Isakson could have had his choice - be governor or serve another Senate term

Let’s talk Georgia politics, with a quick glance at two of the headline statewide races in 2010 – the governor’s race and the U.S. Senate race.

Newnan Times-Herald — Feb 18, 2009

With no incumbent, we can expect the governor’s race to be a donnybrook. Already, there are five Republicans jockeying for the GOP nomination. They are Casey Cagle, Karen Handel, John Oxendine, Ray McBerry and Austin Scott. Others could join the race. Among Democrats, David Poythress is running, and Roy Barnes and DuBose Porter are considering the race. Other Democrats who are mentioned as potential candidates include Sanford Bishop, Tim Golden and Michael Thurmond. The governor’s race will be crowded in both Republican and Democratic primaries.

The U.S. Senate race is a different story. On Tuesday, incumbent Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson announced he would seek reelection. Who among Democrats might face Isakson? Ask that question to most state political operatives, and you will get silence.

Emory University political science professor Merle Black told the Associated Press, “I think Isakson appears to be unbeatable at this point.”

He’s right. There’s not a Democrat in Georgia who could beat Isakson today. That’s unlikely to change between now and November 2010.

Isakson could have had his choice of the two offices – governor or senator. Until he quelled the talk last year, there was hopeful speculation Isakson would run for governor in 2010. He was seen as the candidate who could build bipartisan government under Georgia’s Gold Dome and end the bitter partisanship and inter-party bickering that have been a hallmark of Sonny Perdue’s two terms as governor.

But Isakson chose to stay in Washington for another term in the U.S. Senate. If you’re looking for a safe political bet, take Isakson in 2010. He will win.

And if President Obama is serious about building bipartisanship in Washington, he, too, might look to Isakson.