The Georgia Politics Podcast

Professor Stone is back on The Georgia Politics Podcast to talk about the history of midterm elections. Next week, America will decide thousands of congressional and state legislative races and Republicans are largely expected to have a good night. Craig and Professor Stone discuss how previous midterm elections, notably 1982 and 1994, shaped American politics and defined the changing landscape of American sentiment for incumbent political parties. Clips Used in This Episode 1994 – Representative Gingrich on the Congressional Transition 2018 - Nancy Pelosi speaks after Democrats win House control 1966 – Election Shocks 1982 – Election Night Coverage on NBC 1950 – American Election Roundup About Professor Adam Stone Adam Stone is 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 Universi

Welcome to The Georgia Politics Podcast! We hope you are part of the 816,000 people who have already voted early. If you aren’t – go vote! And that’s exactly where we kick off the show today. The state has already seen several turnout records in early voting this year with 816,000 people having cast their ballots already, compared to the 500,000 during the same time period in 2018. Of those who have already voted early, 16% did not vote at all in 2022. The panel discuss what these early numbers mean, and what, if any conclusion we can draw from the effects of SB 201, the voting bill that Democrats lambasted as voter suppression. In other news, Stacey Abrams is under fire yet again for a statement she made regarding the economic impact of the Dobbs decision during an interview on MSNBC. She said, “Let's be clear. Having children is why you're worried about your price for gas. It's why you're concerned about how much food costs. For women, this is not a reductive issue. You can't divorce being forced to carry a

An ongoing storyline on The Georgia Politics Podcast is the efficacy of the modern day debate format and ways to improve them so that they give voters more useful information. Joining the panel for this special episode is Shruthi Balachander, a Georgia Secretary of State Ambassador and member of Student Leadership Johns Creek. Georgia just saw some of its top tier candidates, most notably Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker, wrap debates with the Atlanta Press Club. They stood behind podiums and answered questions from moderators in what many would describe as a traditional debate. There were no big surprises, and both candidates probably walked off the stage thinking that not much in their race has changed. We don’t know yet how many people tuned in, but its safe to say that it will be a small number. The question is why more people don’t tune in and how do we, the public, convince more people that they should? Shruthi recently helped Student Leadership Johns Creek put on debates for local races in the north

Welcome to The Georgia Politics Podcast! The panel talk about Herschel Walker’s latest scandal, the response, and whether THIS one will be the one that makes a difference in November. This past Wednesday, the Daily Beast published a story saying that they had made contact with a woman who claims Herschel Walker paid her to have an abortion in 2009. The story was released on top of the pre-existing abusive history Walker his with women, and the recently revealed children that even people inside his team were not aware of. In response to this, Christian Walker, Herschel Walker's son, who up until the latest story had been public about his support for his father’s campaign, took to social media with several posts about his father. One included “You’re not a ‘family man’ when you left us to bang a bunch of women, threatened to kill us, and had us move over 6 times in 6 months running from your violence.” In response to the story, Walker denied all allegations and claimed to have never heard of or met the woman in

Jumping into your podcast feeds this week with a rare Wednesday appearance, Craig is joined by Senator Mack Mattingly to provide listeners with a firsthand accounting of his colleague and the topic of our Monday special episode, Senator Bob Dole. Senator Mattingly first met Senator Dole over 50 years ago, and recalls Senator Dole’s time in a post-Nixon Republican party and then getting picked by Ford to be his running mate, opposite a ticket that featured Georgia’s own Jimmy Carter for the Democrats. They talk about Dole’s rise in politics after the failed run for the White House alongside Ford, which led to his being voted Senate Minority Leader in 1986, and eventually the party’s nominee for President in 1996. Connect with The Georgia Politics Podcast on Twitter @gapoliticspod Proud member of the Appen Podcast Network. #gapol

