FILE – In this April 3, 2019, record photo, erstwhile Georgia gubernatorial campaigner Stacey Abrams speaks during the National Action Network Convention successful New York. Abrams, whose voting rights enactment helped marque Georgia into a plaything state, exhorted Congress connected Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021, to cull “outright lies” that person historically restricted entree to the ballot arsenic Democrats began their propulsion for a sweeping overhaul of predetermination and morals laws. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
Has hellhole frozen over? Are pigs present airborne? Has Donald Trump stopped lying?!
Impossible, you mightiness beryllium thinking. Well, see different impossibility that happened this weekend: I recovered myself agreeing with thing Trump said astatine his rally Saturday successful Georgia.
No, not his laundry database of lies astir the 2020 election. It was Trump’s remark that having Stacey Abrams arsenic politician of the Peach State would beryllium “better” than existent GOP Gov. Brian Kemp.
As shocking arsenic it is for maine to hold with the antheral who allegedly incited the January 6 enactment of “domestic terrorism” (an accusation helium denies), Trump is 100% close astir Abrams. But his comments this play weren’t astir the information that the governmental powerhouse, who’s the erstwhile number person for the Georgia House of Representatives, would beryllium fantabulous successful Kemp’s position. It was each astir his choler astatine Kemp — which reveals truthful overmuch astir however unsafe the GOP is to our ideology nether Trump’s leadership.
In 2018, Trump endorsed Kemp successful a hotly contested primary. But 2 years later, Trump turned connected Kemp for the sole crushed that the politician refused to articulation Trump’s un-American effort to overturn the 2020 election, choosing to stay much loyal to the US Constitution.
Kemp wasn’t the lone Republican authorities authoritative who refused to assistance Trump subvert the volition of voters — and Trump said arsenic overmuch astatine his rally successful Perry connected Saturday arsenic helium slammed assorted politicians, similar “terrible lieutenant governor” Geoff Duncan. But it was Kemp who was the focus of the disgraced erstwhile President’s speech, with Trump calling the politician “disastrous” and repeatedly telling his fans Abrams would beryllium preferable for the job.
Abrams hasn’t announced if she’s running successful 2022. Still, astatine 1 constituent during the rally, Trump said, “Stacey, would you similar to instrumentality his place? It’s OK with me.” He besides told his adoring fans that “having (Abrams), I think, mightiness beryllium amended than having your existing governor, if you privation to cognize the information — mightiness precise good beryllium better.”
On that, Trump is perfectly right. Abrams would beryllium a much, overmuch amended politician for the radical of Georgia than Kemp, who signed a sweeping elector suppression measurement into instrumentality earlier this twelvemonth that not lone makes it amerciable to supply h2o oregon nutrient to radical waiting to vote, but alarmingly could pave the mode for authorities GOP officials to overturn predetermination results. Recent reporting by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution besides recovered that Kemp’s medication dismissed proposal from wellness experts during the pandemic, was dilatory to enactment astatine the outset and placed economical concerns implicit protecting residents — conclusions that Kemp’s squad has disputed.
This, however, is not the archetypal clip Trump has slammed Kemp for not conspiring with him to overturn the 2020 predetermination — contempt three recounts affirming Biden’s win. At a December rally successful Georgia successful beforehand of the January 5 Senate run-off, Trump trashed Kemp for not assisting him to illegally overturn the election, starring the assemblage to boo Kemp. And connected the nighttime earlier the run-off, Trump was backmost successful Georgia, again denouncing Kemp for not joining successful his coup attempt. The exiting President vowed that helium would beryllium backmost successful the authorities “in a twelvemonth and a half, campaigning against your governor.”
And conscionable days earlier Saturday’s rally, Trump told a blimpish vigor host that if idiosyncratic ran against Kemp successful the primary, “they’d win.” He past added much ominous words for Kemp’s aboriginal prospects: “He’s not going to beryllium capable to triumph the wide predetermination anyway, due to the fact that the basal isn’t going to amusement up for him.”
If the 2022 governor’s contention ends up pitting the progressive Abrams against the blimpish Kemp, volition Trump supporters really ballot for Abrams? Unlikely. But this could pb to immoderate Trump supporters simply not voting for Kemp — which could spell doom successful this authorities that is trending blue.
Indeed, aft Democrats won some Senate run-offs connected January 5, galore Republican strategists blamed Trump for dampening turnout with his absorption connected predetermination lies and attacking chap Republicans arsenic opposed to helping the 2 GOP Senate candidates win. For example, Erick Erickson, a syndicated blimpish vigor amusement big and blogger successful Georgia, put it bluntly aft the election: “Telling everyone that the contention was stolen erstwhile it wasn’t outgo the Republicans 2 Senate seats.”
Scott Jennings, a Kentucky-based GOP strategist and CNN commentator, besides enactment the losses connected Trump, saying that helium drained enthusiasm among GOP voters successful agrarian areas with his predetermination misinformation.
Abrams — if she decides to tally — should beryllium capable triumph the governorship successful the Peach State adjacent without Trump’s attacks connected Kemp. After all, she mislaid her 2018 tally by lone about 50,000 votes successful a hotly contested predetermination wherever allegations swirled that Kemp utilized elector suppression tactics to squeak retired his win.
Since then, Abrams has founded the voting rights enactment Fair Fight Action, which, per the New York Times, has inspired astir 800,000 caller voters to registry successful the state. Her enactment has been credited for helping President Joe Biden triumph Georgia successful the 2020 election, and with helping Democrats Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock unafraid the triumph successful the state’s January 5 Senate run-off. Add to that a poll conducted successful May by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which recovered that Abrams is viewed favorably by 48 percent of George voters, compared to 44 percent who favour Kemp.
If the Senate run-off is immoderate indication, Trump’s trashing of Kemp tin lone assistance Abrams. And if it results successful Abrams making past by becoming the archetypal ever Black pistillate politician of immoderate authorities successful our nation, Trump is right: Georgia volition beryllium amended for it.
Dean Obeidallah, a erstwhile attorney, is the big of SiriusXM radio’s regular programme “The Dean Obeidallah Show” and a columnist for The Daily Beast. Follow him @DeanObeidallah. The opinions expressed successful this commentary are his own.
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