Even though I only played a small part in the Georgia CD 6 special election (did two surveys there for a SuperPAC), the win by Karen Handel was supremely satisfying. Competitive special elections receive an inordinate amount of attention because they are the only game in town (yes, South Carolina CD 5 happened the same day, but the attention and money differential was huge, even if the outcome was similar). …
Democrats should take cold comfort in the fact that their candidate in the special elections performed better than the Democratic congressional candidates in 2016. Open seats are almost always closer races than incumbent races, so a tighter race in 2017 compared to last November doesn’t mean it is a moral victory. There is no such thing as a moral victory in politics.
However, what the Handel win should not lead to among Republicans is hubris that everything is going to be great in 2018. History argues strongly against that. CONT.
Glen Bolger, Public Opinion Strategies