Welcome to another special “political history” episode of The Georgia Politics Podcast. Professor Stone joins the show again, this time to discuss the life and legacy of longtime Republican Senator from Kansas and Presidential candidate, Bob Dole. Prior to his 27 years in the Senate, Dole served in the United States House of Representatives from 1961 to 1969. He was also the Republican presidential nominee in the 1996 election and the vice presidential nominee in the 1976 election. Craig and the Professor start at the beginning, with Senator Dole’s modest upbringing and military service during World War II, and take listeners all the way through his political career, which was capped with the 1996 Republican nomination for President that he would eventually lose to incumbent Bill Clinton. Clips used in this episode: 60 Minutes with Steve Kroft, 1993 1976 Vice Presidential debate Senator Bob Dole farewell address George H.W. Bush 1988 “straddle ad” 1988 campaign ad – “the difference is leadership” 1988 campaig

Let’s catch up on the state of play this week on The Georgia Politics Podcast. This past week Georgia voters got the results of two statewide polls, one from the AJC in partnership with UGA, and one from Marist. It’s worth noting that these two polls were VERY different in sample and result, but the panel focus on the AJC poll, what it means, and who has some catching up to do. The panel also get into some election consequences theory on what would happen if/when Dems regain at least one of the chambers of government under the Gold Dome and wrap up with some general observations from the campaign trail. 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 @meganlaneg Preston Thompson @pston3 Hans Appen @hansappen Proud member of the Appen Podcast Network. #gapol

On this cheeky episode of The Georgia Politics Podcast, we chat with Frederick Guy, an American living in England, on what the scene is like since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. Frederick has lived in Great Britain since 1995, and has seen enough to tell us what Americans get right about the Brits, what they get wrong about Americans, and why the passing of the Queen is such a big deal over there (and why we Americans may not be able to fully grasp the milestone). Frederick also touches on more broadly what life is like there and what he, as an American, was surprised about when he moved over there, and what he misses most about the States. As most of you are aware, there has been wall to wall coverage of the passing of the Queen, and we thought we would give our own #gapol twist on acknowledging her passing and recognizing the legacy she leaves behind. Connect with The Georgia Politics Podcast on Twitter @gapoliticspod Proud member of the Appen Podcast Network. #gapol

Kicking off The Georgia Politics Podcast today, the panel discuss the potential Warnock/Walker Senate debate(s). Senator Warnock has agreed to Walker’s preferred Savannah Debate on the condition that there be a second event next month and that the topics not be provided in advance. How much, if at all, would the debates make a difference? Who is winning the debate about the debates? In a bit of a Candidate Corner segment, the Libertarian candidate for Georgia Governor has challenged the constitutionality of leadership committees and Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan refuses to endorse the man looking to succeed him, Burt Jones. And is Stacey Abrams’ campaign for Governor in trouble? Well, the New York Times seems to think so. The panel discuss the scathing article that was published over the weekend calling into questions the likelihood of her November election and hints at “Democrats in disarray.” But are they? And finally, the Atlanta Medical Center announced that it plans to close its doors in November and

It’s a mailbag episode on today’s installment of The Georgia Politics Podcast! We appreciate all the feedback and listener questions we get from our pod peeps, so from time to time we try to spend some time on air answering some of the questions you all send our way. We got some great one this episode, as we touch on the status of the PSC elections, the Fulton County investigation of Donald Trump, ballot referenda in Georgia and much more. To cap the show, we play a Back-To-School edition of Play-Along-At-Home and get thoroughly embarrassed. Connect with The Georgia Politics Podcast on Twitter @gapoliticspod Megan Gordon @meganlaneg Preston Thompson @pston3 Hans Appen @hansappen Proud member of the Appen Podcast Network. #gapol

