The runoff election between Saxby Chambliss and Jim Martin never should have come to this in my opinion. As I have consistently stated, Chambliss is a good senator whose primary shortcoming is failing to develop a functional relationship with the African American community in Georgia. Members of the House of Representatives can win elects with members of their parties only or people who look like them; but, all senators are statesmen and stateswomen literally who cover the entire state.
When the Republican Revolution occurred, their leadership discouraged relationship building with the other party or people who voted against them. (The opposition of the Obama transition process today.) While many African Americans would support Chambliss based on his regional achievements and actions, the dated GOP strategy assumes our community would never support a conservative or that their methods of energizing their base would turnoff Black voters. The “Liberal Elite Media” is reporting that Chambliss said the rush of early African-American voters during the general election energized “our side.” I had to find the actual quote and clearly Saxby said that Republicans were motivated to vote to balance the new Democrats voters, many of whom were Black.
Saxby’s “our side” should include a coalition of African American farmers, military families, small business people, moderates and other conservative of color. The young preppies that are the campaign staffers of the GOP know little about the diversity of Black Georgia and that is a shame. Saxby is in a great position: the opportunity to end this rough year on a winning note. The southern GOP had better do some soul searching to explain their base because the Blue Dog Democrats have created an attractive subsection of our party for reasonable people—Obama Republicans?
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/30/us/politics/30chambliss.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
The development is not lost on Mr. Chambliss. “There has always been a rush to the polls by African-Americans early,” he said at the square in Covington, a quick stop on a bus tour as the campaign entered its final week. He predicted the crowds of early voters would motivate Republicans to turn out. “It has also got our side energized, they see what is happening,” he said.
Project Logic Ga 
It sounds like he was alluding to the fact that Obama eventually got what, 98% of the African American vote. Nothin’ racial there…
Martin would have won had many new Obama voters actually voted for other races on the ballot. The response I got from many of my peers was, “Who the expletive is Saxby Chambliss? I ain’t voting for this.”
It’s very troublesome.
I learned this weekend that 80K more people voted for president in Georgia than Senate. Basically, new voters who voted only for president or did they vote “none of the below.”
The key to future GOP sucess is to recognize that Obama voters (like Reagan Democrats) are voting for the person or the movement. While Obama is a Democrat, he thinks of himself and his efforts as something everyone should like in time.
Saxby waxing Martin next month is not an indication that Obama is slipping; it just shows that vibe is not tranferable.