Skeptics question Deal’s trumpeting of niche magazine’s business rankings

Gov. Nathan Deal has put a niche magazine’s glowing endorsement of Georgia’s business environment at the center of his campaign for re-election, frustrating critics who say he’s using the accolade to mask the state’s pressing economic problems.

Site Selection Magazine's embrace of Georgia as the nation's No. 1 place to do business is a key part of Deal's stump speech, an automatic applause line at GOP gatherings. Even his TV ads invoke the governor's vow to better Georgia's business environment — and cite the endorsement as proof he fulfilled that promise.

The magazine’s stamp of approval came at an opportune time for the governor, who is bracing for a GOP primary and a potential November matchup against Democrat Jason Carter. But it’s come under criticism from skeptics who question whether rankings from a magazine that has long had a business relationship with the state are meaningful.