Political Rewind

Friday on Political Rewind: A verdict in a trial from a small town in Georgia gripped the nation. Travis McMichael, Gregory McMichael and William "Roddie" Bryan were found guilty of murder charges on Wednesday.

In February 2020, the three men chased Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, in pickup trucks as he jogged in a Coastal Georgia neighborhood. Travis McMichael shot and killed Arbery during the chase. Bryan filmed the killing on his cellphone.

Travis, the shooter, was found guilty on all nine counts. His father, Greg McMichael, was convicted on eight of the nine. Bryan was convicted on six counts. 

However, questions linger. This trial may never have happened, were it not for the shocking video that exposed the shooting and the failure of law enforcement to initially hold anyone accountable. Outside the courtroom following the verdict, the Rev. Al Sharpton told a crowd much work was left to be done. So what should we make of the outcome of the trial?

Emory University professor Dr. Andra Gillespie said more consideration is needed of subtle examples of racism in society.

"My concern in the grand scheme of things is when can we develop a consensus that racism manifests itself in ways that is not as obvious as a bunch of guys hunting a Black man as he's walking down the street," she said. "That's when I know that our society has made progress, and that's the thing that I'm still hopeful we can get there.

Panelists:

Margaret Coker — Editor-in-chief, The Current

Dr. Andra Gillespie — Professor of political science and Director of the James Weldon Johnson Institute for the Study of Race and Difference at Emory University

Patricia Murphy — Politics columnist, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Tuesday on Political Rewind: Questions about what constitutes legal self-defense and proper use of the citizens' arrest law dominated closing arguments in the trial of Gregory and Travis McMichael and William Roddie Bryan — the three white men charged with murder in Ahmaud Arbery's shooting death. Attention is on the jury as it prepares to deliberate on the evidence, but it was one defense lawyer's disparaging description of Arbery's appearance that sparked outrage from his family and many observers.

Emory political science professor Dr. Andra Gillespie said the description of Arbery ties into a larger theme seen throughout the trial.

"It reinforces this idea that Ahmaud Arbery stood out because people were uncomfortable with the fact that he was a Black man running through this neighborhood," Gillespie said. "And that is the reason why he was targeted in this case in the way that other people aren't. And that's not Arbery's problem. That is the defendant's problem in this particular case. It is our problem as a society that we should be able to allow Black people to go take a jog through a white neighborhood without having to worry about their lives being endangered."

Meanwhile, the new Republican-drawn Georgia congressional map sets up a battle between Democratic incumbent U.S. Reps. Carolyn Bordeaux and Lucy McBath. With little chance to win in the newly drawn 6th District, McBath announced she is planning to run for Bordeaux’s 7th District congressional seat.

Also, a new poll of the Atlanta mayoral runoff sees Andre Dickens with a slight edge ahead of Felicia Moore in the contest.

Panelists:

Tamar Hallerman — Senior reporter, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Dr. Andra Gillespie — Professor of political science and director, James Weldon Johnson Institute for the Study of Race and Difference, Emory University

Rene Alegria — CEO, Mundo Hispanico Digital

Thomas Wheatley — Axios Atlanta

Monday on Political Rewind: Self-defense was a key argument in the pursuit of acquittal in Kenosha, Wisc., in the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse. Meanwhile in Georgia, defense lawyers in the trial of Gregory and Travis McMichael and William "Roddie" Bryan" also claimed self-defense as closing arguments unfolded on Monday. Both trials have highlighted deep racial and partisan fault lines.

Morehouse political science professor Dr. Adrienne Jones said race provides a crucial context for understanding the trials.

"We are living in two different worlds, right?" Jones said. "The Black community in the United States is experiencing the police and the vigilante system differently than the majority of people here in the United States. It's historical, in the South in particular."

The trials also sparked conversation on gun laws in the United States. Adding to the conversation, an accidentally discharged gun led to panic at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport this weekend. Officials from the Transportation Security Administration said more guns have been confiscated at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport than at any other airport in the country so far this year.

In other news, the government agency charged with monitoring workplace safety said it is suspending enforcement of the federal vaccine mandate for large businesses. An appeals court had stayed the mandate. What are the consequences for federal enforcement of COVID-related public health policy.

