Georgia senate seats runoff(s) megathread

[GeorgiaModerate]

Just wondering, if Warnock wins but Ossoff loses (something I think is extremely unlikely, tbh), could Democrats try to convince Murkowski to pull a Jim Jeffords and caucus with them? She'd go from being in an obstructionist majority to probably the single most powerful Senator, and she doesn't seem to be all that loyal to Mitch or the GOP.

Voting for Barrett indicated Murkowski was throwing her lot with the GOP completely, imo. 

Murkowski is also up in '22 in a Republican state, so she's staying R.  IMO, a more interesting idea is Susan Collins.  She's in a Democratic state and doesn't have to run again for six years.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Fulton County to offer early voting for the runoff at State Farm Arena (which was used in the general election) and Mercedes-Benz Stadium (new for the runoff):

Through a partnership between Fulton County, the Hawks and AMB Sports and Entertainment (parent company of the Falcons), State Farm Arena will be available for early voting Dec. 14-19 (with the NBA season beginning Dec. 22), and Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be available Dec. 22-30 (the Falcons have a home game Dec. 20 and an away game Dec. 27).

https://www.ajc.com/sports/atlanta-hawks/state-farm-arena-mercedes-benz-stadium-to-offer-early-voting-for-runoff-election/ODWJY3276JCJHAM7M2HV3WDM7Y/

[GeorgiaModerate]

The better question is why, though? Jan. 6th is after the runoff, so there's no political incentive for him to do so.

More to the point: Perdue won't even be in the Senate on Jan. 6, win or lose the runoff.  His current term ends on Jan. 3, so the seat will be vacant until the runoff winner is certified, which won't happen until well after Jan. 6.

The same doesn't apply for Loeffler.  She's filling the remainder of Johnny Isakson's unfinished term, so she'll stay in the Senate throughout this period.

[GeorgiaModerate]

I've never been much for the yard sign game, and in any case have seen very few signs for the Senate runoffs.  The exception was today, when we drove to the houses of some of our relatives for (socially distanced) Christmas gift drop-off and pick-up.  In one well-to-do suburban neighborhood in Loganville, which straddles the Gwinnett-Walton county border, there were several houses with Warnock and Ossoff signs.

[GeorgiaModerate]

https://twitter.com/lawindsor/status/1340392013162835970?s=20
Forsythvoter, you still considering Perdue? 👀

Fwiw, I don't think very highly of either Perdue or Loeffler - they don't strike me as authentic in the slightest and I doubt they have the interests of even the Trump base at heart, but how other voters vote is not for me to decide.

As for Perdue specifically - is there actual video or audio evidence he intends to go through with challenging the election results in the Senate floor? I can't believe he would be stupid enough to commit to the challenging the results but if there is direct evidence, it will of course impact my final decision on who to vote for.

Perdue won't be on the Senate floor on Jan. 6, win or lose the runoff.  His current term ends on Jan. 3, so the seat will be vacant until the runoff results are certified, which will not occur until well after Jan. 6.  If he actually said this, it's pure bluster to feed the base (which doesn't make it any better).

[GeorgiaModerate]

In today's mail: One bill.  One Christmas card.  Nine political flyers (7 of them glossy color 8x10 or larger).

[GeorgiaModerate]

In today's mail: One bill.  One Christmas card.  Nine political flyers (7 of them glossy color 8x10 or larger).

My sister has a Christmas gift that’s been late in the mail and my mom called the post office to see where it was and the lady told her that it’s all the political mail clogging up the system.

I just got email from my electric company with this: "We are aware there are parts of the country facing 2-4 week delays in USPS mail delivery and we want to provide you with options to pay and/or receive your electric bill without delay."

[GeorgiaModerate]

In today's mail: One bill.  One Christmas card.  Nine political flyers (7 of them glossy color 8x10 or larger).

My sister has a Christmas gift that’s been late in the mail and my mom called the post office to see where it was and the lady told her that it’s all the political mail clogging up the system.

So it'll be Purdue/Loeffler/Warnock/Ossoff's faults that scores of kiddos don't get their PS5's in time for Christmas??!

Okay.  NOW I'm mad. 

All the ones I'm getting are from Perdue and Loeffler, except for an occasional one from a non-profit group with a general encouragement to vote.

[GeorgiaModerate]

https://twitter.com/ossoff/status/1341769646685433858

[GeorgiaModerate]

I might just be a political oddball but I do actually care about the deficit and responsible spending and I'm not convinced a blanket $2,000 stimulus check is good policy. I'd much prefer the Dems take some time to lay out all the different options for stimulating the economy (e.g., infrastructure spending, tax credits for parents that need child care for the pandemic), rather than just jump on the more checks for everyone train.

I'm neutral on the deficit (I don't think it's inherently either good or bad), but I do think the stimulus could be targeted much more efficiently.  Do something like some European countries have done, i.e. compensate businesses for lost revenue *provided* they keep all their employees on the payroll.  Perhaps with slightly reduced levels of compensation and payroll (80-90%) to maintain an incentive to get fully open and back to work again, but that's a detail.  This would help a lot more than a blanket check to everyone.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Will McConnell stopping the $2000 checks help the Georgia Democrats?

