It’s understandable that Georgia Republicans, along with the AJC’s Jim Wooten, are skeptical about statements by some political commentators and Democratic strategists that Sen. Barack Obama has a real chance to carry Georgia in the 2008 presidential election, writes an Emory professor of political science in an opinion column.

But, he continues, a closer look at the evidence indicates that the outlook for McCain in the Peach State may not be as rosy as Wooten suggests. McCain’s average margins in polls is seven points, down considerably from George Bush’s margin in 2004.

It will be difficult for Obama to carry Georgia this year, the political science professor writes. But if he can keep McCain’s margin below 10 points here, it will almost certainly mean he is winning in most of the rest of the county and may force Republicans to devote scarce campaign resources to Georgia.

By 2012, the opinion piece concludes, “Obama could be in a strong position to carry Georgia.”

Will this red state turn blue within the next couple of elections?

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Is ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ outdated?

By AJC Opinion | Wednesday, July 23, 2008, 07:49 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Jeff Cleghorn, an Atlanta attorney and former Army major, argues that it is time to end the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. He notes that former U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn, mentioned as a possible running mate for Barack Obama, has recently said it is appropriate to “take another look” at the policy. As chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Nunn championed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, writes Cleghorn.

More than 12,000 gay and lesbian troops have been discharged since 1993, Cleghorn writes, and nearly 800 dismissed had skills deemed “mission critical” by the Pentagon, iincluding more than 300 specialists in Arabic and other languages.s

Read full column

Should the policy be repealed?

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