Welcome to the Georgia Politics Podcast! On the show today, we get into the defamation lawsuit against Rudy Giuliani and a Cobb County teacher reads a book to her class.

Rudy Giuliani Admits to False Statements

Facing a defamation lawsuit, Giuliani filed a motion this week saying he was no longer contesting accusations that he made false statements about Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss – two Fulton County workers he wrongly accused of committing voter fraud. Is this part of a larger reckoning with 2020, or is that too hopeful?

Back to School

Georgia students are heading back to school this week, as a Cobb County teacher will soon defend herself for reading her fifth graders a book that challenges gender norms. It’s a good time to check in with the politics of education in Georgia.

Underhyped/Overhyped, Play-Along-At-Home and much, much more on today’s episode!

Connect with The Georgia Politics Podcast on Twitter @gapoliticspod

Megan Gordon on Twitter @meganlaneg

Preston Thompson on Twitter @pston3

Hans Appen on Twitter @hansappen

Proud member of the Appen Podcast Network.

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This week on The Georgia Politics Podcast we discuss Brian Kemp staying put, Mesha Mainor doing the opposite, and that the state of Georgia is flush with cash.

Brian Kemp Shuts Door on National Office, For Now

Governor Kemp fairly firmly shut the door on a Presidential bid this week, saying “It’s humbling that there are people out there that think I would make a good president, but I have got a great job that I am very happy in. We’ve got really an opportunity of a lifetime right now in the state of Georgia as we see an industrial revolution happening right before our eyes. So I am staying very focused on that. That’s what I promised people I would do when I got re-elected.”

Mesha Mainor Switches Parties

This past week, Democratic State Representative Mesha Mainor announced that she was leaving the Democratic Party and joining up with the Republicans. What did we make of the announcement?

State Surplus

The Kemp administration announced another state surplus that could amount to up to $5 billion. Over the last two years, these have led to rebates for taxpayers, but Democrats are saying that surplus is really an opportunity to make up for lost services. 

Underhyped/Overhyped, Play-Along-At-Home and much, much more on today’s episode!

Connect with The Georgia Politics Podcast on Twitter @gapoliticspod

Megan Gordon on Twitter @meganlaneg

Preston Thompson on Twitter @pston3

Hans Appen on Twitter @hansappen

Proud member of the Appen Podcast Network.

#gapol

Welcome to The Georgia Politics Podcast! On today’s episode we celebrate Professor Stone’s retirement after 35 years at Georgia State University and chronicle the changes he’s seen in academia along the way.

It’s not every day that you have the chance to interview a tenured professor about his life in higher education and the changes he’s seen across a 35 year career. Fortunately for us, we have Professor Stone, who listeners of The Georgia Politics Podcast will know from his conversations with Craig about politics and politicians of yesteryear.

We appreciate Professor Stone for offering us his recollections and lessons learned and congratulate him on his successful career and retirement. He’ll have plenty of time now for more in memoriams with Craig!

About Professor Adam Stone

Adam Stone was an Associate Professor of Political Science and Associate Department Chair for Social Sciences at the Alpharetta Campus of Georgia State University’s Perimeter College. Adam was born in San Francisco, California, and he grew up in Los Gatos, California. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and earned a Master of Arts degree in Politics from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Professor Stone has followed politics since his childhood. His “first” election commentary and analysis were delivered in 1966, 56 years ago, at the age of four. He is in his thirty-first year of teaching at Perimeter College.  His areas of research and writing include the U.S. Courts of Appeals, the Electoral College, Presidential Greatness, Southern Politics, and Georgia Politics. His most recent research examines U.S. Senate confirmation votes for nominees to the federal Courts of Appeals. Adam was a contestant on the Jeopardy! episode that aired on May 20, 2019.  He came in third and the game was won by “Jeopardy!” James Holtzhauer, the second greatest player in the history of the game.

Connect with The Georgia Politics Podcast on Twitter @gapoliticspod

Megan Gordon on Twitter @meganlaneg

Preston Thompson on Twitter @pston3

Hans Appen on Twitter @hansappen

Proud member of the Appen Podcast Network.

#gapol

Welcome to The Georgia Politics Podcast! On today's special episode, show regular and amatuerr historian, Craig Kidd, marks the holiday with a reading of the Decleration of Indepedece. 

Adopted on July 4, 1776, the Decleration is the founding document of our United States. It declared to the world that the 13 colonies would henceforth regard themselves as independent and no longer subject the the British colonial rule.

We honor our nation's birthday with what we hope to be a new tradition on the podcast. Take a moment to honor the bravery that our nation's founding fathers showed by declaring themselves and generations to come free and equal.

Connect with The Georgia Politics Podcast on Twitter @gapoliticspod

Megan Gordon on Twitter @meganlaneg

Preston Thompson on Twitter @pston3

Hans Appen on Twitter @hansappen

Proud member of the Appen Podcast Network.

#gapol

Welcome to The Georgia Politics Podcast! This week on the show we talk about the history making decisions of the Supreme Court and their effects in Georgia and across the country.

Last week, the court reached their decisions in Biden v. Nebraska, 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis, and Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard. All three cases will leave a lasting impact on the country and our politics for many years to come.

The panel get into the details and debate the various elements of the court’s decisions. It’s a long and detail oriented show, so we run out of time for Overhyped/Underhyped and Play-Along-At-Home, but I think you’ll enjoy an issues oriented debate on the merits of the recent decisions.

