GOP convention at a glance
The 31 delegates and 31 alternates to the national convention in Cleveland will be chosen Saturday.
Gov. Nathan Deal, who will not be attending, faces a possible rebuke from activists infuriated by his vetoes of the “religious liberty” and “campus carry” bills.
Sen. Johnny Isakson used his speech as a plea for unity, calling for support of the party’s ticket.
Coming Sunday: More coverage of the second day of the state GOP convention
Hillary Clinton may be invoked more this weekend at the Georgia Republican Convention than Donald Trump.
As the two-day convention kicked off Friday in Augusta, one speaker after another took aim at the Democratic front-runner while casting the prospective Republican nominee as the last bulwark against economic ruin.
Party chair John Padgett said November’s contest is the “most important election of our lifetime” - a common theme for both parties every four years - and that a Clinton victory means “the country is sunk.” Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler warned that a Democratic White House would lead to more government hand-outs.
“This type of attitude we’re seeing on the left is making our nation crumble,” Butler said. “This type of attitude is having the most devastating effect on our nation and our young people.”
Still, it was a soft opening for the grass-roots gathering of thousands of Republican activists. Most bypassed Friday’s events, leaving the cavernous Augusta Convention Center largely empty.
And the biggest decisions are up for debate Saturday, including the selection of 31 delegates and 31 alternates to the national GOP convention in Cleveland. Trump’s allies were outmaneuvered in the fight for delegates earlier this year, but the state’s Republican faithful has rallied behind him since he locked up the nomination in May.
Gov. Nathan Deal, meanwhile, faces a possible rebuke from activists infuriated by his vetoes of the “religious liberty” legislation that would have broadened legal protections for same-sex marriage opponents and the “campus carry” measure that would have legalized firearms on public college campuses.
Deal won’t be on hand to witness the blowback or address the crowd. He cited a scheduling conflict – a salute to elite high school students – to bypass the event for the first time since he was elected governor.
“I think the vetoes would prove to be fairly unpopular here at this convention,” Padgett told WGAU radio in Athens ahead of the event. “You know, the Republicans in the state –the million or so who vote Republican every election cycle – are probably not as conservative as the couple of thousand that come to the Republican convention.”
As party activists prepared for a big day Saturday, rumors flew about coup attempts to oust party leaders and a last-minute push for delegates by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s followers. Trump supporters sold “Make America Great Again” hats outside the convention hall and activists hawked books and distributed pamphlets about pet issues. Once and future candidates shook hands.
Amid the frenzy, Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson used his convention speech to make a plea for party unity.
“We need a renaissance, we need an awakening. We need a new day in America. We need a Ronald Reagan morning in America,” Isakson said. “And that’s only going to happen if one thing happens: if we lock arms together, you and I united, and support our party and support our ticket.”
He added, “Together we can do anything. Divided we lose. It’s happened the last two presidential elections, and we can’t afford it to let it happen again.”
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