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I'm a republican (so my Daddy's says) and I didn't even vote. Does that say something? I'm all in for Charleston though.

My roommate and her son didn't vote either, even after I told them that Barnes and Cleland were about 2 votes behind by my calculations. I told them that Republicans wouldn't let a wimpy little thing like heavy rain and cold keep them from crushing Democrats. After my little speech (I even tried to get them drunk) I trudged out into the rain to vote for Democrats. But it was all to no avail. At least now, I told them, you can't complain when they start digging up Alaska to lay the pipeline, and when all the new federal judges look suspiciously like Clarence Thomas.

Well Barnes lost for two reasons. He pissed the teachers off by suggesting they cut in-class support by teacher's aides and he lost for changing the flag....and that played a big part outside of Atlanta. Not saying I support either, just giving an observation

There's no doubt you're right that those were big factors, Mike. I wasn't a huge supporter of Barnes, but if it turns out he "gave his political life" by changing the state flag, he'll have my respect and gratitude for doing it. But there seemed to be a wider message in this election, which resulted in things I didn't expect, like the defeats of Sen. Cleland as well as Tom Murphy (who has been Speaker of the Ga. House since shortly after the Reconstruction ... or so it seemed). I don't so much view it as a repudiation of Democrats as a rallying of support around the President, real or synthesized. While in South Carolina, we got treated to dozens of campaign commercials from politicians about who we knew nothing. And it was clear, whenever possible, campaigns used the war on terror and issues of national security as a big club to beat their opponents in whatever way they could. In the first election after a brutal attack on our country, it shouldn't have been a surprise. And I think in many ways the American voting public acted to give President Bush the mandate they didn't in the 2000 election. Between that, and the squishy yet tangible mandate given by the UN vote today, there can be little political cover for the Repubblicans over the next two years. In 2004, we'll see if this was a temporary reaction to 9/11, or a real shift of the pendulum. And it will largely be determined by how well the Republicans do with this mandate they've been given. It's a bit like the dog who chases cars. Well, now he's caught one. What's he going to do with it?

Is Perdue & Chambliss worse than Maddox, Carter, Talmadge, Watson, George, your own former Saudi ambassador flack Fowler, et al; what standard are tou using here

My own standard, as did everyone who entered a voting booth that day. The people you list didn't get my vote because they either pre-date my time as a voter in Georgia, or I didn't choose them. But I'll bet ya money, if Sonny Perdue somehow manages to force through changing the flag back (which I doubt he'll be able to manage, and thus fail in the main promise that got him elected), he'll bring ridicule and outright economic sanctions against this state that none of the people you list ever did. Not even Lester.