Welcome to The Georgia Politics Podcast, where Craig and Professor Stone present Part 2 of their special on the life and legacy of Senator Ted Kennedy. The primary topic for Part 2 is the notorious Chappaquiddick episode of Kennedy’s life, how it shaped the country’s politics, and continued a Kennedy family legacy of controversy. The Kennedys are the closest equivalent America has to political royalty. John F. Kennedy was, of course, the 35th President of the United States and his brother Bobby Kennedy served as his Attorney General, and later as a Senator from New York and Presidential candidate. Various other Kennedys have served in other appointed and elected political positions. Ted Kennedy, the younger brother of John and Bobby, is known for his long tenure in the United States Senate, where he served from 1962 until his death in 2009. His political and personal life was full of both promise and controversy. He was long considered the heir to the Kennedy dynasty, and then a tragic incident on Chappaquidd

This past week, voters turned out at record levels in Kansas to shoot down a proposed constitutional amendment that would have given the Kansas legislature authority to amend its constitution to outlaw abortion. Does the vote signal a change in the electorate? Also, Democrats are simultaneously passing key parts of their agenda in DC. What should Georgians take from the Kansas vote, and is the political pendulum swinging? Next up, a federal judge ruled Friday that Georgia must end statewide elections for the Public Service Commission because they discriminate against Black voters, a decision that could bar state officials from holding a November election to fill two seats. The ruling likely will lead to an overhaul of how commissioners are now elected. State law now requires commission members to live in one of five districts but allows voters from across the entire state to cast ballots for all commission seats. The panel discuss. Lastly, this year’s Music Midtown festival was canceled last week in part due

Back by popular demand, we once again welcome you to another special “political history” episode of The Georgia Politics Podcast. This time, Craig and Professor Stone sit down to discuss the life and legacy of the late Senator Ted Kennedy. The Kennedys are the closest equivalent America has to political royalty. John F. Kennedy was, of course, the 35th President of the United States and his brother Bobby Kennedy served as his Attorney General, and later as a Senator from New York and Presidential candidate. Various other Kennedys have served in other appointed and elected political positions. Ted Kennedy, the younger brother of John and Bobby, is known for his long tenure in the United States Senate, where he served from 1962 until his death in 2009. His political and personal life was full of both promise and controversy. Long considered the heir to the Kennedy dynasty, the focus of Part 1 of this episode is on his run for the Presidency in 1980 – what went wrong, what went wrong, and why he never tried agai

Welcome to The Georgia Politics Podcast! Last week, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals allowed HB481, Georgia’s “Heartbeat Bill”, to stand, based on the Dobbs ruling from the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. The panel discuss what’s next for the pro-life community and reproductive services in the state. Also, the Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor, Burt Jones, has been asked to testify in the Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’s probe into January 6th and surrounding actions. Jones is one of 16 Republicans who served as an “alternate” presidential elector for Donald Trump in December 2020. All of them were recently subpoenaed by a special grand jury and informed by Willis’s office that they could be indicted. Jones’s attorneys are calling foul, citing a June fundraiser that Willis held for the now Democratic nominee Charlie Bailey’s campaign at a Southwest Atlanta grocery store not long after the grand jury was seated, as well as a $2,500 donation she made to his campaign in January. Fai

Craig continues his interview with Senator Mack Mattingly (R-GA), the first Republican Senator from Georgia since Reconstruction. As discussed in Part 1, Senator Mattingly unseated a titan of Georgia politics, Herman Talmadge, and served from 1981 to 1987.     Part 2 focuses on the Senator's career both before and after the U.S. Senate. The Senator reflects on his time as Assistant Secretary of Defense at NATO, the issues facing the Western alliance in the late 1980s and the sensitive interaction of the 16 members of the defense organization. Craig and Senator Mattingly also discuss the future of NATO and the current war in the Ukraine and its implications for the United States.  Senator Mattingly then relays his time as Ambassador to the Seychelles Islands, how he had a front row seat for the formulation of their constitution and the small nation's role in the Cold War between the West and the Soviet Union.     Craig and the Senator then go back to the 1960s and 1970s by discussing how the Georgia Republican

