Obama returns volunteers to Georgia as early vote surges

Halimah Abdullah
- McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON — Just more than a month ago, Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama's campaign pulled a number of field staffers out of Georgia and sent them to such emerging battleground states as North Carolina.

That was before Georgia's early voting showed record-high Democratic turnout, however, especially among African Americans, and polls found a narrowing margin between the major presidential candidates.

That was also before Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss found himself fighting for his political life against Democratic challenger and former state Rep. Jim Martin, who's benefited from the Obama campaign's voter-registration and get-out-the-vote efforts and from increased funding from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

"There's a coattail effect there. The presidential race is affecting the Senate race," said Alan Abramowitz, a political science professor at Emory University in Atlanta. "As Obama has been gaining and attracting new voters, those Obama supporters are also supporting Martin."

A recent InsiderAdvantage poll found Obama leading McCain 48 percent to 47 percent in Georgia, with 3 percent undecided and 2 percent preferring other candidates.

http://www.centredaily.com/206/story/940184.html

Wouldn't it be cool if Georgia flipped?

Hell the game is over if Obama wins NC.

Even without Georgia or NC!

I still think we have a better chance there than Georgia, and I wouldn't want to lose out on both states rather than just one (I know an effort needs to be made, but... I guess I'm just too wired about this right now.)

We're gonna do it here....

I'm so excited; a friend of mine just got called to cover Jim Martin tomorrow for some network, which means he won't be here to help me video the vote, but whatever. I'll do it on my own if I have to. I wish I had gotten that call:-)

I'm going down to HQ right now to get a GOTV call list.

I only wish our Obama team leader was here right now- he got sent to Florida a month ago and we've missed him a lot.

...Savannah a month or so ago, and saw a big Obama headquarters looking building. I wish I would have stopped off to say "hi" now. Who knows, I might have seen you there!

I just got back and man, was it CRAZY busy!!!

It rocked. I talked to tons of people who were voting Obama tomorrow and reminded them to vote for all of our dems.

Tomorrow is going to be TONS of work. I hope someone texts me and let's me know how the race is going:-)

politics. I think Obama will win Georgia.

Great job Lance and Kayla!

(or so I predict)

Even if Obama doesn't win here (and I think he will win here, as I argued http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4473170">here on Feb. 8, 2008), our Senate race (Chambliss v. Martin) will likely require a run-off election. I don't believe that either candidate can muster the majority of votes (greater than 50%) necessary to win. I look forward to Obama, Biden, both Clintons, Jimmy Carter, and other Democratic luminaries campaigning in GA for several weeks to insure that Martin wins and gives the Democratic party either its 60th or 61st vote in the Senate.

All Democrats want to see Saxby Chambliss defeated for what he did to Max Cleland, a true American hero. Obama is wise, and he's making sure he has the necessary staff and resources ready here in GA to continue the fight after Nov. 5.

The United States is a LIBERAL Country.

:dem:

-Laelth


Edit:Laelth--corrected link error.

A whole month of being the center of the political universe?!

(swoon)

Georgia will be an interesting place.

The United States is a LIBERAL Country.

:dem:

-Laelth