Stacey Abrams Gonna Be Georgia’s Next Governor. There We Said It.

We believe in a better Georgia.

Stacey Abrams launched her second campaign for Georgia governor Wednesday. It’s the rematch we’ve wanted since she narrowly lost to Brian Kemp in 2018. Since then, her star has only risen in the Democratic Party, while Kemp’s has crash landed because he wouldn’t help Donald Trump steal the election. Now, Kemp frequently appears in Trump’s diss tracks.

Abrams declared her candidacy in this video that reminds us how awesome she is.

I’m running for Governor because opportunity in our state shouldn’t be determined by zip code, background or access to power. #gapol Be a founding donor to my campaign: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/afg22-tw?refcode=120121 …pic.twitter.com/z14wUlo8ls

— Stacey Abrams (@Stacey Abrams) 1638390049 

Abrams’s message is uplifting and inclusive.

No matter where we come from in Georgia or how long we’ve been here, we believe in this place and our people. Folks who deserve to be seen and heard and have a voice. Because in the end, we are one Georgia.

Brian Kemp and the Georgia Republican Party very much disagree. That’s why they’ll call Abrams a radical Marxist who’ll brainwash children with critical race theory. Kemp already claimed that Abrams is drunk with power and Georgia is just a stepping stone until she moves on up to the deluxe White House in DC. We can also expect Kemp to run some campaign ads where he blows up socialism. GOP voters love that.

Now don’t think for a minute that you should grudgingly admire Kemp because he sort of stood up to Trump. Both men are terrible in their own way.

When Abrams ran in 2018, it was pre-COVID-19 and the Big Lie. We didn’t realize that we’d need a governor who would promote public health instead of obstructing local officials who tried to keep their constituents alive. Kemp actually sued Atlanta Mayor Keisha Bottoms to keep her from talking about COVID-19. He also overruled locally enforced mask mandates. He signed an executive order forbidding "vaccine passports.” Less than 50 percent of Georgia’s population is fully vaccinated. Only eight other states have lower vaccination rates. It’s also currently ranked eighth out of all states in COVID-19 deaths per capita. Kemp actually think this is a swell record and that Georgia would’ve suffered more under Abrams’s leadership. The mortuary business certainly wouldn’t have done as well.

Although the more devoted Trump cultists still hate him, Kemp pacified the MAGA mob somewhat when he signed the GOP-controlled legislature’s voter suppression legislation. Preventing Black people from voting is something he does well. His approval rating increased after the bill passed, and there’s reason to believe that the prominent backlash from Major League Baseball and corporations such as Coca-Cola helped further restore Kemp's conservative luster.  

From Morning Consult:  

[The] Republican governor’s popularity among GOP voters has started to tick back up, a sign of strength against a potential primary challenge for re-election next year.

“I think you have seen a sea change in his prospects,” said Republican strategist Brian Robinson, a former aide to two-term Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal. “Republicans see him standing up in the face of the cancel culture theory – in the face of the mob – and that is such an important characteristic for Republican base voters.”

Republican base voters hate Democrats, especially Abrams, more than they resent Kemp. However, we’re sure he’ll have to kiss Trump’s ass until his lips crack to regain his favor. The first stop on the humiliation express is probably Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who loves Papa Trump so much she's molested his graven image at campaign events. She’s currently Trump’s most vocal mouth piece in the House. If Kemp grovels sufficiently, maybe Greene can convince Trump not to actively endorse Abrams, which sort of happened at a September rally in Perry, Georgia. 

“Having [Abrams], I think, might be better than having your existing governor. It might very well be better,” the former president said.

 Trump has suggested that former Senator David Perdue challenge Kemp. Perdue lost his seat to Jon Ossoff in January. He’s not exactly a hot property, but he did swallow his dignity and enable Trump’s election lies last year. 

There’s a great moment in Abrams’s announcement video where she’s walking through a charming Georgia neighborhood with two little girls. One of them says, “I think you’d make a really good governor. All you got to do is stay tough and stay brave.” We admit that made our Grinchy heart melt.

Abrams is a leader who is never cruel nor cowardly. She represents a far nobler Georgia than Marjorie Taylor Greene or even Brian Kemp. Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff beat the odds during the Georgia runoff elections, and here’s hoping Abrams can do the same next year.

And if you’d like to do something more tangible than simply hope, you can donate to the cause here. 

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[ Atlanta Journal-Constitution ]

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