Handel, Deal survive first round in governor's race, head to GOP runoff (GA may have Palin Gov)

[onehandle]

Source: Atlanta Journal Constitution

Riding the strength of Sarah Palin's endorsement and a boatload of votes from metro Atlanta, Karen Handel on Tuesday bolted to the top in the race for the Republican nomination for governor. Nathan Deal finished second and will face Handel in a runoff Aug. 10.

John Oxendine, long the front-runner in the race, saw his candidacy fall down an elevator shaft. The insurance commissioner faded to fourth, finishing behind former state Sen. Eric Johnson. Handel, the former secretary of state, won 33 percent of the vote, and Deal, the former congressman, won 23 percent.

"Nobody believed we could take on the career politicians and the establishment and win," Handel told ecstatic supporters at about 11 p.m. "But you, you believed. And because you did, we're standing here tonight and we finished first today."

Handel's campaign was certainly elevated by Palin's endorsement, first delivered via Facebook on July 12 and then in an automated phone call to Republican voters. But Handel herself said she felt the momentum turning two months ago.

Read more: http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/handel-deal-survive-first-575016.html

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Jane, Get me out of this Crazy State!

Meanwhile our last Democratic Governor rolled over the Bill Clinton endorsed candidate in our Primary. We are really going to have to get out the vote to defeat this Palin endorsed candidate. Her opposition painted her as a 'liberal.' I don't know if they will continue to in the runoff. I do know that her opposition was running on a very right-wing, anti-immigrant theme.
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Barnes wins Democratic race without runoff

Former Gov. Roy Barnes successfully completed the first step of his political redemption tour Tuesday, handily winning the Democratic nomination for his old job.

Almost eight years after being ousted by Sonny Perdue and becoming the first Democrat to lose a governor's race to a Republican in modern Georgia history, Barnes overwhelmed a field of six other Democrats Tuesday.

Now Barnes can raise money and bide his time, waiting for Republican voters to decide in the Aug. 10 runoff whom he will face in November.

"Tonight is the beginning to take our state back from the lobbyists and the special interests," Barnes told a crowd of about 300 cheering supporters in Atlanta. "This is the end of building fish ponds and not paying teachers. This is the end of passing legislation that makes us the laughingstock of the nation. "It's time, my friends, to make Georgia work again."

http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/barnes-wins-democratic-race-575009.html

[bluestateguy]

1. The longer the GOOPers are slugging it out in the primary, the better for Barnes

He was shafted by that bullshit Confederate flag "issue" in 2002.

[SemperEadem]

2. if that idiot supports him, then does that mean he, too will be a half term governor?

[SkyDaddy7]

4. Karen Handel is a HER...

Part of Palin's "Momma Grizzlies" :puke: :puke:

[conscious evolution]

3. cross over voting

I know a few dems that voted for her because of the crazy factor of the tea baggers.:evilgrin:

[Dogtown]

5. I can see the logic,

but I'm afraid that will bite them in the ass.

Even though Barnes came out in tentative support for the Arizona Outrage, I think he'll be Palinized.

The Faithful in this state are consumed by hatred of our black president and, by extension, all things Democrat.

[onehandle]

6. Yeah. I think Barnes was the strongest candidate...

...but we are the reddest red of red that red can be these days.

sigh...

[Hoyt]

7. Dang disgusting when even the Democrat supports an Arizona type law.

Deal is running by demonizing Latinos much like the Klan candidates ran in the 50s and 60s. I'm betting Deal gets most of the votes from Eric Johnson who did everything but wave the confederate flag and a shotgun in his TV commercials. I'm guessing Handel will jump in with similar hate ads.

While it may sound like I'm criticizing the candidates, it's really those who vote along these lines that I find sad.

[peaches2003]

8. Karen Handel IS Sarah Palin with a brain

They are 2 peas in a pod. Have the same conservative beliefs and are both politicians who only care about their moves upwards. Karen never finishes a term of anything she runs for- gets elected, serves a year or 2, and then quits the job to run for the next rung on the ladder up. Ran for Fulton County Commission Chairperson, served a year and quit to run for Secretary of State, her first statewide office. Everyone knew she had no interest in that office. It was a stepping stone. Quit after a little more than a year to run for Governor. Within 2 yrs if she gets elected to that she will be quitting to run for Congress (Tom Price) or Senate if she thinks she can beat Isakson or Chambliss. She used to work for Marilyn Quayle, btw. Her eyes are set on the V-P or the White House, I assure you. She is my neighbor.