Republican Karen Handel wins Georgia House special election, CNN projects

[Doug the Dem]

Source: CNN

Atlanta (CNN) Republican Karen Handel has won Georgia's high-stakes special election, CNN projects, the most expensive US House race on record.

A little after 9:45 p.m. ET, Handel led Democrat Jon Ossoff by 5.7 percentage points, with 136 out of 208 precincts counted and 190,000 votes reported.

At a Hyatt Regency in northern Atlanta, more than 100 Handel supporters packed into the hotel's ballroom. The crowd was buzzing after Handel's 8 p.m. appearance onstage to pump up her supporters about early vote numbers -- she was ahead of the GOP's forecast.

Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/2017/06/20/politics/georgia-house-results-ossoff-handel/index.html

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Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. And, if I might reiterate, fuck.

[Chicago1980]

1. Ugh.....

So disappointing. And we're never going to hear the end of it.

[Dawson Leery]

2. The Republican Party is a menace to the free world.

[Fluke a Snooker]

7. It is time to really consider making it illegal to exist.

I don't care about being fair. They are destroying the country and the planet, worse crimes than even Hitler could have done in Germany. YES, it's THAT BAD.

[SylviaD]

69. I agree. Something needs to be done. These people will continue to vote against their interests...

...because they are too brainwashed to do anything else.

Trump needs to be impeached NOW and the Repugs will NEVER do the right thing

[Wabbajack_]

76. What do you mean consider?

You/I/The Democratic Party (even if they had Congress, which they don't) lack the means to make the Republican Party illegal.

[GreydeeThos]

79. There is a place for you on the internet

http://www.criminalizeconservatism.com/

https://www.facebook.com/CriminalizeConservatism/

[GoCubsGo]

3. It is beyond me why anyone in their right mind thinks that vile woman is fit for office.

I wouldn't trust that kook to clean my cat's litter box, let alone represent me in Congress.

[Midnight Writer]

67. They are the same folks who voted for Tom Price, Newt Gingrich, and Donald Trump.

I am disappointed, but not surprised.

[Hortensis]

83. She's not a kook, though. She's what the dominant Pubs want.

They're mostly anti-abortion, she's anti-abortion. They're mostly older, she's older. They're southern WASP, she's southern WASP. They're very heavily conservative and Republican, she's conservative and Republican.

They like Paul Ryan, and Paul Ryan and the Kochs reassuringly brought in the money to elect her. A majority (only) don't like Rump, but she's not Rump -- and they know that.

They like that, very unlike 30-year-old Ossof, she's politically experienced. Some no doubt at least theoretically disapprove of some aspects of her record (voter suppression!), but at least it's being done by one of their own.

She couldn't come clean our litter box, either, but that's just because we don't like or trust her.

[Fluke a Snooker]

4. GOD DARN IT!!!!

[Ilsa]

5. So is msnbc and local stations. nt

[Ilsa]

6. The 40,000 missing registrations

would have largely gone to Ossoff. Rs cheat.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

42. As usual... sigh.

[not fooled]

61. Another stolen election

The pukes were NEVER going to let Ossoff win.

Handel is a disgrace and the people who voter for her are morons.

This country is f*cked, big time. The oligarchs' decades-long propaganda campaign has succeeded in brainwashing enough 'Muricans to vote puke that they have a lock on power in this country for the foreseeable future. I believe it will take a major catastrophe--on the order of another World War or Republican Great Depression--to wake people from their stupor.

[Bear Creek]

8. So close

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=1thcO_olHas
https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=1thcO_olHas
It is always going to be so close. Maybe if you tried just a little bit harder. When is enough going to be enough?

[elmac]

57. I think HRC did better in the GE percentage wise so not getting any better in tRump land

[bluestarone]

9. heartbreaking that

there is that many fucking idiots out there sign of the times?

[CurtEastPoint]

10. Karen's going to put her high school diploma to work!! She's a fucking idiot.

Says she has 'tentacles in the community.'

