As everyone is aware, two runoffs in Georgia will determine the balance of the Senate. The state is also an epicenter of extraordinary allegations regarding the implementation of election technology from Dominion, a consent agreement, and a complete circus following the election. As a Georgia resident, I would like to say it would be constructive if everyone could focus on the urgent issue: The January 5 runoff. It is by no means a sure thing.
I have been very supportive of my governor, Brian Kemp. I defended him against criticism when he reopened the state in late April and am very satisfied with his management through the COVID-19 crisis. Georgia maintained its AAA credit rating, our Rainy Day Fund is intact, and there are no expected cuts to the state budget. We sit at the top of list for doing business, and economic development is ongoing. Our unemployment rate as of the end of October is 4.6%. All without high death rates or requiring massive federal intervention.
Governor Kemp was also not the establishment GOP candidate in the primary. I voted for the current Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan in the initial primary and for Governor Kemp in the runoff. He was probably the most Trumpian candidate in the race with ads on immigration and the 2nd Amendment that made progressive heads explode.
He also spoke at President Trump’s 2020 rally in Macon. He was very much aligned with the Trump agenda, including highlighting how supportive the administration had been in the fight against human trafficking in the state. The idea that he is part of the anti-trump GOP is absurd on its face.
Extraordinary claims are being made against him by two people I also respect. Lin Wood has been a fantastic advocate, most notably for Nick Sandmann from Covington High. Wood took two powerhouse corporate media outlets, The Washington Post and CNN, to task for their erroneous reporting and won. It was a David-versus-Goliath move.
Sidney Powell is a courageous and highly skilled attorney. Everything she put out about the eventual outcome of the case against General Michael Flynn, or more accurately the complete lack of a case, came through as the government complied with their Brady obligations. She risked much to expose prosecutorial misconduct in her book License to Lie and has been a tireless advocate for prosecutorial reform.
However, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. At this point, there have only been allegations. If evidence materializes, that is the point at which it should be evaluated. As I sit here, I have a hard time believing that this election broke every norm in terms of predictors and math, but this year has broken many things. Businesses, families, education, elections, and other things we will only realize when we reflect on 2020 ten years from now.
Right now, all of our energy should be focused on winning the two Senate races in this state. I have met with an exceptional group of ladies determined to communicate the real-world effects of legislation the House has already passed that will become a reality if we lose. We will be focusing on suburban districts with targeted messaging we know will impact attitudes and votes where we live and work.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee is active but needs a new tagline. Save the Majority sounds like a power play. Make the emotional arguments related to the bills in waiting. There are many. Residents of this state would have objections to the real-world impact of the radical provisions in the Equality Act and the PRO Act as examples. Wonks like me understand what ending the filibuster, adding states, and packing the Court mean. Casual voters don’t. You have to tell them what will happen to their communities and families if those things happen.
The Georgia GOP is not united. It has parallel groups like the one I will be working with springing up all over the state. It seems aristocratic, sclerotic, and resistant to new allies. President’s Team began in 2016 when county GOP leadership in many areas of the state was perceived as anti-Trump. These types of organizations persist and are increasing. If you need further proof, we put the same candidate who lost GA-6 in 2018 on the ballot again to recapture the district in 2020. Let’s get some new blood in, please.
Anyone and I do mean anyone, who is encouraging people to withhold their votes in the pursuit of further election litigation or examination is not doing the right thing. Even Donald Trump Jr. is saying to ignore this call.
I’m seeing a lot of talk from people that are supposed to be on our side telling GOP voters not to go out & vote for @KLoeffler and @PerdueSenate.
That is NONSENSE.
IGNORE those people.
We need ALL of our people coming out to vote for Kelly & David.#MAGA #GASEN
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) November 23, 2020
The president will continue to litigate claims through his legal team. Neither Powell nor Wood is part of that team and may bring litigation in the state. However, Georgia residents need to focus on what the president and his team are asking us to do. Reelect Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue as our senators to ensure everything that has been accomplished in the last four years that can be saved legislatively will be. Think the Tax Cut and Jobs Act.
Then get out and vote and take three like-minded people with you.
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