Starved of white voters, Tuesday night was 2010 redux for… | www.myajc.com

For Democrats in Georgia, the most disturbing facet of Tuesday night was – despite the millions of dollars poured into the effort, despite the recruitment of talented well-spoken candidates – how much the end result seemed to resemble the Roy Barnes race of 2010.

Barnes won 43 percent of the vote four years ago. Michelle Nunn and Jason Carter each took 45 percent. Victory margins for senator-to-be David Perdue and second-term Gov. Nathan Deal were an identical 53 percent.

At the root of the Democratic problem is the party’s lack of appeal among white voters, or – some Democrats might argue – the ease with which Republicans can take advantage of Georgia’s racially polarized politics.

DuBose Porter, the chairman of the state Democratic party, was clearly baffled last night. “I can’t think of one. When you have great candidates that offer a better path, I don’t know how we could’ve said it any clearer, “ he told the AJC’s Katie Leslie last night.

In his march to victory, Senator-elect Perdue, had his best showing (84 percent of the vote) in Pierce County, which has a white voting population of 83 percent. He did worst (15 percent) in Clayton County, which has a white voting population of 14 percent.

Consider these two paragraphs from an Associated Press exit poll assessment of Georgia:

RACE: The racial split remains one of the starkest divides in Georgia politics. Early exit poll results showed Perdue won about 70 percent of the white electorate. Nunn appeared to win the overwhelming majority of black voters.

OBAMA: A voter’s view on President Obama was a good indicator of how he or she voted in the Senate race. Nunn won more than nine out of 10 voters who approved of Obama’s job performance. Perdue did almost as well among voters who disapproved.

via Starved of white voters, Tuesday night was 2010 redux for… | www.myajc.com.