Political Rewind

TTuesday on Political Rewind: The jury in the Derek Chauvin trial begins its deliberations following closing statement from attorneys yesterday. Chauvin stands accused of murder after placing his knee into George Floyd's neck for nearly ten minutes. Defense attorneys attempted to highlight other factors that might have led to Floyd's death. As a verdict approaches, authorities in Atlanta and cities across the country are preparing for demonstrations.

In related news, questions are being raised about HB 286, a measure passed by the state legislature that would bar local governments from cutting police budgets by 5% or more. The bill waits for a signature from Gov. Brian Kemp to become law. Critics say the measure is a partisan political statement by GOP lawmakers angered by calls to defund the police.

Meanwhile, politicians on both sides of the aisle are mourning the death of the man who served as Jimmy Carter’s vice president, Walter Mondale.

Panelists:

Rene Alegria — President and CEO, Mundo Hispanico Digital

Tamar Hallerman — Senior Reporter, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Chart Riggall — Reporter, Marietta Daily Journal

Chuck Williams — Reporter, WRBL-TV in Columbus

Monday on Political Rewind: A number of county GOP organizations voted to censure Gov. Brian Kemp this weekend for his refusal to support lies about Georgia’s election results. Following this rebuke from grassroots Republican forces in the state, how vulnerable is he to a Republican primary challenge in the upcoming 2022 gubernatorial election?

Also, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is making national headlines again. The controversial congresswoman announced a new House caucus calling for "common respect for uniquely Anglo-Saxon political traditions." Greene’s office said she did not sign off on the language, but is it far from the views she has long expressed?

Plus, a new study offers further evidence that Georgia’s partisan political landscape remains a light shade of purple. The well-respected Cook Report analyzed partisan swing in hundreds of districts following the 2020 election. Notably, congresswoman Lucy McBath’s reelection in the 6th congressional district represented the biggest swing from red to blue of any congressional district in the country.

Meanwhile, two districts won by Democrats in the election showed a swing toward the Republican party, according to Cook. Our panel looked at the data. 

Panelists:

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

Dr. Amy Steigerwalt — Professor of Political Science, Georgia State University

Dr. Karen Owen — Professor of Political Science, University of West Georgia

Jim Galloway — Retired Columnist, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Friday on Political Rewind: When Nathan Deal became Georgia governor in 2011, some of his top priorities were economic development and enhancing the state’s business climate. He began commissioning reports and enacting policies aimed at building the kind of economy and culture that would attract businesses, big or small, to Georgia.

In the years since, state officials have touted Georgia as one of the best places to do business in the country.

But now, homegrown corporate giants are finding themselves in the crosshairs of the fierce partisan fight over the state’s new election law. Republicans are launching criticism of Coca-Cola, Delta Air Lines and other companies for their statements denouncing new election laws that critics claim roll back voting rights in the state.

Meanwhile, voting rights advocates are demanding corporations go further in condemning what they call clear voter suppression, or face boycotts.

So, how is the recent fallout impact Georgia’s reputation as a state where business leaders and politicians can effectively work together? And, if the GOP stands its ground on this issue, what is the future of the relationship between state Republicans and the businesses they have long courted.

Thursday on Political Rewind: Fallout from Georgia's controversial election law SB 202 hits Georgia's important film industry. Actor Will Smith and director Antoine Fuqua announced they pulled production of their upcoming film “Emancipation” from the state over the law passed by the Republican-controlled General Assembly.

Also, candidates are announcing their campaigns for the upcoming 2022 elections. State Sen. Jen Jordan declared her run for Attorney General this week. Meanwhile, Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock, who was elected in January's runoff to fill the seat formerly held by Sen. Johnny Isakson, already has opponents for 2022.

Political advertising returns to Georgia after overwhelming the state during the 2020 election season. We took a look at an ad targeting Warnock over his stance on Major League Baseball's All-Star Game pullout.

Plus, we look at the reelection prospects for Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who has faced criticism over public safety in her city. As a result, some residents of the affluent Buckhead neighborhood are now pushing to secede from Atlanta. 

Kevin Riley, editor of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, guest hosts. GPB's Bill Nigut will return to hosting tomorrow.

Panelists:

Charlie Hayslett — Writer, Trouble In God's Country and Owner, Hayslett Group

Mariela Romero — Regional Community Empowerment Director, Univision

Thomas Wheatley — Staff Writer, Atlanta Magazine

Wednesday on Political Rewind: Last summer, police violence in communities across the country acted as rallying points for discussions over the role of law enforcement in our society. The killing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Atlanta’s Rayshard Brooks at the hands of police served as stark examples of a concerning trend of violence.

Now, the killing of Daunte Wright amid the ongoing trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin spurs renewed demands for structural change.