I’m sure Pelosi will get unanimous consent to change the bill,  assuming McConnell doesn’t bribe/threaten a republican house member to oppose it.

Than it would be up to McConnell to both call the senate back to session AND make sure no one opposes it. Incredibly unlikely.

McConnell is power hungry and almost always has the upper hand. Being forced to do stuff he doesn’t support is unthinkable for him, even from Trump. Hell, didn’t trump say McConnell was the only guy that scares him?

McConnell only support the $600 checks because of the senate race. Otherwise he wouldn’t have allowed them in the bill.

Personally, I don’t think Trump will veto the bill. But it puts the two incumbent Georgian Republicans in a bad spot because their leader refused to give more money to people

Kevin McCarthy has already said there won't be unanimous consent in the House.

[GeorgiaModerate]

https://twitter.com/ossoff/status/1341850791309668356
Ossoff's social media person deserves a raise (the Perdue tweet is from 2015).

[GeorgiaModerate]

https://twitter.com/bluestein/status/1341877178787655680

[GeorgiaModerate]

A new record today: eleven political flyers in the mail.

[GeorgiaModerate]

https://twitter.com/SamWangPhD/status/1343002800654053376

Surely nobody would really believe this and boycott the election as a result?  But even if it's a small number, it might make the difference.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Is early voting resuming tomorrow (and for how long) ?

I assume there was no early voting this weekend ?

And how long can post ballots be requested and returned ?

Early voting resumes tomorrow and ends Dec. 31.

A few counties had early voting this weekend (Fulton was one of them) but I think most counties did not.

Absentee ballots can be posted any time as long as they are received by the elections office by the close of polls on Election Day.  Supposedly the USPS is treating all absentee ballots for the runoff as Express Mail.

Absentee ballots can be requested no later than the Friday before Election Day; since Friday is a holiday this year, I assume the deadline would be Thursday.  But with the current mail delays, it's not likely that ballots requested so late would be received in time.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Informative thread on the early voting numbers.  Click to read the whole thing:

https://twitter.com/cstewartiii/status/1343278393756962816

[GeorgiaModerate]

Given that each Democratic candidate has raised >$100M and in-person Election Day voting is expected to be heavilty Republican, would it make sense for the campaigns to hire a few thousand people to just drive around Republican areas on Election Day causing traffic jams to discourage people from voting?  

I’d have to think this would be a better use of money than more mailers.

Not like that would be a felony punishable by 1-10 years in prison & a fine of $100,000 or anything.

What exactly would the crime be?  I’m not suggesting they get into accidents or anything.  Just get on the highway at rush hour and drive kinda slow.

Republicans have been doing everything they can to impede early and mail in voting all year.  It’s time the Dems fought back.

One of my colleagues created a conspiracy theory that the Georgia Highway Patrol pays retired people to spend hours driving slowly on major roadways in order to slow down traffic.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Are any climate abnormalities forecasted for Jan 5? A mild rainstorm could spell disaster for the GOP....

INVEST IN WEATHER RAYS RIGHT NOW TO WIN THE SENATE BUILD SUPER DUPER RAY TO OWN THE CONSERVATIVES AND INSTALL RADICAL LIBERAL RAPHAEL WARNOCK AND MARXIST JON OSSOFF TO THE SENATE THROUGH WEATHER FRAUD!!!!!!!!

It's forecast to be a sunny, pleasant day with highs in the upper 50s in Atlanta.

[GeorgiaModerate]

https://twitter.com/Nate_Cohn/status/1343925218839056384

[GeorgiaModerate]

If Perdue backs the $2k checks, I'm voting for Ossoff. I don't see the point of voting R on the basis of fiscal conservatism if they're not going to even try to be fiscally prudent.

There it is:

https://twitter.com/Perduesenate/status/1343943989804867585

[GeorgiaModerate]

I said it before and I will it say again
Trump is really going out his way to hurt Mitch McConnell lol

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1343998076084748288
At this point its clear that he really does not want this man to be the Senate majority leader any longer

I think this is all a power game and he hates the power McConnell still wields. He wants to be the only person of power in the GOP.

Of course.  Remember Trump saying in 2016 "I alone can fix it"?  He doesn't want anyone else to be seen as accomplishing something.

[GeorgiaModerate]

This is from the general election, but seems relevant because there will no doubt be voter fraud claims from the Republicans if they lose:

https://twitter.com/bluestein/status/1344062443727839234

[GeorgiaModerate]

We've gotten zero political mailers the last two days, for the first time in ages.  Maybe they've cross-referenced with the absentee file and realized that everyone in this household has already voted.

[GeorgiaModerate]

The thing that surprises me most in the JMC poll:

Plan to/already early voted in person 75%
Plan to/already early voted by mail 16%
Plan to vote on Election Day 7%
Unsure whether you’ll vote 1%
Do not plan to vote 1%

If this is remotely true, the Republicans are cooked.  But it makes me think the poll is running into the same partisan non-response issue that appears to have occurred in many general election polls.