The Georgia Runoff: The First 2010 Race

So, November 4th apparently isn't election day in Georgia. Instead, December 2nd will decide to whom the Senate seat will be assigned: Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss or Democratic challenger Jim Martin.

Political pundits have been quick to judge this post-election-election the "first campaign in 2010" as droves of GOP operatives head to Georgia to support Chambliss in his bid to retain his seat. GOP leaders have been working furiously since their rout on November 4th to reestablish credibility and stature in the Democratic-leaning political environment.

Even Presidential runner-up, John McCain is heading to Georgia to stump for his GOP colleague. The Republican hope is that this seat will prevent the magic number of 60 Senate seats in Democratic hands for two years, essentially giving Obama and his policies a rubber-stamp. A filibuster-proof Senate would almost certainly begin working diligently on reversing many Bush administration policies--especially concerning wiretapping and habeas corpus at Guantanamo Bay.

Two other Senatorial races remain dramatically close: in Minnesota, as of last count, challenger Al Franken is down by only 206 votes to Republican incumbent Norm Coleman in a bitter recount with nearly as many lawyers as election counters; and in Alaska recently convicted felon Ted Stevens is in an ever-tightening battle to retain his seat from the challenger, Mark Begich.

The historic election for the presidency and the Democrats on November 4th has left the Republican leadership in shambles. The senior members of the Senate and House committees have been working round the clock to devise a new message and a new image. Possible ideas for restructure involve reducing the importance of issues like abortion and sexual orientation that seem to have alienated voters who care more about the economic crisis.

The Georgia runoff is seen as an opportunity for GOP leaders to once again have center stage to voice frustration about the President-elect, his policies, and the dangers of a Democratically-controlled House, Senate, and White House. Even one-time Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney is expected to be on the stump for Chambliss; a move that possibly insinuates a larger GOP role in the coming years for the former Massachusetts governor.

Campaign ads directed at runoff voters have already hit the airwaves. Republicans are hoping that the large African-American voting population that was so motivated to come to the polls for Obama will stay at home this time around. In the same vein, this runoff will illuminate Obama's influence on the younger voters, and their commitment to change after the Presidential election.