CQ Politics Now Rates The 8th Congressional District as Likely Democratic

CQ Politics have changed its rating of the Georgia's 8th Congressional District from Lean Democratic to Likely Democratic after the GOP failed to recruit a top tier challenger to take on Conservative Democrat Jim Marshall (D-GA) of the 8th Congressional District.

Here's what they had to say:

With 2009 coming to a close and no big-name GOP recruit even on the radar, CQ Politics has changed its rating on the 8th District race, which had been rated Leans Democratic, to the less competitive category of Likely Democratic.

Several state legislators, including Cecil Staton and Allen Peake, were on Republican strategists’ radar earlier this cycle. More recently, state Sen. Ross Tolleson was considering the race. But after Tolleson announced his decision to pass up the contest in late November, Republicans were left searching for an experienced candidate to rally behind.

With four months to go before the state’s candidate filing deadline, it now appears the GOP primary will be a crowded affair full of lesser-known candidates. Bibb County businesswoman Angela Hicks is in the race and she has Tolleson’s support. Other GOP candidates include pastor Ken DeLoach, activist Valerie Meyers and former Bibb County Republican Party Chairman Paul Rish.

A record as one of the more conservative House Democrats, and a personal history as a Vietnam veteran in a district with a major military component, enabled him to survive a major Republican initiative to oust him in 2006. And a dominating victory by Marshall in 2008 appears to be hindering Republican efforts to attract a strong challenger for 2010, even though it is looking like a stronger GOP election cycle than the last one.

I've have said all along that as long as Jim Marshall is congressman of the 8th Congressional District, that seat will remain in Democratic Control. Marshall reflects the views of his district, which is largely conservative. He is a staunch supporter of Gun Rights, our Armed Forces, & Farmers. I don't know why republicans continue to challenge Marshall year after year & always come out on the losing end. Like CQ Politics said, their best shot of unseating Marshall was in 2006 when he faced Mac Collins.

As for other potential challengers like State Senator Ross Tolleson & Cecil Staton & State Rep Allen Peake, they all are nice guys, but what makes anyone think they would fare better against Marshall than a former sitting congressman (Mac Collins) & a retired USAF Veteran (Rick Goddard)? Just like Rick Goddard, Calder Clay & Mac Collins, they would go down in flames as well. And the current crop of republican challengers challenging Marshall, bless their little hearts because whoever emerges as the nominee will be only a sacrificial lamb for the GOP.

Marshall is a old-school conservative democrat who doesn't follow his party on every vote like his counterparts on the left & extreme right wingers on the left. Marshall in 2010!