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Sunday, November 26, 2006
The consequences of straying from the herd
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Given the feasting season, there’s a temptation to speak of next month’s run-off election for the state Public Service Commission in terms of leftovers.
The only statewide race on the Dec. 5 ballot, between Democratic incumbent David Burgess and Republican challenger Chuck Eaton, could be described as a bit of undigested turkey, a blot of reheated dressing, or a dab of twice-cooked sweet potato.
But that conjures the wrong mental image.
The proper metaphor is that of a stray cut from the herd, with a well-funded and hungry Republican pack circling, circling, circling.
When the votes were counted three weeks ago, the results in Georgia were bloodless. In every legislative, congressional or statewide race, whether Democrat or Republican, the incumbent made it back to the barn safely.
All except for Burgess. With a third candidate — a Libertarian — roiling the vote, the Democrat reached 48.8 percent, about 23,500 ballots shy of re-election.
The orphaned contest is rife with symbolism. Burgess, a 1999 appointee by Gov. Roy Barnes, is the only Democrat remaining on the five-member PSC. He’s also the only African-American.
While subject to a statewide vote, the Burgess seat requires residency in Fulton, DeKalb or Clayton — counties that supply a large chunk of the black vote in Georgia.
“They’ve got their sights set on me,” said Burgess. “But I’m not going to be a standing target. I’m moving.”
This is also a fight over the balance of power on the utility commission.
Burgess, 48, is a native Atlantan, a Grady Homes escapee who went from Georgia Tech straight to a PSC staff position. Eaton, 37, is a Buckhead real estate man with an accounting degree.
Burgess often serves as the swing vote on a commission divided between utilities and consumers — pro-business commissioners Stan Wise and Doug Everett on one side, Bobby Baker and Angela Speir on the other.
The Democrat says he’s struck a balance. The Republican says Burgess has favored business at the expense of consumers — pointing to the price of natural gas.
If history is any guide, turnout is likely to be 5 percent or less. The man who drives 150,000 of his closest friends to the polls will be the winner. Finding those friends is the key.
Until Nov. 7, as the incumbent, Burgess had the advantage, out-raising Eaton by nearly 5-to-1. That’s likely to have changed.
Both state parties are somewhat restricted in how much they can help. By law, they can spend unlimited funds behind slates of candidates — but can only spend a maximum $2,000 on specific individuals.
Yet the treasuries of individual Republican office-holders are well-stocked, and Eaton has tapped them.
Said Eaton: “I’ve gotten a great deal of support from both [state legislative] caucuses and the governor. The governor’s maxed out. Many of the senators have maxed out, [U.S. Rep.] Lynn Westmoreland’s maxed out.”
For the next week, both candidates will be targeting the hardest of hard-core voters in Georgia. Not that we want to scare anyone away from the polls, but strategists in both camps will be taking names.
Vote on Dec. 5, and you’ll earn your stripes as a die-hard voter, guaranteed to receive every political flyer and every robo-call generated in 2008.
