Georgia runoff election December 2

Remember that voting thing we did last month? Well, it's time to try it again, thanks to Georgia's antiquated election laws that require candidates to receive not just a plurality, but a majority of votes cast. In this case, however, I'm grateful for the chance to take another shot at a couple of offices. Here are the major races in Georgia for the December 2 runoff election, with my endorsements in bold and brief comments:

U.S. Senate: Jim Martin v. Saxby Chambliss

Sure, it would be nice to have a 60-seat majority in the Senate, but does anyone actually think that the Senate Democrats could impose perfect party discipline on themselves? And remember, that 60-seat majority includes the two Independent Senators, including our old friend Joe Lieberman. Nevertheless, Saxby is an embarrassment and a doofus, and needs to be replaced (although he's not as much of a doofus as our former Senator Zell Miller, as SNL helped remind us recently).

Georgia Court of Appeals: Sara Doyle v. Mike Sheffield

Although Doyle wasn't my first choice in the initial election, she's clearly the better candidate in this runoff. Here's all you need to know - this is a race for a very important and influential judgeship in the state, and Sheffield is a darling of the Georgia Christian Alliance. He has already gone on record as opposing Roe v. Wade and Lawrence v. Texas (the latter being the case in which the Supreme Court struck down laws that criminalized consensual homosexual sodomy as violating an individual's right to privacy). Electing Sheffield to the Court would tilt it significantly to the right.

Public Service Commissioner: Jim Powell v. Lauren ("Bubba") McDonald

McDonald is an old hack of a state pol who is in the tank for just about every industry you can think of that he regulates from his perch on the PSC. Oh, and for good measure, he also filled out the Georgia Christian Alliance's questionnaire; it's ever so helpful to know that someone who is running to regulate state utilities is opposed to abortion and gay rights (and when did favoring coal-fired plants and opposing carbon taxes become a "Christian" position??).

Now, go vote!! Runoffs have historically seen much lower turnout than general elections, so your vote is even more important this time around.