Time for Chambliss to go, Al Gore tells Martin supporters

Former Vice President Al Gore urged about 600 cheering people in Atlanta on Sunday night to vote for Jim Martin on Dec. 2 to help bring about “historic change” in Georgia and the nation.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner, who lost a close 2000 presidential bid to President George W. Bush, took direct aim at Martin’s opponent, incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss.

Enlarge this image

Jessica McGowan/jmcgowan@ajc.com

Democratic Senate candidate Jim Martin (left) and former Vice President Al Gore respond to the audience at Sunday’s campaign event.

Political Insider:

• Final post on this site

ELECTION UPDATES:

• Chambliss re-elected to U.S. Senate | Results
• Republican McDonald regains PSC seat | Results
• Doyle wins race for Appeals Court judge | Results
• Deputy, former educator take Clayton school seats | Results
• Ex-prosecutor picked for DeKalb Superior Court | Results
• Adams wins Fulton Superior Court judgeship | Results
• Single vote decides one Norcross City Council race | Results

Dec. 2 runoff voting:

Local and state results U.S. Senate Georgia Public Service Commission Georgia Court of Appeals Carroll County Clayton County DeKalb County Douglas County Fulton County Gwinnett County

Photos:
• Chambliss, Martin in Atlanta | Voters

Nov. 4 voting:

Local and state results U.S. President U.S. Senate U.S. House Georgia Public Service Commission Georgia State Senate Georgia State House Georgia Constitutional Amendments Georgia Supreme Court Georgia Court of Appeals Carroll County Cherokee County Clayton County Cobb County Coweta County DeKalb County Douglas County Fayette County Forsyth County Fulton County Gwinnett County Henry County Rockdale County

“It’s time for him to go,” Gore said of the GOP senator from Moultrie. “The Bush-Cheney-Chambliss philosophy has been tried and has not only found out to be wanting, it has been found out to be a catastrophe.”

With Martin, the Democratic U.S. Senate candidate, standing at this side, Gore spoke to contributors at fund-raiser at the warehouse-like Mason Murer Fine Art gallery in Midtown. Guests paid $125 each for the general reception. Gore attended a pricier private, fund-raiser before the reception.

“This is a humbling experience for me,” Martin, a former state lawmaker from Atlanta, told the crowd. He added: “We’re going to win this race.”

The crowd roared its approval at several points during Gore’s 10-minute speech.

At one point, wine- and beer-sipping Martin supporters reprised a chant from the campaign of President-elect Barack Obama.

“Yes we can! Yes we can!” the crowd shouted back as Gore intoned from the podium: “Change is coming! Change is coming to Georgia! Change is coming to America!”

Gore’s visit came just nine days before the Dec. 2 runoff between Chambliss and Martin, and it underscored the high-profile nature of the race.

“The eyes of the nation are on this race here in Georgia,” Gore said.

The Georgia Senate runoff is attracting a lengthening line of political A-listers as Democrats push for a 60-vote, filibuster-proof “super majority” in the upper chamber and Republicans pull out all the stops to hold Chambliss’s seat.

Democrats now have 58 seats. Only races in Minnesota and Georgia have yet to be decided.

Former President Bill Clinton campaigned for Martin last week. U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney have stumped here for Chambliss.

Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani comes to town Tuesday for the Republican senator.

Millions of dollars are being poured into the race by both political parties, much of it burned up on a seemingly unending stream of televised attack ads.

Both campaigns also have deployed hundreds of people to get out the vote for the runoff, which takes place the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Runoffs historically attract fewer voters than general elections, and both camps worry this one — coming in the middle of the holidays — could be particularly problematic.