Advancing to the general election

Granted, should the Braves make the World Series, interest in baseball will vastly eclipse that in the Georgia governor’s race. There will be a much higher percentage of registered voters glued to their TVs for baseball than would even consider wandering out to vote.

But we may see just as much politics as baseball. The games last about three hours a night, the commercials 30 seconds to a minute for those whose remote controls are broken and must suffer through them. Alas, where there is just one ballgame a day, there is no limit to the number of times Roy Barnes or Karen Handel or Nathan Deal can run an ad, except the depth of their pocketbooks.

And while Deal and Handel have been squabbling like two really mean first graders, Old Roy’s been sitting back, raising tons of money, feigning sophistication and enjoying the show. But, I suspect, he’s tired of watching the mud-slinging from the outside and itching to join the fun with some Democratic dirt. I’ll bet Barnes has been building mud balls ever since he won the Democratic primary.

Right now a Barnes/GOP nominee fight appears to have potential for some amusement, except that we’re talking about governing Georgia during a really tough economic time and little of what is said in a campaign will prove relevant to that task. The entertainment value could also rapidly wane if the candidates abandon subtlety (as Handel and Deal did), leaving us with two months of really nauseating political theater that could chase even more voters away from the polls.

I was impressed with Barnes’ delivery when he spoke at the Democratic rally in Commerce. He’s comfortable behind the podium, can summon up colorful rhetoric and turn a clever phrase. I appreciate candidates who demonstrate humor, regardless of party affiliation.

I’ve seen less of Handel and Deal, but nothing to date impresses me about either, except their negativity. Still, while Barnes had the luxury of an easy primary that allowed him to stay above the fray, Handel and Deal had to scratch and claw to get into the primary, which led to vicious attacks. Maybe we’ll see the subtle side of the GOP in the run-up to the general election, but don’t bet the farm on that.

The campaign could be amusing. Still, watching the Braves win the World Series would be more satisfying.

Mark Beardsley is editor of The Commerce News. He lives in Commerce.