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November 5, 2008

Obama's win doesn't remove partisan divide

By Mark Millican

markmillican@daltoncitizen.com



Not surprisingly, many area responses Wednesday to Sen. Barack Obama’s win over Sen. John McCain in the presidential race fell among party lines.

“I hate it turned out this way,” said Raymond Butler, a McCain supporter who has worked with the Republican Party in Murray County for many years. “If the election had gone like Murray County and Georgia it’d be OK. But I think the economy was a big factor.”

“All I can tell you is that the right man got the job,” said Christy McEntire, who works in Dalton and lives in Chatsworth. “Why? Because it’s time for the economy to pick up. With the (Republicans) in office, all I’ve ever seen was being broke all the time. I’m Democrat whole heart.”

Retired Daily Citizen newsman Lloyd Gulledge said he voted by advance ballot six weeks ago but “voted wrong.”

“I didn’t trust Barack at first and voted for McCain, but now because of the economy I think him being elected will be a good change,” Gulledge said. “I think people voted for change, any kind of change.”

John Anthony and Hebe Wall were found Wednesday breaking down the Whitfield/Murray Democratic headquarters on Airport Road in Dalton.

“It’s a great new day for America and the world,” said Wall. “A lot of people in this town are upset with me for supporting Obama, and one Catholic person said, ‘Your Catholic friends will be upset because he believes in partial birth abortion.’ But I think that’s a decision between a woman and her doctor. Obama is a man of character and good judgment, and is the best possible man for the job. McCain is hot-tempered, but Obama is a peacemaker, not a warmaker.”

Anthony learned from a cell phone call just after lunch more good news for the Democrats — U.S. Senate candidate Jim Martin had apparently pulled into a runoff with Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss, to be decided Dec. 2.

“Of course, we’re pretty excited about the national election,” Anthony said. “But I told someone two weeks ago (Obama) would win over 330 electoral votes (270 are necessary to win), and he did that (with 349). In 2004, (John) Kerry only got 25 percent in Whitfield County, and Obama got just under 30 percent. I believe he would have gotten more votes here if so much hadn’t been made of his middle name through e-mails and such, but we moved the needle a little bit. Hopefully, we’ll turn Georgia blue one day.

“Locally, we’re again encouraging people to get out and vote (in the runoff) for Martin. The ground game in Georgia for Obama was all volunteers, so he’ll probably move even more of his free persons here to help with the runoff.”

Anthony said the Democratic Party in Whitfield will work the phones from home at this point and not from a headquarters building.

Chatsworth businessman Dan Sluder was “sadly disappointed” in the presidential outcome.

“I feel like McCain would have kept the nation on a more moral path,” he said. “I know he was not for abortion, and I felt he would have finished the job in Iraq. I liked Sarah Palin, too, and her morals and attitude. I think she would have been a tremendous asset to our country. I know a lot of people voted, but I wish even more had gotten out and voted. I think some were discouraged over the last administration. But I wish the president-elect the very best. The situation won’t be easy for him to figure out.”

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