Today’s highlights include:
- Takeaways from Vice President Kamala Harris’ first sit-down interview.
- Young Democrats of Georgia gather in Atlanta.
- Why Georgia’s presidential ballot will list lots of candidates.
Former President Donald Trump left some Georgia Republicans confused and irritated when he told NBC News he doesn’t support a six-week abortion ban in Florida.
Trump said the Florida law was “too short — it has to be more weeks. I told them I want more weeks.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law last year that bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. A measure on the Florida ballot this fall seeks to overturn that law.
Trump’s campaign quickly tried to walk back his statement, saying it wasn’t meant to signal he supports overturning the law.
Credit: Steve Schaefer/AJC
Credit: Steve Schaefer/AJC
“This is completely and utterly grotesque and indefensible,” was the reaction from Cole Muzio, who heads the conservative Frontline Policy Council, a prominent Georgia anti-abortion group.
And Erick Erickson, the popular Georgia conservative commentator, lamented how Trump “further divided the GOP” on a day when the GOP wanted to focus on attacking Harris.
“If Donald Trump loses, today is the day he lost,” Erickson said.
Meanwhile, in Savannah, the Democratic presidential nominee — Vice President Kamala Harris — renewed promises to overturn Georgia’s abortion restrictions.
***
TWO ON ONE. Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz met with CNN’s Dana Bash in Savannah for their first sit-down interview, which was broadcast last night. Here are five takeaways from the session with the two Democrats:
1. “My values haven’t changed.”
Harris made a distinction between her policy positions, some which have changed significantly, and her values, which she says have remained constant. It was a deft way to answer questions about flip-flopping over fracking and other issues. Former President Donald Trump’s campaign said the phrase means Harris is “still a Radical Left lunatic.”
2. “People know me.”
CNN’s Dana Bash told Walz that “America is just getting to know you.” But Walz seems to think the country already knows him. Walz appeared uncomfortable when answering questions about his past misstatements about his military record and his wife’s fertility treatments, saying “my grammar is not always correct.” In the end, he said “people know me, they know where my heart is.”
3. “Not at all.”
One lingering question about Harris is how much she knew about President Joe Biden’s physical fitness before his disastrous debate performance in Atlanta. Bash didn’t question Harris much on this topic, other than to ask if she had any regrets of what she told the American people about Biden’s capacity. “Not at all,” Harris said, going on to say: “he has the intelligence, the commitment and the judgment and disposition I think the American people rightly deserve in their president.”
4. “I’m here in Georgia”
This was the lone reference to Georgia throughout the hourlong broadcast. Harris said someone told her that she has been to Georgia “17 times since I’ve been vice president.” Harris brought this up unprompted, which shows how important the state is to her campaign.
5. “Yes I would.”
If she wins, Harris said she would appoint a Republican to her Cabinet, saying she thinks it’s important to have people “with different views” at the table when making important decisions. While there’s a long track record of presidents looking across the aisle for Cabinet appointees, Biden and Trump didn’t follow that trend. In Georgia, Harris’ vow set off a guessing game over whether former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan — one of the highest-profile Republicans to back her campaign — would be in the running.
***
MORAL TESTING. During a marathon hearing with Department of Corrections Commissioner Tyrone Oliver this week, state Sen. Randy Robertson, R-Cataula, had pointed questions about how Georgia hires correctional officers.
Getting a job in law enforcement, including prisons, usually requires an arduous background check and application process. That’s one reason why he was concerned about Georgia’s troubles with correctional officers, which the AJC’s Danny Robbins and Carrie Teegardin detailed in an investigation published last year.
“We’ve had officers that have cleared all these hurdles that have had sex with inmates, that have provided contraband to inmates and other things that have been horrendous,” Robertson told Oliver during Wednesday’s hearing. “This committee is more than willing to listen to recommendations. While I’m sitting up here, money is not an option.”
Oliver said he’s “always open to ways to improve,” but added it’s difficult to “put a test on moral character.”
“I’ve seen a lot of good people throughout my career, for whatever reason, made a bad decision one day,” Oliver said. “They passed every test that you can give them.”
***
Credit: Courtesy photo
Credit: Courtesy photo
TOUR TROLLING. Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz weren’t the only political candidates to visit the coastal Georgia town of Hinesville on Wednesday.
As the Harris-Walz motorcade rolled into Liberty County High School, longshot GOP congressional candidate Wayne Johnson brought his three-truck caravan to a veterinary clinic parking lot across the street.
Johnson, a former Trump administration official, is challenging U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Albany, in a southwest Georgia district. Johnson talked to media members and waved at a few others, including customers of the clinic. But he mainly spent an hour blasting his campaign theme song titled “Stop the Stupid in Washington” in a loop from his truck speakers.
Those assembled in the parking lot agreed the song was an earworm and would have been a hit on the classic TV variety show, “Hee Haw.”
Johnson arrived in Hinesville late Wednesday after starting the day in Albany. According to an aide, the campaign was under the impression the Harris-Walz bus tour would start in Albany, which is part of the district Johnson is running in. Asked where they’d gotten that information, the aide shrugged and walked away.
On Thursday, Johnson and his mini-motorcade were back, this time in front of the Westin where Harris and her entourage stayed. He even posed for a photo in front of the Harris-Walz campaign bus.
***
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
YOUTH MOVEMENT. The Young Democrats of Georgia convention kicks off in Atlanta today, where the number of tickets sold could be an indication of the party’s enthusiasm.
“We’re getting (near) capacity, and I don’t want to make the fire department mad,” said Parker Short, the Young Democrats of Georgia president.
