Jasper Votes for Edwards

Jasper Countians—those who expressed a preference—joined others largely in rural and small-city Georgia in giving North Carolina Sen. John Edwards a slight edge for the Democratic presidential nomination.

But Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry amassed larger majorities, notably in urban centers, to carry the state on his way to becoming the designated nominee.

Jasper voters, however, agreed with statewide preferences on the belabored issue of a state flag design, overwhelmingly choosing to keep the banner adopted after Gov. Sonny Perdue took office last year. The outcome is expected to essentially quash efforts to revive the one-time state banner dominated by the Confederate battle flag.

In the race for Democratic Party nominee Edwards eked out a 439-376 margin in Jasper. Al Sharpton and Dennis Kucinich, the only other candidates still in the race, received 46 and 11 votes, respectively. A total of 58 votes went to five candidates who already dropped out: Carol Moseley Braun, Wesley K. Clark, Howard Dean, Dick Gephardt and Joe Lieberman.
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Statewide Kerry tallied 283,661 votes to 251,669 for Edwards, a 47-42 percent spread, with 95 percent of precincts reporting early Wednesday. Mr. Sharpton finished a distant third with 37,969 or 6.3 percent. A CNN analysis showed that Kerry won handily in urban centers like Atlanta, Savannah and Columbus while Edwards led in comparatively rural areas.

On the flag question Jasper Countians favored the current design 924-284, or 76-24 percent, over the banner adopted in 2001. Statewide the margin was 565,065-199,254, or 74-26 percent.

The design featuring the Confederate battle flag was not an option, and the straw vote wasn’t likely to bring about a change. But the overwhelming approval of the current design is expected to dampen further efforts for change in the foreseeable future.

In Jasper, 293 voters chose the Republican ballot to vote for President George W. Bush, the only choice. The flag question also was on the Republican ballot, and the numbers show Republicans apparently almost unanimous in choosing the 2003 design.

The 924 ballots that Jasperites cast for that flag topped the 919 total of votes recorded in the Democratic primary. In all 1,270 Jasper residents voted—22.7 percent of the 5,604 registered. The turnout in balmy weather was considered remarkably good given the apparent lack of enthusiasm leading up to Election Day.

Probate Judge Kathy Tyler, elections superintendent, and her staff reported no significant problems with the balloting, the second time touch-screen machines have been used. Totals were tabulated quickly as outlying precinct workers brought their machines to the Courthouse for tabulation.

In a way Jasper was a bit of a microcosm of the state as Kerry edged Edwards, 185-149 in Monticello. Kerry led after Hillsboro and Shady Dale precincts were tallied, only to see Edwards move up as more rural areas were heard from.

Georgia was only one of nine states Kerry carried convincingly in the “Super Tuesday” voting. Of the 10 states voting he lost only in New Hampshire, which went for its governor, Howard Dean who was no longer campaigning. On Wednesday Sen. Edwards was to announce that he is quitting the race, leaving no serious contenders to the Kerry nomination.