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Sunday, May 27, 2007
A lights-out, Georgia cage match: Immigration versus Iraq
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
When they were kids, the debate was whether Superman could whup the Hulk in a fair fight.
Now that they’re grown, political strategists are obsessed with another fantasy match-up. They ponder over whether Iraq can trounce immigration. Or vice-versa.
Within the next seven weeks, Georgia could supply the answer.
The two issues that have whipped and split the nation will converge on conservative east Georgia, where 10 candidates are engaged in a special election to fill the vacancy created by the death of U.S. Rep. Charlie Norwood (R-Augusta).
The immigration issue is already stirring the pot.
One of the six Republicans in the race, former state senator Jim Whitehead of Evans was riding comfortably at the head of the pack as the choice of Georgia’s Republican establishment.
He leads in fund-raising, and - at least initially - there was talk of Whitehead taking the June 19 contest without a run-off. Mathematically improbable to begin with, that goal was rendered politically impossible two weeks ago.
That’s when U.S. senators in Washington unveiled their bipartisan proposal for immigration reform. In Georgia, the Republican base reacted by booing Saxby Chambliss, one of its authors, at the state convention.
Whitehead, who has made illegal immigration his signature issue, quickly condemned the bill. But that’s not his problem.
Suddenly, running as the establishment Republican candidate, while still packed with financial benefits, doesn’t have all the shine that it had two months ago.
Republican rival Bill Greene of Braselton, trying to run to the right of Whitehead on immigration, has accused Whitehead of saying nice things about Chambliss’ work on immigration.
Another GOP candidate, Paul Brown of Athens, last week condemned Whitehead of belonging to the “politics-as-usual, good ol’ boys club.”
Our efforts to track Whitehead down on his cell phone last week were unsuccessful. But his chief campaign consultant, Joel McElhannon, said: “These guys are in some sick contest to see who could possibly be the most ineffective member of Congress. People see through their demagoguery and silliness.”
Even so, in a contest that’s likely to attract a minimum of voters, both Greene and Broun could peel off enough disaffected Republicans to push Whitehead into a July 17 run-off.
Which brings us to James Marlow of Lincolnton, one of three Democratic candidates in the race. Contrary to many expectations, Marlow has been able to consolidate most Democrats around his candidacy by focusing on one issue: Iraq.
Even key Republicans say they expect a significant anti-Iraq vote out of Athens to hand Marlow the second run-off spot. Despite the fact that the 10th District lists heavily Republican, Marlow hopes a strong showing could persuade Democrats in Washington make a four-week investment in a two-man contest.
This is, after all, the first federal election in the nation since the Democratic takeover of Congress in November 2006.
