not the despicable scum that they are. Come up with anything even though the charge pre-dates the thing that you charging him on(Think Tom DeLay vs. Ronnie “squeaky Clean” Earle). Honest people make honest politicians but too many people want to have a 2 faced type of elected officials. So many want to make the Government some place that Olympian gods are. We as a people need at times stop thinking of electing Zeus and just get a competent,honest person.

  • ywhyvon1

    n/t

  • ywhyvon1

    Would they rather have a Republican Govenor in place in a state during redistricting, or a Democrat. Once the state is redistricted-it’s a long long time before it happens again.

  • Bill

    might as well start “Dealing” with “King Roy” again in 2010!

  • qixlqatl

    In my area, a lot of people blew off the run-off, most of them Handel Supporters.

  • JamesSmith130

    just come close. Against Deal he has a chance to do that, against Handel he has none.

    I think tossup is too pessimistic, lean R probably is fairer, but this is far from a gimme for us.

  • jisaacconnett

    I have been around long enough to be retired by now if I wanted to be and I have been hearing these same arguments since before my now grown children were born. They did not hold water then and they do not hold water now!

    When John McCain was nominated to run for the presidency in 2008, I said, “By golly, I have had enough of this holding my nose and voting for the Republican like I have been doing for all these years”. I did not support him, I gave nothing to the NRP and I have given nothing to the National party since then. I voted for Nixon, Ford, Reagan, Dole, Bush 39, Bush 41, and I have never voted for a local Democrat in any race. During that time, except for Ronald Reagan, all we ever got was RINO’s and more RINO’s. For a brief time we had some conservatives in Congress, but in a short time most of those either left the House or Senate, or started acting like Democrats.

    My patience has run out! Never again will I support even a suspected RINO. The Republicans of Georgia had a perfectly fine opportunity to support a fine, outstanding, conservative candidate who has no ethical questions hanging around her neck. The Republican electorate chose another candidate. So be it, what you see is what you get, so live with it, just do not expect nor ask for my support.

  • Achance
  • Martin Knight

    You’re not given to much reflection are you?

  • Christine (Trelaina)