and FL Political Expert Anastasia Apa

Southern politics

Southern politics

and we will talk NC politics with John Thompson in the second half of the show!

Josh Shepherd

joins us to discuss KY Politics

In this wide-ranging political discussion, hosts Catherine and Amy Morton (of Georgia Women Vote and Blog for Democracy) examine major 2010 races across the country before diving deeply into Georgia’s political landscape. The show opens with analysis of Florida’s three-way Senate race among Kendrick Meek, Charlie Crist, and Marco Rubio. The hosts dissect Meek’s new hard-hitting ad framing Crist as a lifelong conservative, debating whether the tactic helps Meek, hurts Crist, or inadvertently boosts Rubio. Shifting poll numbers reveal Rubio gaining sharply as Crist drops, with undecided voters creeping upward, keeping the contest fluid. The Florida governor’s race between Alex Sink and Rick Scott remains a statistical tie, intensified by the withdrawal of independent candidate Bud Chiles.

 The conversation then moves to Texas, where Governor Rick Perry releases a wave of negative ads against Democrat Bill White while simultaneously refusing to debate him—a move Amy and Catherine view as politically evasive. They argue a sitting governor should defend his record publicly and suggest White capitalize on Perry’s avoidance.

 With Amy Morton joining fully, the show turns to Georgia politics and the launch of the new Georgia Women Vote initiative. Amy explains the coordinated campaign’s focus on mobilizing women—particularly independent women—who are both under-sampled in polls and pivotal in statewide races. They highlight strong female Democratic candidates, including Carol Porter, Georganna Sinkfield, and Mary Squires, emphasizing the diversity advantage Democrats hold over a more homogeneous Republican ticket. Discussion then shifts to Nathan Deal’s emerging financial scandal, questions of transparency, the role of Casey Cagle, and implications for the governor’s race. Both guests stress that voters deserve full disclosure, noting that Deal’s financial troubles and lack of candor raise concerns about his fitness to govern.

In this episode of The Kudzu Vine, host David McLaughlin, joined by Catherine Smith, Tim Shiflett, and guest Keith McCants of Peanut Politics, explores several evolving political stories across the South. The show opens with discussion of new polling in the Texas governor’s race, where Republican Rick Perry leads Democrat Bill White 48–42. The hosts note that despite Texas’s conservative lean, Perry’s unpopularity and “Perry fatigue” could make the race unexpectedly competitive, especially if low enthusiasm among Republicans suppresses turnout. They also highlight how the state’s lack of competitive congressional races may further dampen GOP excitement. The conversation shifts to Kentucky, where conflicting polls show uncertainty in the Senate race between Rand Paul and Jack Conway. While CNN’s survey shows a dead heat, other polls give Paul a double-digit lead, leading the hosts to conclude the race may be slipping away from Democrats unless major campaign shifts occur. McCants then reports from South Georgia on Democratic Congressman Sanford Bishop’s growing troubles. Bishop faces backlash for awarding scholarships to family members through a Congressional Black Caucus fund and for earlier controversies involving aides and spending. McCants warns that Bishop, once dominant, is now in a toss-up race against Republican Mike Keown amid flagging enthusiasm and poor outreach. The show concludes with a discussion of Democratic lieutenant governor candidate J.B. Powell’s proposal to legalize horse racing in Georgia to generate $1 billion in revenue and create tens of thousands of jobs—an idea met with cautious optimism.

Southern politics

The hosts open with a relatively quiet political week but preview a strong lineup of guests: Jason Means of the Chick-fil-A Bowl and Kickoff Game and “BBQ Bob” Herndon of the Atlanta BBQ Club later in the hour, and first, political blogger David Wissing, founder of The Hedgehog Report. Before Wissing joins, the panel examines two new Roy Barnes ads in the Georgia governor’s race—a 30-second and a 15-second spot aimed at Nathan Deal’s tax record. Catherine praises the online ad buy, but the hosts question targeting national outlets like the New York Times instead of Georgia papers. They debate whether Barnes’ attacks can move numbers when both candidates remain in the 40s, stressing the need for Barnes to balance negative messaging with positive, job-focused content. They also note the unusual appearance of identical ads paid for by both the Barnes campaign and the Democratic Party of Georgia as part of a coordinated strategy.

When David Wissing joins, he recounts founding The Hedgehog Report, how it evolved into a major national polling hub, and why its diverse readership—from across the political spectrum and even internationally—engages so heavily with election data. He also discusses Maryland politics: the O’Malley–Ehrlich gubernatorial rematch, the surprise Sarah Palin endorsement of Republican challenger Brian Murphy, Tea Party dynamics, and Maryland’s limited down-ballot races. Wissing details the competitive 1st Congressional District race and previews Republican primaries featuring Andy Harris, Rob Fisher, and U.S. Senate hopefuls Eric Orgatz and Jim Rutledge.