I don’t like Robert Novak and I do not find him personally credible. But he does a lot of solid reporting and he has great sources. A couple of days ago I wrote about a big upset in a run-off election for Georgia’s 10 congressional district. Novak’s take on it is interesting.
The biggest political upset so far of this election cycle reflected rank-and-file Republican disgust with the party establishment when former state Sen. Jim Whitehead was defeated Tuesday as the anointed successor to the late Rep. Charles Norwood in a heavily Republican northeastern Georgia district that includes Athens and suburban Augusta.
Dr. Paul Broun, a little-known physician, outworked a complacent Whitehead to win the battle between two conservative Republicans.
Broun’s aggressive mail and telephone campaign attacked an overconfident Whitehead, who did not even respond.
Whitehead had led Broun, 44 percent to 21 percent, in the first round of balloting.
Although the seat will remain in Republican hands, Whitehead’s unexpected loss terrified those incumbent Republican House members who had thought themselves safe for re-election in 2008.
Novak doesn’t elaborate. My interpretation of this is that Republicans are not used to seeing the establishment candidate lose in (what was essentially) a primary. The spectacle seems to have rattled some incumbents.
I think it is hard to overstate just how much danger the Republican Party is facing in the 2008 elections. I wouldn’t, myself, have placed all that much significance on this particular run-off election. But I find it interesting to see that the Republicans do find it significant.