Connect with The Georgia Politics Podcast on Twitter @gapoliticspod

Megan Gordon on Twitter @meganlaneg

Preston Thompson on Twitter @pston3

Hans Appen on Twitter @hansappen

Daelen on Instagram @daelen_lowry

Proud member of the Appen Podcast Network.

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Welcome to The Georgia Politics Podcast! On today's episode, Donald Trump is indicted (again) and GPB lays off Bill Nigut and cancels Political Rewind.

It’s the first time the panel has gotten together since the news broke that the Justice Department has indicted former President Donald Trump for 37 felonies related to mishandling classified documents and obstructing justice. So, you know we had to get into it and discuss the political and practical implications. Buckle up all.

We were all sad to read the news that colleague Bill Nigut has been let go from GPB and his signature program, Political Rewind, has been canceled. It is a blow for Georgians everywhere who looked to Nigut for informed and useful political news. Is there a future for government sponsored news programs, and was there anything sinister about the circumstances surrounding the show’s cancelation?

Lastly, Happy belated Father’s Day to all dads out there. We take the opportunity to discuss how our dads impacted our political views.

Underhyped/Overhyped, Play-Along-At-Home and much, much more on today’s episode!

Connect with The Georgia Politics Podcast on Twitter @gapoliticspod

Megan Gordon on Twitter @meganlaneg

Preston Thompson on Twitter @pston3

Hans Appen on Twitter @hansappen

Proud member of the Appen Podcast Network.

#gapol

Welcome to The Georgia Politics Podcast! On today’s special episode, we get a field report from Craig Kidd and Daelen Lowry on the GOP State Convention. Craig and Daelen take us behind the scenes of a fight for party leadership, break down the reaction to President Trump's 90 minute marathon of a speech, and detail the fight over "clickers." You don't want to miss it!

Connect with The Georgia Politics Podcast on Twitter @gapoliticspod

Megan Gordon on Twitter @meganlaneg

Preston Thompson on Twitter @pston3

Hans Appen on Twitter @hansappen

Proud member of the Appen Podcast Network.

#gapol

Welcome to The Georgia Politics Podcast! On today’s episode, Hans fills in for Preston to lead the discussion on the arrest of 3 bail fund organizers related to Cop City, Trump headlining the state GOP convention, and Marjorie Taylor Greene…the voice of reason?

Up first, we kick off the episode discussing the arrest of three Atlanta organizers who had been aiding arrested protestors of Copy City via their bail fund. Are prosecutors doing the right thing? Is there a long game here?

Next up…he’s back! Former President Donald Trump has now RSVP’d “yes” and will headline this year’s GOP state convention. Many statewide GOP leaders had already declined, including Governor Brian Kemp. How will Trump’s attendance change the narrative and does this highlight a potential rift between LG Burt Jones and Governor Kemp?

Lastly, the AJC had a jaw dropping headline to an opinion piece recently, which insinuated that the nortorious MTG is now a power broker in the Republican Party – recently removed from her status as party pariah. The panel debate the merits of the argument and whether, if true, her newfound moderation has staying power.

Underhyped/Overhyped, Play-Along-At-Home and much, much more on today’s episode!

Connect with The Georgia Politics Podcast on Twitter @gapoliticspod

Megan Gordon on Twitter @meganlaneg

Preston Thompson on Twitter @pston3

Hans Appen on Twitter @hansappen

Proud member of the Appen Podcast Network.

#gapol

Welcome to The Georgia Politics Podcast! On this Memorial Day, Hans sits down with Craig to discuss the various holidays that honor members of our military – past and present.

Everyone knows about Memorial Day and Veterans Day, but did you know there is a holiday honoring active members of the military as well? It is called Armed Forces Day and is celebrated annually on the third Saturday of May. 

Craig explains some of the differences between the three holidays, some of the history behind them, and the appropriate and respectful way to mark them. Many cities have parades, or mark them with proclamations. Politicians give speeches and lay wreaths at graves. Everyone should, however, know the differences and the meaning behind each one.

So on this Memorial Day 2023, we at The Georgia Politics Podcast honor all the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice that allow our country to continue to be free and prosperous, and to give people like us the freedom to express our views on politics on a podcast like this one.

Connect with The Georgia Politics Podcast on Twitter @gapoliticspod

Megan Gordon on Twitter @meganlaneg

Preston Thompson on Twitter @pston3

Hans Appen on Twitter @hansappen

Proud member of the Appen Podcast Network.

#gapol

Welcome to The Georgia Politics Podcast! We’re breaking the rules today. All the hosts bring a topic to the show and we get into it. Buckle up.

First, Preston brings campaign finance reform. The panelists talk about how (and if) the system is broken, how we can fix it and what problems campaign dollars gone crazy has created in our politics.

Then, Hans (filling in for Megan), asks what we can do to prevent mass shootings and generally how to approach politically divisive topics. Some elected Republicans now seem to suggest that gun violence a trade off they are willing to make to protect the 2nd Amendment. Is there another way to go about preventing mass casualties?

Lastly, Craig gets local and discusses the nomination and then withdrawal of former Fulton County Commissioner Lee Morris to Chair the county’s election board. He declares that the event is an example of partisan warfare and hypocrisy run amuck. Preston, who was in the room when it happened, gives a different perspective.

We don’t always put the guardrails down, but its certainly a freewheeling episode.

Underhyped/Overhyped, Play-Along-At-Home and much more on today’s episode!

Connect with The Georgia Politics Podcast on Twitter @gapoliticspod

Megan Gordon on Twitter @meganlaneg

Preston Thompson on Twitter @pston3

Hans Appen on Twitter @hansappen

Proud member of the Appen Podcast Network.

#gapol