Welcome to The Georgia Politics Podcast! On today’s show, the focus is on the June 30th fundraising numbers for Stacey Abrams and Brian Kemp, and yet more bad news surrounding Herschel Walker. First up, the numbers from the June 30th fundraising deadline have come in, and the candidates are breaking all sorts of records. Abrams has raked in $50 million dollars since announcing her campaign, with $22 million coming in the last two months alone, and Governor Kemp has brought in over $22 million in total. These numbers are due is in large part to a bill passed last session that effectively allows candidates to skirt most campaign finance regulations by establishing their own coordinated committees. Should Brian Kemp be worried?  And in other news, the Walker campaign has had bad news after bad news over the last few weeks, and it looks like it’s starting to take its toll. Most recently the left leaning outlet Daily Beast obtained texts from the campaign painting a tumultuous behind the scenes picture, and one st

Joining Craig on The Georgia Politics is former U.S. Senator Mack Mattingly. In 1981, Senator Mattingly became the first Republican to serve Georgia in the Senate since Reconstruction in the 1870s. He served one term from 1981-1987.   The focus of Part 1 of this 2 part interview is the Senator's dramatic and unexpected defeat of Senator Herman Talmadge in 1980. The campaign was part of a red wave that resulted in Republicans taking control of the Senate for the first time since 1955. Craig also asks about the role the media played in the campaign, critical "new voters" Republicans gained, and the Senator's success in attracting African American voters to his campaign. Senator Mattingly also discusses his term in the Senate, his committee work and his reflections about his colleagues and other key political players he met during his term.  During Craig's "lightning round," Senator Mattingly shares personal anecdotes about some of the more famous Senators of the time including Bob Dole, Joe Biden and Gary Hart.

Joining Megan on The Georgia Politics Podcast is attorney and former public defender, Chris Sandbach, to discuss the role of public defenders in our criminal justice system and what the appointment of Kentanji Brown Jackson means for the makeup of the Supreme Court. Public defenders are attorneys who represent people who have been charged with a crime and who cannot afford to pay for private counsel. They face the possibility of time behind bars if convicted. The 6th Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees that if someone cannot afford private counsel, a judge will appoint a public defender to defend them in a court of law, for free. Chris, who spent over 6 years of his professional life as a public defender, talks with Megan about the ways in which our criminal justice system works, where it has room for improvement, and the role public defenders play in both. He also talks about the recently sworn in Justice Kentanji Brown Jackson and what her experience as a public defender brings to the cou

On Friday, the Supreme Court released its opinion in the Dobbs case and has now officially overturned Roe v. Wade. Women no longer have a constitutional right to an abortion which is now, according to Dobbs, decided by state governments. So, what’s the current state of abortion law in Georgia? Believe it or no, we also had primary runoffs last week in Georgia, and the panel discuss the winners and losers. Get ready for November, folks! Lastly, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and his Chief Operating Officer, Gabriel Sterling, testified in front of the January 6th committee.  Overhyped/Underhyped, Play-Along-At-Home and much more on this week’s episode of The Georgia Politics Podcast. Connect with The Georgia Politics Podcast on Twitter @gapoliticspod Megan Gordon-Kane @meganlaneg Preston Thompson @pston3 Proud member of the Appen Podcast Network. #gapol

Kicking off the show today is a discussion on a few runoffs we have here in Georgia before the race to November begins. There are four notable nominations left to be determined for the Democratic Lieutenant Governor candidate, 6th District Republican nominee, 10th Congressional District Republican nominee, and the Democratic candidate for the Secretary of State race. What dynamics are in play for what will almost certainly be a low turnout runoff, and importantly, who will win? Next up, the now 7th District Democratic nominee, Lucy McBath, saw her federal red flag bill pass in the House last week as part of a surge in Democratic bills after the shooting in Uvalde. What's the current state of play for gun reform bills in Georgia politics?  Overhyped/Underhyped, Play-Along-At-Home and much more on this week’s episode of The Georgia Politics Podcast. Connect with The Georgia Politics Podcast on Twitter @gapoliticspod Megan Gordon-Kane @meganlaneg Preston Thompson @pston3 Proud member of the Appen Podcast Networ