Panelists:  

Riley Bunch — Public policy reporter, GPB News

Emma Hurt — Reporter, Axios Atlanta

Dr. Adrienne Jones — Professor of political science and director of pre-law, Morehouse College

Dr. Tammy Greer — Professor of political science, Clark Atlanta University

Friday on Political Rewind: Consequential updates to Georgia's political maps are moving through a special session of the state General Assembly. The Republican-controlled legislature is redrawing the boundaries of state and congressional legislatorial seats as part of a decennial process mandated by law.

Among the changes, Republican lawmakers look likely to deny U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath reelection in the 6th District.

Patricia Murphy, politics columnist for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, said proposed changes to the 6th District would create a marked shift in its political makeup. Parts of Gwinnett County would be ceded and replaced by Republican-leaning communities in neighboring Forsyth, Cherokee and Dawson counties.

"It's going from an area that voted for Joe Biden by 12 points, to one that voted for Donald Trump by 15 points," Murphy said. "So just a huge partisan swing."

Meanwhile, the effort to create an independent city of Buckhead takes another step forward as state Sen. Brandon Beach filed legislation that, if passed, would give Buckhead residents the right to decide the issue in next November’s election.

Panelists:

Patricia Murphy — Politics reporter and columnist, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Stephen Fowler — Politics reporter, GPB News

Rep. Teri Anulewicz — State representative, (D-Smyrna)

Eric Tanenblatt — Republican insider

Thursday on Political Rewind: A story of addiction and recovery.

William Cope Moyers is the son of journalist and presidential advisor Bill Moyers, and has memories from childhood of Air Force One and the White House. In the early '90s, Moyers followed his father’s path into a promising career at CNN in Atlanta.

However, his life began to spiral out of control thanks to a substance addiction to alcohol, crack cocaine and more. In recounting his struggles, Moyer says he hit rock bottom in downtown Atlanta 25 years ago.

But Moyers has sought to help others struggling with addiction by telling the story of his road to recovery over the decades. His candid discussion of substance abuse disorder spurred frank dialogue on the stigmatized topic of addiction.

Addiction and recovery has been changed by the pandemic. Changes to day-to-day life since the onset of COVID-19 are exacerbating America's addiction problems, Moyer's said.

"As we know, too often, people die when they can't get help," Moyers said. "And in the midst of this pandemic, people have been isolated. People have been under stress."

New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released this week show a surge in deaths from overdoses in the past year — 100,000 Americans.

In Georgia, more than 1,900 people died of drug-related causes in 2020, according to CDC data released in August. That is a 38.8% increase over data from the previous year.

Panelist:

William Cope Moyers – Vice President of Public Affairs and Community Relations with Hazelden Betty Ford

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, the following resources are available to help.

24/7 treatment referral and information can be found through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at 1-800-662-4357 or SAMHSA.gov. Resources in Georgia are available through The Georgia Council on Substance Abuse.

Wednesday on Political Rewind: The legislature is expected to move forward with redistricting maps likely to consolidate Republican control of Georgia’s U.S. congressional delegation for years to come. 

Our panel discussed the possible consequences. Will Democratic U.S. Representative Lucy McBath find herself in a risky position as the boundaries of her 6th District are redrawn?

Also, a controversial proposal to increase the size of the Gwinnett County Commission is off the table for now. However, the proposal's author, Republican state Sen. Clint Dixon, says it will be back when the regular session begins in January. Democrats claim Dixon wants to undermine the power of the currently all-Democratic commission by adding members.

Plus, controversial "culture war" issues are set to take a prominent role in messaging surrounding the 2022 elections. Clark Atlanta professor Dr. Kurt Young said the use of these issues, such as the banning of books by celebrated authors like Toni Morrison, show how culture is used a political tool.

"Culture is more than simply artistic expression: It's really a reflection of the very basic values that govern a society or within a society," Young said. "What we're seeing in Virginia, what we're seeing here in Georgia, is a reflection of these very deep-seated efforts to exercise power using cultural instruments."

