Peterson: Kingston has legitimate shot at Senate seat | savannahnow.com

Savannah Morning News editorial cartoonist Mark Streeter’s work mixes sharp satire and penetrating insight.

Consider his May 3 cartoon showing people discussing U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston’s run for the U.S. Senate.

“So, what do you think Jack’s chances are statewide, him being from coastal Georgia and all?” one asks.

“Pretty good,” responds the other concerning the Savannah lawmaker’s bid for the seat from which fellow Republican Saxby Chambliss is retiring next year, “if he can get the endorsement of Gov. Eric Johnson.”

To understand the punch line, you need to know a little about recent Georgia politics.

For starters, Johnson, also a Savannah Republican, isn’t governor. Not that he didn’t want to be.

In the 2010 primary, the former state senator ran third out of seven candidates — a field that included only four serious contenders.

So you might conclude that’s the prologue for what to expect from Kingston.

Indeed, South Georgians find it hard to compete with candidates from metro Atlanta, where most Georgia voters live.

But a closer look at the 2010 primary suggests Johnson’s prospects were a bit like a glass that’s either half-empty or half-full.

Stressing the third-place finish is the glass-half-empty scenario.

The half-full one starts by noting Johnson was barely 19,000 votes out of second place. Running second would have put him into a runoff with former Secretary of State Karen Handel, who also may seek the Senate seat.