The Clinton administration's sampling program probably diminishes the influence of whites and Republicans nationwide, but it would virtually ensure that Georgia gets 13 congressional seats, instead of 12. Ms. Meggers also says the Democrats' motor-voter program, aimed at facilitating voter registration among minorities, may, in fact, has resulted in registering more new white voters in Georgia. In any event, the census projections seem to be mostly good news for Republicans in that the largest anticipated increases are occurring for the most part in areas where the GOP is already gaining ground. The lowest percentages of population increases and the decreases are happening in urban and rural counties where the Democratic Party has had its roots in the past. Democrats have a decided advantage in that they can count on the black vote going about 90 percent for their candidates.
Republicans have no such advantage.
There is no loyal white bloc. Libertarians and other third-party movements are gaining strength. Their candidates cannot win, but they can influence the outcome of elections. Libertarian Jack Cashin in 1996 got just enough votes to keep Republican Guy Millner out of the Senate. If you examine all these factors, both parties will have a fairly even playing field for the 1998 election, though momentum is clearly on the side of the Republicans.