Panelists:

Greg Bluestein — Politics reporter, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Maya Prabhu — Politics reporter, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 

Chuck Williams — Reporter, WRBL-TV, Columbus

Dr. Kurt Young — Chair and professor of political science, Clark Atlanta University

Tuesday on Political Rewind, defense lawyer Kevin Gough called for another Black pastor, Rev. Jesse Jackson, to be removed from the Brunswick, Ga., courtroom in the trial of the three white men charged with murder in the death of Ahmaud Arbery, a young Black man.

The judge described comments made by Gough’s last week as “reprehensible.” Gough had urged Judge Timothy Walmsley to bar members of the clergy invited by the Arbery family from the courtroom.

Also, Newt Gingrich added to Gov. Brian Kemp's reelection woes by insisting that Kemp can’t beat Stacey Abrams but former Sen. David Perdue can.

Meanwhile, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis edged closer to empaneling a special grand jury to look at possible criminal behavior in former President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn Georgia's 2020 election outcome.

Panelists:

Tamar Hallerman — Senior reporter, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 

Leo Smith — Republican consultant, President of Engaged Futures

Sen. Kim Jackson — State senator (D-Stone Mountain)

Dr. Alan Abramowitz — Professor emeritus of political science, Emory University

Monday on Political Rewind: Race continues to be a central theme in the case of Travis McMichael, Gregory McMichael and William "Roddie" Bryan — the three white men charged with murder in the shooting of Black jogger Ahmaud Arbery in 2020.

A defense attorney in the case received criticism after complaining about the presence of Black pastors, including well-known names like Rev. Al Sharpton, in the courtroom.

Emory professor of constitutional law Fred Smith said the attorney's comments are notable because they provide additional framing of the high-profile case within America's ongoing reckoning with racism.

"Part of what we're seeing in this particular trial is that the subtext of race — which is often present in the American criminal legal system — the subtext is just the text,” Emory professor Fred Smith said. “There's also, built into that, a broader context in the criminal legal system, where many scholars like Paul Butler and others have written, about how when police see African Americans, they are viewed more as a threat and how that's kind of a thread throughout criminal legal system."

Meanwhile, President Joe Biden is scheduled to sign the long-awaited infrastructure bill Monday. Every Republican member of Georgia congressional delegation voted against the measure. Some congressional Republicans who did vote for the bill, including South Carolina's Lindsay Graham, are being targeted with death threats and calls for expulsion.

In other news, a federal appeals court signals its displeasure with the Biden Administration vaccine mandate.

Panelists:

Dr. Andra Gillespie — Political science professor and director, James Weldon Johnson Institute for the Study of Race and Difference, Emory University

Margaret Coker — Editor-in-chief, The Current

Fred Smith — Professor of constitutional law, Emory University

Dr. Heather Farley — Chair of the Department of Criminal Justice, Public Policy and Management, Georgia Coastal College

Friday on Political Rewind: In a trial already infused with questions about racism, a defense lawyer added fuel to the fire yesterday with comments about the presence of Black religious leaders in the courtroom.

Meanwhile, Sen. Raphael Warnock says Democrats have to do a better job telling voters how their big-ticket legislative agenda will improve daily lives.

Plus: a look at candidates already on the Georgia ballot in 2022. Will Stacey Abrams decide against running for governor? Will former Sen. David Perdue challenge Gov. Brian Kemp?

Panelists:

Patricia Murphy — Political reporter and columnist, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Dr. Tammy Greer — Political science professor, Clark Atlanta University

Dr. Audrey Haynes — Political science professor, University of Georgia

Dr. Amy Steigerwalt — Political science professor, Georgia State University

Thursday on Political Rewind: Gov. Brian Kemp goes on the offensive with the threat of a challenge from David Perdue looming in the air. His allies rallied in recent days to push Kemp as their candidate for re-election to the governor’s mansion. But, did Perdue give a signal to a group of Brunswick Republicans he is not interested in making the race?

Also, help could be on the way to relieve the traffic jam as container ships wait for days to unload cargo at the Port of Savannah.

Plus, Georgia GOP legislators make quick work of voting on new state house districts. Democrats make small gains but say they should get more.

Panelists:

Adam Van Brimmer — Editorial page editor, Savannah Morning News

Riley Bunch — Public policy reporter, GPB News

Tia Mitchell — Washington reporter, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Kevin Riley — Editor, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution