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Voters can take short break

By: Matt Wilson
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Barbara Berry

Roosevelt Williams no longer is swamped by political ads for Barack Obama and John McCain, but he still can’t get away from Saxby Chambliss and Jim Martin.

“I wish the Georgia Senate race would hurry up and end,” he said.

With Election Day more than a week behind them, campaign workers and voters are breathing a sigh of relief. But it’s a quick one as voters in Chattanooga and North Georgia gear up to go to the polls again.

Georgia voters will return to the polls first to vote in a Dec. 2 runoff election, which will include the race between U.S. Sen. Chambliss, R-Ga., and Democratic opponent Mr. Martin. A Public Service Commission race and several judicial races also will be on the ballot in Northwest Georgia.

Barbara Berry, Walker County’s election supervisor, said election officials in Georgia aren’t going to have any sort of break between the general and runoff elections.

“We’re pretty well just continuing right on with our daily work,” she said.

In Chattanooga, voters have a little longer before another election. Elections for city offices — mayor and City Council — are set for March 3.

Even so, area residents who have been inundated with presidential politics in a nearly two-year campaign are happy for even a little respite.

“I feel very relieved,” said Mr. Williams, who lives in Red Bank. “It was definitely overkill.”

Angie Davis, of Soddy-Daisy, said she couldn’t avoid the constant stream of national political news.

“Maybe it’ll get back to normal in every aspect, your TV, your radio,” she said.

Most Americans are glad the election is behind them, according to a recent Rasmussen Reports poll. In the poll of 1,000 likely voters, 88 percent said they were happy the election was over.

People deeply involved in this year’s presidential campaign said they were happy to be able to take a breather, too. Justin Wilkins, a delegate at the Democratic National Convention and East Tennessee volunteer coordinator for now President-elect Obama’s campaign, said he knew his work with the campaign would take more than a year.

So it’s a big relief to have some free time to spend at home, he said.

“My family is definitely extremely ecstatic,” Mr. Wilkins said.

Oscar Brock, who served as the East Tennessee regional campaign chairman for U.S. Sen. McCain, R-Ariz., had mixed feelings. He said he loved being able to participate in the democratic process, even though a campaign brings a lot of commitments.

Still, it was relaxing for it to be over, he said.

“It’s a nice moment to take a breath and hug your family and take a walk,” he said.

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