A major theme of the weekend, of course, will be energizing young people to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris. It’s a demographic coveted by both major political parties. But Short said he also wants to get people excited about down-ballot races this year, many which feature young people running for office.
That includes people like Bryce Berry, the 23-year-old middle school math teacher challenging Republican state Rep. Mesha Mainor, a party-switching former Atlanta Democrat whose seat Democrats view as their likeliest pickup. And Madeline Ryan Smith, a 27-year-old disability rights activist who is running against state Rep. Butch Parrish, R-Swainsboro.
Short said his goal is to connect young people with these campaigns to help them find jobs and volunteer opportunities.
“I’m excited to elect Kamala Harris as our next president,” Short said. “I’m also excited to elect Democrats locally.”
***
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
RAFFENSPERGER RESISTS. It’s not often an elected official gets to overrule a judge, but that’s kind of what happened on Thursday.
Georgia Democrats sued to remove some lesser-known candidates from the ballot. They viewed these candidates as a threat to siphon votes away from Vice President Kamala Harris.
An administrative law judge agreed with them and said the candidates should not appear on the ballot. But on Thursday, Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger overruled the judge.
His decision, as reported by the AJC’s Caleb Groves, means socialist Claudia De la Cruz and independent Cornel West will appear on Georgia’s ballot along with Republican Donald Trump, Democrat Harris, Libertarian Chase Oliver and Green Party nominee Jill Stein.
***
Credit: Arvin Temkar / AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar / AJC
STACEY’S NEW PAC. Stacey Abrams remains a popular and recognizable figure in Democratic politics, but she has kept a low profile since losing to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp for a second time in 2022.
But you’ve likely heard from her regularly if she obtained your email address during either of her gubernatorial campaigns. And most recently, those emails have talked up Speak Up PAC, Abrams’ latest endeavor.
Organizing paperwork for the PAC was filed with the Federal Elections Commission on Aug. 1, just days after President Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential contest and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris. Harris became the Democratic nominee days later.
Abrams has fronted state-based political committees in the past, but those dollars cannot be used for federal campaigns. Joshua Karp, a spokesman for Speak Up, said it creates new opportunities for Abrams during this election season.
“It’s a crucial election year, and leader Abrams hasn’t had a federal PAC before, so she has opened one to support Democrats and progressive causes across the country,” Karp said.
Speak Up PAC has sent emails criticizing former President Donald Trump and pledging to help boost Harris’ presidential campaign and the U.S. Senate bids of Colin Allred in Texas, Angela Alsobrooks in Maryland and Lisa Blunt Rochester in Delaware. Each, if elected, would be the first Black candidate to hold their title.
***
LISTEN UP. Today on “Politically Georgia‚” Savannah Mayor Van Johnson talks about Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign rally and discusses her CNN interview with her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Also, U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, R-St. Simons Island, talks about the Republican ground game. Plus, the “Politically Georgia” hosts answer questions from the listener mailbag.
You can listen live at 10 a.m. on WABE 90.1 or follow “Politically Georgia” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
On Thursday’s show, Democratic state Sen. Derek Mallow discussed the impact of the Harris-Walz bus tour through coastal Georgia and previewed Harris’ rally in Savannah.
State Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper, a Republican, offered his point of view on the Democratic campaign swing through Georgia. And Sen. Nabilah Islam Parkes, D-Duluth, talked about why she and other Democrats are calling for a review of new rules passed by the State Election Board.
***.
Credit: Olivia Bowdoin for the AJC
Credit: Olivia Bowdoin for the AJC
TODAY IN WASHINGTON:
- President Joe Biden has no public events on his schedule, continuing his vacation in Delaware.
- Vice President Kamala Harris has no public events on her schedule.
- The U.S. House and Senate are in recess until Sept. 9.
- U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams, D-Atlanta, will participate in a news conference in Atlanta highlighting federal dollars to bolster the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund that were included in the Inflation Reduction Act.
***
ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL:
- Second gentleman Doug Emhoff will deliver remarks at campaign fundraisers in San Francisco, California, and in Aspen, Colorado.
- Former President Donald Trump will appear at a campaign rally this afternoon in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Later, he will deliver remarks at the Moms for Liberty Summit in Washington.
***
GET OUT THE VOTE. The Southern Poverty Law Center’s Georgia State Office is partnering with the ACLU of Georgia on the “I Got 5 on It” campaign focused on increasing voter turnout in this year’s election.
The goal of the campaign is to spend the five weeks from Oct. 1 through Election Day dispatching volunteers to contact at least five people each and encourage them to either vote early or on Election Day. The overall aim is to connect with at least 10,000 voters in at least 100 of Georgia’s 159 counties.
The campaign will kick-off on Wednesday in Atlanta with a screening of the documentary, “Bad Faith: Christian Nationalism’s Unholy War on Democracy,” and a Q&A session.
***
Credit: Courtesy photo
Credit: Courtesy photo
SHOUTOUTS. Today’s birthdays:
- State Rep. Lynn Smith, R-Newnan.
- Cindy England, wife of Terry England, the former Georgia state representative who is now chief of staff for state House Speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington.
Want a birthday shoutout in the Politically Georgia newsletter? There’s a form for that! Click here to submit the shoutouts. It’s not just birthdays. We’re also interested in new jobs, engagements, birth announcements, etc.
***
PROGRAMMING NOTE. Politically Georgia is taking the Labor Day holiday off on Monday. We’ll be back on Tuesday. Please send your best scoop, gossip and insider info to greg.bluestein@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com and adam.beam@ajc.com.