[virgogal]

64. What's wrong with a high school diploma?

[Ilsa]

81. What's wrong with a MS in Economics from

University of London and a BS from Georgetown?

[7962]

84. Nothings wrong with either.

[Ilsa]

87. But one shows more qualifications for

Leadership in economics, well-developed critical thinking, not just doing what the Speaker tells you to do. I think that is what the poster is trying to convey. Handel is a political hack, that's all.

[virgogal]

93. Yep,she's a political hack like Harry Truman.

He just had a high school diploma.

[Ilsa]

95. Truman was born in 1884, Handel in 1962. Apples and oranges.

But go ahead and defend her and her voter suppression work as GA Sec of State and ending Komen funding for pap smears and breast exams at PP here.

Jon Ossoff is more prepared to be the GA-06 Rep than Handel.

On edit: even though he didn't get the degree, Truman did have higher education, including in business and law.

[virgogal]

96. John Adams was born in 1735-----waaaay before Truman.

I'm not defending her,I don't even like her,but a smarmy remark was made about the fact that she had a high school education.

I'm defending high school grads,not her.

[BeyondGeography]

11. She's all yours, GA-6

Oy.

[Lonestarblue]

12. What will it take?

I'm seriously disheartened. Republicans in Congress have made it clear that they want to take away healthcare for millions of people, cut Medicaid, reverse civil rights gains, eventually do away with Social Security and Medicare, and cut taxes for the 1%. They are well on their way, and voters just do not seem to care. Do these voters actually support these actions? I cannot fathom why they would. Are we to go back to an existence where only the rich and some white people have rights?

[MarcA]

51. Most R voters - I got mine, you get yours.

Dog eat dog. Law of the jungle. Winners deserve to win, losers deserve to lose.
Finders keepers, losers weepers. Regardless of why they are that way, they are
lacking in empathy and humane values. Some of them will tell you its because that's just
the way life is. Throw in assorted narcissists, con artists, we-will-get-pie-in-the-sky-
by-and-by types and nihilists and there you have it.

[SylviaD]

72. Don't forget legions of true-believer conservative ideologues who listen to Rush and Alex J nt

[Ilsa]

89. We will need help exposing the gerrymandering,

fraud in election (voter registration) rigging, and other dirty tricks. May need infiltration. Serious infiltration, for several years, to gain higher level access to decisions and proof of treasonous criminality.

[zentrum]

13. Fuck.

[deurbano]

14. I think Clinton underestimated the number of deplorables.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

44. Yes, sad but true... I don't recognize this country anymore.

[Orrex]

15. This is a preview of how 2018 will go

With each passing day I am more and more confident that they have already stolen the 2018 election.

[leftofcool]

17. Yep

[Old Vet]

27. I fear you may be right Orrex

[Still In Wisconsin]

29. This is how 2018, and 2020, and 2022 will go.

It's over. We're done.

[harun]

94. 100% correct. Until the DNC is cleaned out and people are fired this will continue.

[iluvtennis]

16. There was only a 10,000 something vote between Handel and Ossoff. He is expected to run in 2018...

...against her. We just need to find a way to close that 10,000 vote gap.

Can't believe the rethugs voted for someone who wants to take away their health care coverage, doesn't support LGBT community, etc.

[NurseJackie]

34. I say we let him run his own campaign. He knows the area and constituents pretty well.

[Bear Creek]

18. Negative ads

The GOP looks at this as war and they do not care how. The democrats are going to have to learn how to fight this. The ad with Obama voice edited and out of context. The democrats need a group that is not afraid to hurt feelings. Twitter overload is needed. Drown out the gop message. Negative press coverage is as good as positive.
This needs to be said again if they are in charge of the election it will always be so close. The electronic machines can be manipulated.

[spiderpig]

26. Kind of following this from 2500 miles away.

How much hay were the Pubs able to make out of Ossoff not living in the district?

[customerserviceguy]

53. Enough

He could have moved a few miles away and still supported his fiance (not even a spouse!) and given them one less talking point.

