How Tight Is Georgia's U. S. Senate Race?

I'm not as deeply involved in political campaigns as I once was. One of the exciting things about being a Republican right now is that the younger generation is becoming the dominant force in the GOP, because the 25 to 55 age group has gone conservative leaving the old liberals and the ethnic liberals for the Democrats.

Anyway ... because I'm not in the inner loop of politics as I once was, I don't have (or ask for) access to the sophisticated polling data and the tracking studies that candidates have nowadays. But by watching what candidates are doing, and what they are saying, you can get a pretty good idea of what the polls look like. For instance, I'm willing to bet you a dime to a doughnut that Max Cleland's polling data shows he is not just facing strong competition from Saxby Chambliss, but he is in trouble. Otherwise, why would he - this early in the election, even before the primary - strong-arm Zell Miller to come out with a flat-out endorsement of Max when Zell has been voting all the way with President Bush and Max has not? And why would the Sierra Club, generally considered a part of the liberal arm of the Democratic Party, be running pro-Max TV spots this early? And why is Roy Barnes running saturation television ads when he doesn't have opposition in the primary?

Polling at the national level shows America's voters are leaning more conservative since 9-11 and Max Cleland has a strong liberal voting record. Wouldn't it be fun to know what the Cleland political handlers are seeing in the polling data that is causing them to start shooting their big guns this early in the campaign.

This is Gordon Sawyer, and may the wind always be at your back.