In Washington D.C., President Joe Biden declared he wants a federal investigation of Wright's shooting. Meanwhile, Democrats in the U.S. House continued their push for a bill establishing national standards for police conduct.

Mayor Hardie Davis Jr. of Augusta, Ga. said police brutality and racial discrimination have long challenged the nation's democratic ideals. 

"We have to lean in," Davis said. "Now is the penultimate moment of where we have to do it collectively. We cannot retreat to our spheres of influence or the places of comfort."

Panelists:

Mayor Hardie Davis Jr. — Mayor of Augusta

Tiffany Williams Roberts — Southern Center for Human Rights

Leo Smith — Republican Strategist and President, Engaged Futures Group

Greg Bluestein — Politics Reporter, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Tuesday on Political Rewind: Georgia voters gave Democrats a majority in the U.S. Senate when they elected Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff in January. But the Senate remains a stumbling block for efforts by President Joe Biden to pass the bills in his ambitious agenda.

Many frustrated Democrats are raising once again the long-standing question of whether it’s time to end the rules that allow a minority in the senate to thwart the majority’s will through the use of the filibuster.

Panelists:

Saxby Chambliss — Former Georgia U.S. Senator (2003-2015)

Joe Crespino — Jimmy Carter Professor of History and Department Chair, Emory University

Steve Dennis — Congressional Reporter, Bloomberg News

Tamar Hallerman — Senior Reporter, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Tuesday on Political Rewind: Georgia voters gave Democrats a majority in the U.S. Senate when they elected Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff in January. But the Senate remains a stumbling block for efforts by President Joe Biden to pass the bills in his ambitious agenda.

Many frustrated Democrats are raising once again the long-standing question of whether it’s time to end the rules that allow a minority in the senate to thwart the majority’s will through the use of the filibuster.

Panelists:

Saxby Chambliss — Former Georgia U.S. Senator (2003-2015)

Joe Crespino — Jimmy Carter Professor of History and Department Chair, Emory University

Steve Dennis — Congressional Reporter, Bloomberg News

Tamar Hallerman — Senior Reporter, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Monday on Political Rewind: Gov. Brian Kemp faces more criticism from former President Donald Trump. Trump blasted Georgia's governor again over the weekend. During a GOP donor event in Florida, Trump again accused Kemp of failing to root out unsubstantiated claims of election fraud.

The criticism comes as Kemp manages fallout from Georgia's controversial new election law, which has brought national attention to the state. With a reelection campaign looming on the horizon, will Kemp’s aggressive push to defend the Republican-crafted changes be enough to return him to the good graces of his party’s base?

Also: As we look ahead to the 2022 election, what role will the unfolding battle between GOP leaders and Georgia-based corporations play? Both state and national leaders in the GOP are grappling with sustained pushback from business leaders who criticize the changes in SB 202.

Meanwhile, others in Georgia politics consider their futures. An aide to Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan says he is unlikely to seek a second-term next year. But former state Rep. Vernon Jones, now a Republican, is signaling a run for governor.

Panelists:

Michael Thurmond — CEO, DeKalb County

Sam Olens — Former State Attorney General

Donna Lowry — Host of Georgia Public Broadcasting’s Lawmakers

Jim Galloway — Former Columnist, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Friday on Political Rewind: The COVID-19 pandemic enters a new stage as vaccinations become increasingly available. But even as more people become fully vaccinated, stubborn obstacles remain. How should we reach out to communities hesistant or unable to receive the vaccines? And how quickly should our institutions, places of work and schools reopen?

Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice, president of the Morehouse School of Medicine, joined our panel. Rice and her colleagues have been on the frontlines of a campaign encouraging African Americans communities to embrace the vaccine. Polls now show many Black communities are no longer skeptical about the shots. Instead, a significant percentage of white men, divided along political believes, now resist vaccination.

We asked our experts about Gov. Brian Kemp’s decision to drop pandemic restrictions put in place last year to stop the spread of the virus. The move reflects growing census the end of the pandemic is approaching. But how close are we to returning to "normal life?"

Panelists:

Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice — President and Dean, Morehouse College School of Medicine

Dr. Joshua Weitz — Professor, Georgia Tech and Head of the Weitz Group

Patricia Murphy — Political Reporter and Columnist, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Thursday on Political Rewind: systemic racism and the toll it takes across society. Racism targets people of color, but ultimately harms us all; that is the premise of author Heather McGhee's new book "The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together."

For centuries, McGhee writes, white people have seen equality as a zero-sum game; anything gained by people of color must come at the cost of others. McGhee challenges that assumption, and many aspects of our shared understanding of racism, in her illuminating new book.

The author joins us on today’s show with Emory University's Dr. Andra Gillespie.

Panelists:

Heather McGhee — Author, "The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together," Chair of Board of Directors, Color Of Change

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