[spiderpig]

60. Exactly what I thought.

If I were his med student fiance and committed to the greater good, I might have said, "hell, I can Uber to school. Let's not hand them a grenade."

[iluvtennis]

36. I totally agree with you!

[AngryAmish]

19. Russian. Fucking g. Hacking.

[Rollo]

63. Yup...

[GoCubsGo]

90. More likely republican fucking rigging.

They control the Secretary of State's office, and therefore, those paperless voting machines they use. Also the voter rolls and the availability of polling places. I'm sure this is not the first election they rigged. And, it was almost certainly some right-wing American group, such as a Koch Brothers-funded thing, that ran those last-minute dirty smear commercials, that I have little doubt changed a number of minds.

[Kablooie]

20. Accept it. Americans want to give billionaires tax breaks more than a decent life for loved ones.

Until people put the care and comfort of themselves and their loved ones above tax breaks for the 1% nothing will change.

No indication priorities will change anytime soon though.

[iluvtennis]

37. The sad thing is those voting aren't in that top 1% that get the tax break. Makes no sense

[elmac]

58. yep, that pretty much sums it up. nt

[Betty]

21. So they're good with no livable wage?

What the fuck is wrong with these people?

[elmac]

59. They still believe in reagans trickle on economy AKA

golden shower economy.

[Alt-Orange]

22. I had no hope in the first place

Mainly because in the end the Traitor Party voting base just doesn't give a shit. They will always vote for the fake-Christians: The ones who hate the evil gays, the evil black people, the sub-human immigrants and the fetus lovers. I don't even feel sorry for them anymore knowing that a lot of them are on public assistance and then turn around and bitch cause said services are being cut.

You vote for it, you deserve it.

[iluvtennis]

39. Ding, ding, ding,ding - you got that right

[forgotmylogin]

23. I hope she doesn't choke on a lobster canape.

(I'm informed by our president that the "I hope" construction absolves responsibility for anything you say.)

[SCVDem]

24. Exactly my thoughts

Fuck!

[DeminPennswoods]

25. These districts are designed to elect Republicans

There's no 2 ways about it. These are "country club" Republicans and Handel just did not scare them enough to not vote for her.

If you want to do something to change these outcomes, the answer is to get involved in your state to end partisan redistricting.

I'm in Pennsylvania and it's hard to make changes to anything here, let alone the state constitution. Yet we have two bi-partisan companion bills in the state house and senate to end partisan redistricting and establish an independent commission when needed to redraw districts after each Census. The house bill has nearly half the membership as co-sponsors and the senate bill has over 1/4 of members as co-sponsors. Every day more people are getting involved talking to fellow citizens about the need for fairly drawn districts, writing letters to the editor and contacting their reps/sens about supporting the current legislation. It's working!

You can do the same wherever you are, too.

[iluvtennis]

41. Yes, indeed via gerrymandering and voter suppression. We got to overturn the gerrymandering

[DeminPennswoods]

46. Ending partisan gerrymandering is the key

nt

[Voltaire2]

80. Sort of hard to do when you're gerrymandered out

of power.

[DeminPennswoods]

85. My state (PA) is doing something about it

and Pennsylvania is one of the most blantantly GOP re-districted in the country. I live in a district where my Dem vote really doesn't matter at all, but I got involved anyway.

Check out fairdistrictspa.com. It's got a lot of great info that can help you get started in your state. There are 253 total state legislators and 107 (D and R) of them are already on board with bills to change the way the state draws/redraws districts.

[TomCADem]

28. Racism,Homophobia,Tax Breaks to the Rich are the New Populism!

As is belief in science and climate change and access to healthcare. Or, are we going to pretend that people do not know what the Republican party and Donald Trump stands for?

[elmac]

62. The churches are probably telling them they will go to hell

if they vote fore those baby killing Dems

[Retrograde]

30. Any word on turnout?

What percentage of registered voters cast ballots in this election?

[Yo_Mama]

49. Massive - record-breaking, I think. Over 240,000 counted.

In the first round, vote total was 192,000 and a bit. In non-presidential elections, this district usually totals in the vicinity of 200,000 votes & definitely less than 210,000, so it is a high turnout. But vote totals are over 300,000 in presidential election years

I think turnout was spiked both by money and by the recent episodes of anti-Republican violence/intimidation. Handel (& neighborhood) got white powder threatening letters and then there was the DC shooting targeting GOP legislators.

That didn't help. But given the total numbers, there must have been a very good Dem turnout.

Still, there was a Republican shift from the 2016 result, which was Trump 48, Clinton 47. This, in contrast, is a 5 point victory margin. So all in all, not really a good night for Dems and not nearly what was expected, given the 2016 presidential result. However Price won the seat in 2016 61%/38%, so. Special elections get lower turnout.

I think it was unrealistic to think it would roll Dem.

[Still In Wisconsin]

31. It's exactly like a carnival game that can't be won!

Ohhhh so close! You *almost* rang that bell! You *almost* knocked over that bottle. You *almost* got the ball through the (not quite big enough) hoop. But, in the end, you lose. TRUMP wins. TRUMP will always win because the game is rigged we are owned.

[moonscape]

74. Nailed it! n/t

[mountain grammy]

32. Can't even think about it.. too depressing.

another deplorable congress person.

[NurseJackie]

33. Well, that's a shame. We could have had this.

[herding cats]

35. Ah, fuck. I'm so tired of this shit.

I need a break from politics.

[kimbutgar]

38. No shock

Those unauditable ,hackable voting machines can deliver the desired result for the rethugs. Greg Plaspt reported this, I am not shocked at the result.

The people of Georgia have lost their democracy.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

40. Fuck is right!

[Skid Rogue]

43. Maybe our political litmus test for the mid-terms...

shouldn't be taken on an election in the deep south. (I'm in B'ham, AL)

Just saying, this is not a good proving-ground.

[pstokely]

66. aren't there a lot of yankee transplants in GA 6?

like in Florida?

[OliverQ]

45. I don't get it

I realize this is a Republican stronghold, but I just can't comprehend why Republicans keep winning as they're destroying people's lives and this country.

This was supposed to be an educated district that doesn't like Trump or the Republican healthcare, yet they still elect a vile, evil woman who opposes a living wage, opposes civil rights, supports destroying everyone's healthcare, and is endorsed by Trump.

This country is not going to survive the Republican coup.

[Yo_Mama]

52. This district voted marginally (1%) for Trump in 2016, and 61%/38% for Price

in 2016.

I think expectations were built too high for this election. All the extra money could do was to build turnout, which would make the district voting totals closer to a presidential year.

[DeminPennswoods]

47. Cobb County put her over the top

Looking at DeKalb and Fulton, Ossoff's margin in DeKalb was a bit greater than her margin in Fulton. The difference was the conservatives in Cobb County.

[3catwoman3]

48. "Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. And, if I might reiterate, fuck."

You may. You speak for me.

[IronLionZion]

50. Ossoff did extremely well for a Republican district in a red state

It wasn't supposed to be this competitive

Let the other side get complacent. I hope our side is fighting legal challenges against any voter suppression laws in these areas and Mueller gets some stuff on the Russian connection that blows everything wide open.

Hope, it's all we have at this point.

[Still In Wisconsin]

55. Yeah, and the Milwaukee Bucks played much better than anyone expected this season...

Guess what? They lost in the first round of the playoffs, and Golden State gets the trophy.

Ossoff won the first round. Karen Handel goes to Congress.

A close loss is... a loss.

[IronLionZion]

88. That's the spirit!

[florida08]

54. Why are republican voters

so damn stupid? Feels like the pit of hell has open. Fascism if coming. Seems inevitable.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/this-is-how-fascism-comes-to-america/2016/05/17/c4e32c58-1c47-11e6-8c7b-6931e66333e7_story.html?utm_term=.9bd5bca23d7c

[SylviaD]

71. Brainwashed fools completely duped by Trump and his con-men lackeys.

They vote how they are told to vote.

[videohead5]

56. No One

Could have won that district.I hear some Dems saying Republican light did not win.well no Dem can win that district now but maybe in the future.it's Gerrymandered.

[Calista241]

65. So I live here in the 6th.

This is exactly the type of district we need to win if we want to take back the House. It's highly educated, Trump barely, barely won here, a shitload of women voted, and a shitload of poc voted.

I'm really disheartened about the direction of our country. If we can't win a district like this one, we really need to look at our strategy.

[Juliusseizure]

92. Trump was an aberration

The 6th consistently votes solid red in every other election, presidential and congressional, going back at least 40 years. Romney and McCain beat Obama by 20-25 pt. margins.

Newt Gingrich is from the 6th. They voted the Sean Hannity of the Republican party 10 years in a row by wide margins. Nevermind 82 ethical charges and the first Speaker to be reprimanded.

That it's highly educated a probably accounts for Trump's low margin, but he STILL won.

Of course you live there and would recognize shifts I'm unaware of. I'm just pointing out voting patterns.

[sakabatou]

68. Goddamit

[Norbert]

70. She joins a Montana asshole that hits reporters

a Tennessee anti-abortion congressman that gave money to his wife and mistress to have an abortion and a spineless speaker of the house. Perfect.

Germany has seen the light
Belgium has seen the light
Canada has seen the light
France has seen the light
The UK is beginning to see the light
The US? They are a bigger clusterfuck than ever

[Rollo]

73. Yet another of those rigged elections Trump promised...

[OliverQ]

75. Ugh, Kellyanne Conjob posted a horrible tweet

"Laughing my #Ossoff"

She's such evil white trash.

[BlueStater]

78. Such disgusting people.

Just a bunch of overgrown schoolyard bullies who never grew the fuck up.

[Juliusseizure]

77. I think a case of unrealistic expectations

Last edited Wed Jun 21, 2017, 09:25 AM - Edit history (1)

This is solid Republican district with the incumbent Price regularly winning by 20-25 point margins for 12 years.

Newt Gingrich represented this district for 20 years.

They've voted for every Republican president in the past 20 years by large margins except Trump. Both McCain and Romney beat Obama by 25 point margins.

That Ossoff, a 30 year old unknown newcomer to politics, was only bested by 5% points by a veteran Republican politician in that district would be remarkable in any other year, and should be now as well.

If the shoe were on the other foot, if hypothetically the president were a democrat I personally detested, its still very highly unlikely I'd vote Republican on the local level. Even less so if that president was a Republican most of his adult life, and became a Democrat to serve his purposes. Political Party is part of one's identity, and there would have to be unique circumstances for me to vote Republican.

I understand the disappointment from a bigger perspective - how could you vote Republican in the first place?

But just like narcissists, Republicans exist on a spectrum ideologically. I happen to be with Bernie Sanders on this one - I think you go to swing states like Michigan, etc, to those areas in economic decline without preconceived notions, listen to them, and point out what you're offering is better than what the other side is offerring - because it just is. And if you're sincere, you may even persuade some.

[Red Knight]

82. So either polls mean nothing anymore

Or it's rigged.

He lost by five points when he was up by 7 points recently or at worst tied?

That's a five to 12 point swing from the actual result.

The "so-called" margin of error is usually 3 or 4 percent?

I'm not saying it WAS rigged. But at best the polls are pretty much worthless these days.

[MosheFeingold]

91. There's poll inertia

The models and sampling protocols haven't caught up with technology (e.g., Caller ID and, most importantly cells phones).

For example, my cell phone is my only phone and is area code is 212 (the original Manhattan area code, a rarity for cell phones). But I now live and vote in rural New Mexico.

There is also a social factor at work: it's politically incorrect to admit to being a Republican (for good reason), so people lie about it. No one wants to admit to being a racist troglodyte.

I'd add a solid 4-5% to Republicans to any poll in a non-coastal state and 3-4% nationally.

Rasmussen leans hard to Republicans, but, to their credit, have captured this phenomena better than most polling outfits.

[Vinca]

86. Proof positive you can't fix stupid.