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DEL.ICIO.USLooks like the game may be up for Whitehead
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The big hole in the 10th District election results has been a single, absent precinct in Columbia County. Five other boxes in five other counties have yet to be tallied, but none of the other counties is that big.
And, of course, Jim Whitehead is the former Columbia County commission chairman.
Last night, Whitehead consultant John Stone told us the campaign was holding out hope that 1,700 absentee ballots requested in Columbia County had not been tabulated. But we just talked to Debbie Marshall, director of Columbia County elections. She says they have.
All votes, including absentees, were counted by 9:20 p.m. last night, she said. The absent precinct is merely a technical holding pen for 66 overseas military ballots that were requested, and any provisional ballots allowed on Tuesday that still need approval. Counties have until Friday to wait for the military ballots — but there won’t be any more in Columbia than the 66.
Marshall’s office is making a sweep now for any provisional ballots issue, but they’ve not found any yet.
Whitehead is down by 371, and it looks like it will stay that way — or something close to it.
Said Paul Broun of Athens, who may have just pulled off the upset of the year: “I have not declared victory yet, but I think we’ve won.”
Comments
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By Amy K
July 18, 2007 2:29 PM | Link to this
I live in McDuffie County & voted in the first election but not yesterday’s - since the difference between a conservative Republican and a more conservative Republican just didn’t seem to matter. But I wake up today to the Augusta headline on the possible Broun upset. Wow - from day one Whitehead was expected to cruise to victory. He avoided debates with the other nine candidates. He said “Iraq doesn’t matter in this district”.
It’s comforting to realize that votes still matter - that the ruling elite of Columbia County don’t own this seat.
By DanThompson
July 18, 2007 3:32 PM | Link to this
Many vote for A to vote against B which produces a result that doesn’t reflect true voter sentiment. A no column and the highest net yes wins would remove that 50% restriction on freedom of expression and produce a more honest result, be less spinnable, likely increase turnout and provide information beneficial to all, winners, losers and the public as well. It could also turn campaigns more in the direction of positive that negative since A convincing voters B was unworthy would not necessarily generate votes for A, implying support that isn’t real.
By John Goodman
July 18, 2007 3:42 PM | Link to this
I don’t know how the political wiz kid Joel McElhanon, who ran Whitehead’s campaign, could mess this one up so bad? This is the best example of snatching defeat out of the jaws of victory that I have ever witnessed.
By deegee
July 18, 2007 5:31 PM | Link to this
I thought that Whitehead was sure to win because he stood tough on amnesty. What happened?
By Tim Raymond
July 18, 2007 7:29 PM | Link to this
Dan, what have you been smokin’? I’ll need some of that to decipher what the heck you wrote.
By Olderthanwiser
July 18, 2007 8:36 PM | Link to this
Paul Broun rented the Georgia Right to Life database 4 times. This was a record for any candidate running for Federal office. Jim Whitehead … zero.
Brouns campaign consultant said, “Anyone that doesn’t communicate with the pro-life base in their district in THIS state deserves to lose.”
Smart move Paul! Congrats from a voting pro-lifer.