Overall, I was 14-2 in my predictions from yesterday. Not too bad. If only I applied such foresight to my NCAA tournament picks.

Here’s what I took away from the primary results:

• Never underestimate Paul Broun. We all laughed at his polls, but they turned out to be right. At least I picked him this time, but I never dreamed he would do as well as he did. He laid a world-class whupping on Barry Fleming. I should have known when I heard that Broun planned a big victory bash, while Fleming spent a quiet evening at home.

• It’s good to be the incumbent. Broun, John Barrow, John Lewis, Jim Marshall, even David Scott, one of the most ethically-challenged members of Congress, all easily survived primary challenges.

Good morning, all.

Paul Broun didn’t just win last night, but he trounced an opponent who had more money, full party backing and called the largest metro area in the district home. Sound familiar?

We broke down Broun’s 70-30 win this morning. You’ll find Broun took 85 percent of GOP voters in Clarke County, 78 percent in Oconee and boasted 3- and 4-to-1 margins across the rural portions of the district. The closest Barry Fleming came to a county victory was in Richmond County, where he won 48 percent. Columbia County, where twice as many voters cast ballots as any other county in the district, went for Broun 58 percent to 42 percent. Amazing stuff.

In November, Broun will face Democrat Bobby Saxon, a businessman and Army veteran from Nicholson. No question, Saxon will lose by a similar margin. Perhaps even more (if that’s possible) as Saxson continues the proud tradition of Democratic sacrificial lambs in the 10th.

Like any number of other newspapers, the Banner-Herald routinely uses some of the space on its Election Day editorial pages to urge folks to get out and vote. Beyond that, we'll sometimes use the editorial page to remind people of upcoming deadlines for registering to vote to be eligible to cast a ballot in the next election.

We didn't do any of that for today's primary election, and we may well think twice aobut doing it ever again. Here's why: If we're sending people to the polls who only know it's an election day, or that it's time to register to vote, because they happen to read something in the newspaper, are we really performing any kind of public service?

My impression is that we may, in fact, be doing a public disservice, in likely sending people to the polls who are, by no stretch of the imagination, prepared to cast an informed ballot.

and, sometimes, they're just plain wrong on the facts. In many -- if not most -- cases, it's not because the writers are engaging in deliberate obfuscation, but because they're simply not in command of facts that, in truth, only the most deeply wonky among us -- editorial page editors with long experience in covering governmental entities most emphatically included -- have at our fingertips.

Not only is Barry Fleming a liar and a closet Democrat, he’s not even a Christian.

At least, that’s what Paul Broun said today during a Georgia Public Broadcasting interview.

“It’s unfortunate that he doesn’t understand redemption and salvation and a changed life in accepting Jesus as lord and savior,” Broun said on WACG 90.7 FM in Augusta. “It’s not about religion but about a relationship with Jesus.”

“Paul is wrong on that,” Fleming replied in an interview scheduled to air Friday. “My Christian faith is the center of my life and I’ve tried not only to witness to other people in my life but I’ve tried to live a life as an example for others, and I’ll continue to do that.”

Paul Broun’s plan for Flag Day: drive to South Carolina, buy out a fireworks store and shoot his arsenal straight at SCOTUS.

“One of the major reasons that the colonies grew so tired of the King of England was they realized that their rights were not being respected and the king could do anything he pleased,” Broun wrote Monday in his weekly legislative update.

“Part of the genius of the Constitution is that the government can only be changed by the people, not a despotic ruler,” he said.

“Any individual that uses his or her power to subvert the original intent of the Constitution or its amendments in any way betrays the amendment process, betrays the American people, and becomes tyrannical.

And this is one.

Fleming's Franklin County chairman resigned from the campaign today, citing Fleming's negative campaigning against Rep. Paul Broun. Bust out your Bible and read this:

Barry, Brian and Campaign Staff,

I told you when we first met that I would be happy to work for the Fleming campaign in Franklin County, GA as the individual assigned to do so by the leadership of the Franklin County Republicans. I also told you that you would have all my support and efforts provided that you did not go negative by bringing up the past against Paul Broun. It appears now that you have done so. Therefore I resign as the Franklin County Chairman for the Fleming for Congress campaign.

Paul Broun’s re-election campaign released another internal poll Monday touting the congressman’s huge lead.

Broun leads Republican primary opponent Barry Fleming 80-15, has an 81 percent approval rating and 97 percent name recognition, compared to Fleming’s 58 percent. The poll of 300 district residents was conducted by the Tarrance Group and has 5.8 percent margin of error.

The poll’s accompanying memo also says that Fleming’s negative campaign tactics – otherwise known as questioning Broun’s voting record – have backfired.

I still don’t believe these numbers, but there they are.

Barry Fleming implies that Paul Broun is in favor of child molestation. Broun responds by calling Fleming something even worse – a Democrat.

Broun issued a response today to Fleming’s TV ad portraying Broun as soft on child molesters. In it, Broun points out that Fleming has worked for two Democratic congressmen, and says his primary challenge is playing into the hands of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (who’s replaced Hillary Clinton as Republicans’ ur-bitch) by diverting funds from other tight races.

U.S. Rep. Paul Broun hates children.

At least, that’s the case GOP challenger Barry Fleming makes in his latest ad, available on YouTube and airing district-wide beginning this morning.

Fleming chastises Broun for voting against H.R. 2517, a bill authorizing funding for missing children; H.R. 3845, which creates a task force to address online child pornography; and H.R. 3791, which requires Internet service providers to report users who upload child pornography. Text, voting records, debate transcripts and summaries are available here if anyone’s interested.

In all three cases, Broun was one of only two or three congressmen to vote against the bills. In the case of H.R. 3791, the SAFE Act, Broun has said he believes it is unconstitutional.