Obama Dispatching Aides To Georgia Senate Race

Democratic officials confirm that Barack Obama is sending aides to help with the runoff senatorial campaign in Georgia, putting his post-election coattails to an immediate test.

Organizers who worked on behalf of the Illinois Democrat are heading to the Peach State to offer similar assistance to Jim Martin, the Democratic challenger who is facing a second-round contest against incumbent Saxby Chambliss after neither candidate received 50 percent of the initial vote.

The investment by Obama, confirmed by an official working on behalf of the Senate campaign, apparently includes "ground team" members as well as "online specialists and bloggers," and represents one of the earliest tests of the influence he can wield on the political landscape. A Daily Kos diarist first heard about the move from the Martin team.

It remains unclear whether Obama himself will appear in the state. His campaign put limited paid resources into Georgia during the general election, mainly during the waning weeks of the campaign, though Obama's registration efforts there were lauded for making the presidential contest in that state much closer than the historical norm.

Martin's race to replace Chambliss was even closer. The longtime Georgian Democrat finished with just under 47 percent of the vote to Chambliss' 49.8 percent. Because neither candidate was able to win a majority of the vote, the two will square off again on December 2.

While Martin will be assisted in the effort by the Obama campaign, Chambliss will be banking on GOP star-power to help propel him into office for a second term. Already it has been reported that Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin and John McCain will be either making campaign stops on the Georgian's behalf or providing volunteers and aide.

Comments

[PennLawyer]

A post below accused Chambliss of having gotten 5 student deferments. This is incorrect. The posteer got Chambliss confused with Rumsfeld & Cheney. Here are two fun facts about Saxby Chambliss:

1. He got out of the Vietnam Era draft because he said he had bad knees.

2. His favorite hobby is jogging.

[gladys46]

Wonderful P.E. Obama ... these repubs need lessons in resolve, in how to get things done ! We need to know how to help Martin ... anybody!???

[karma004]

Donate anything you can to his campaign - here's the link:

https://services.myngp.com/ngponlineservices/contribution.aspx?X=NqjXO81IXYZntPaqXypreP1LqSo0CHUy

[JustSpeakingMyPeace]

Go to www.martinforsenate.com for starts. We are working our butts off to make this happen. We have really got to get people to come back out to vote!! The unions are behind him whole-heartedly but cannot do it alone. All help is needed and welcomed!!

[dlockatl]

We need to campaign for Martin as hard as we campaigned for Obama. I plan to vote on Dec 2 and I never vote in runoffs. Make sure everyone you know understands how important this win is to the Obama administration.

[natvanb]

I am hitting all of my Atlanta connections hard to ensure that folks understand the importance of getting Chambliss out of office. I think our efforts will pay off.

[kjstjohn]

Here is the ActBlue site if you want to help Jim Martin and register your disapproval of how Saxby "Shameless" Chambliss treated Max Cleland.

http://www.actblue.com/page/do-it-for-max

[HateLieCheatKillRepubWay]

I am sorry, but as a Black woman, I must comment that Blacks folks are not too bright sometimes. It has been reported that there was a 80,000 "under vote" in GA; these are folks who voted for president but did NOT vote for the senate race. IF the large Black voter turnout in GA had voted down ballot, and understood the importance of the Democratic senator supporting the presidential choice, chances are, there would be no need for a run-off. I think voter education is the next task for election 2010 and beyond.

[harriscrl3]

I'm an AA woman and between this and Prop 8 I'm very disappinted in them myself. Hopefully they will redeem themselves in the runoff. Apparently our deficit in civics education goes beyond race. We MUST fix our education system

Carol

[Actionmac]

Prop 8 was not a black mistake it was the folks who did not get into the community to explain what was at stake. You want something passed don't pass the black people as if they are suppose to support it with out going to them to ASK for the help needed... You know like Obama did for almost 2 years across the country.

So f*ck off with blaming AA.

[gladys46]

"Black folks are not too bright sometimes" .... hummm, nor is an entire national electorate who voted for G.W.Bu$h TWICE !!!

[Actionmac]

x2

And as a Black Man I must confess that our women are our rocks but if we don't stand firm with them they can WRITE some really stupid stuff...

ENOUGH!

[rr52]

Yeah, I agree. Don't feel too bad, look at the dummies this time around that think Sarah is a great find, after putting up with W for 8 years. Wind em up and they run into the same wall over and over.

[seasun]

I don't think it has anything to do with being or not being bright. The voting process can be a bit challenging even for those of us who go to the polls every year. So, imagine how confusing it might have been for the millions of first time voters who turned out to vote in this election.

Many of them knew only one thing: they were there to vote for the Obama-Biden ticket, and that is what they did. I think one of the things that we've learned from this election is the dire need for voter education, Voters need to know what to expect before before the go to the polls, and also what to do once they get there.

[marasgram18]

yep I think Shirley Franklin should stop worrying about the flowers she wears on her lapels and start voter education projects Atlanta is so lacking I moved there then left because of it I'm AA also

[JJ30]

Hmm. Maybe I'm wrong in saying this but it sounds like it may have helped if Georgia was allowed to vote "Straight Ticket". Here in Texas, we were given this choice and it made it so much easier.

[jchflorida]

What about the 3rd guy in the race? ....which way will his supporters lean?

[pixy242a]

A run off is between the top 2 guys.

[midwesthousewife]

Yes, but which of the two contenders will the third person's supporters vote for in this run-off election?

[Colmore]

"Star power"? McCain and Palin? The RNC is in more trouble than we ever imagined. No "bright, intelligent lights" on the horizon for them. Chambliss has to go, he is a racist, and what he did to Clelland was disgusting.

[iamasocialist]

game on. history shows the winning team always wins, especially when the victory is so fresh

[mi]

If you want to help, send them money.

[mamacat]

Sounds like a good idea to me.

[copesthetics]

i'm from nyc and i gave the guy 20 bucks. it's worth it to kick out the bum who targeted cleland the way he did in 2004.

[kjstjohn]

Thank you. :)

[1differentdrummer]

That's the R party's first team?

[tedeger]

It is well known that Chambliss STOLE the 2002 election with considerable assistance from Wally O'Dell's hackable Diebold machines. (See Bev Harris' seminal work, "Black Box Voting." Vote-flipping is characteristic of those infernal machines. My own daughter was victiized by one in2004, when her vote for Kerry registered as one for Bush. She canceled and tried again (twice!) with the same result. She raised holy hell with the officials, and was finally allowed to use a different machine, and was promised that the "malfunctioning" machine would be taken out of service. She asked me, "How do I know that they did take it out? How do I know that my vote was counted as I cast it?" I replied - "You don't. It's Georgia, after all!" THE ONLY WAY YOU'RE GOING TO GET AN HONEST ELECTION IN GEORGIA IS WITH HAND-MARKED PAPER BALLOTS!!!

[likeicare]

It's about damn time, too!

[flyguy14222]

I say pull out all the stops....b­ring in anyone Pres. Obama can spare. Bring in Hill and Bill. Bring in Oprah. Slimeball Saxby will have a ton of Republican money, so we should all give what we can to Martin.

[doublels]

The only thing more disgusting than Chambliss are the people who voted for him.

[obamasandiego]

They still think Palin gets out the vote???

[Ajegunle]

Most of her "base" mostlt reside in the SOUTH.

[ruffmama]

I live in north GA....trus­t me...the folks here LOVE her. :-P