Parties ponder Senate runoff

The already high-profile battle for the Georgia U.S. Senate seat held by Republican Saxby Chambliss could move up a few notches if none of the three candidates gets a majority of votes Nov. 4.

A runoff is always a possibility in a three-way political contest. But the race between Chambliss, Democrat Jim Martin and Libertarian Allen Buckley carries an unusual dynamic in an election year when national Democrats are trying to cement a filibuster-proof 60-vote “supermajority” in the U.S. Senate.

Some political observers believe Democrats could be close to that margin after Election Day. If the Georgia race is thrown into a four-week runoff, the national political spotlight will shine brightly here, no matter who becomes president.

Democrats and Republicans almost certainly will pour mountains of money, time and big-name politicos into Georgia under that scenario in what could become one of the most bruising political contests in years.

A Dec. 2 runoff would be required if neither candidate gets a majority of the vote.

Both Martin’s and Chambliss’ campaigns dismissed the idea of a runoff this week as they feverishly push for an outright win.

A smattering of polls in the race show it tightening —- it is dead-even or Chambliss has a 6-point lead, depending on which survey you believe.

“We’re focused on Nov. 4,” said Chambliss spokeswoman Michelle Grasso. “Our goal is to win on Nov. 4, regardless of Libertarian turnout or early voting.”

Martin spokesman Ellery Gould expressed similar sentiments for the Democrats.

“We think Georgia voters are ready to reject Saxby Chambliss, and we expect to win outright on Nov. 4,” Gould said.

By Thursday, the race was taking on more national overtones, as outside groups continued to dump money into the contest.

TV viewers in Atlanta have been bombarded by a series of attack ads and counter-ads from both campaigns and their backers.

The ads will only increase in the final two weeks of the general election.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, as of Thursday, already had pumped more than $1 million into metro Atlanta television ads attacking Chambliss.

The Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee has bought roughly $430,000 for ads attacking Martin, and that figure is expected to increase. A conservative group, Freedomswatch, has pumped $250,000 into Atlanta-area ads supporting Chambliss.

Former President Bill Clinton, meanwhile, will come to town to raise money for Martin, and former Democratic U.S. Sen. Max Cleland issued an appeal through the DSCC on Thursday for money to help defeat Chambliss, who beat Cleland six years ago in a come-from-behind win.

“This becomes the center of the universe for the next four weeks, if Georgia is the 60th seat,” University of Georgia political scientist Charles Bullock said of a possible runoff. “You’ll have Barack Obama campaigning here. You’ll have Sarah Palin campaigning here.”

An underfunded Buckley could have a major impact on the race if the Libertarian draws more than 3 percent of the vote and Chambliss and Martin run neck-and-neck, with neither breaking 50 percent.

Buckley pulled 2.1 percent of the vote in his last Senate bid in 2004.

The head of the DSCC, meanwhile, appeared to try to lower expectations for a supermajority in recent comments in Politico, an online political magazine.

“As for 60 [Senate seats], it is possible,” said U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). “You can look at the map yourself. But given the red terrain we’re fighting in, it’s very difficult. And I don’t want people to get such high expectations, because it’s hard to win in states like Georgia or Mississippi. It is. And we need some of those states to win.”