The Georgia Politics Podcast

Welcome to the Georgia Politics Podcast! On the show today, Fani Willis is wrapping up, Copy City protesters are nearing 70,000 signatures and Plant Vogtle is producing electricity. Looming Fulton County Indictment By the time you’re listening to this podcast it’s possible that President Trump has been indicted in Fulton County for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. What could this mean for his electoral prospects next November and can the country handle a televised prosecution of a former President? Cop City Vote Residents of Atlanta are attempting to put the planned Public Safety Training Center on the ballot this year, and they need 70,000 signatures to do it. They have just a few days left and recent reporting suggests that it will be close. If they get the votes and the referenda passes, what will that mean? If they get the votes and it doesn’t, what changes? Plant Vogtle Years late and billions of dollars over budget — the nation’s newest nuclear power plant is now operational and producing elec

Jim Galloway joins the show to help us pay tribute to a man who became an institution in Georgia politics for over 50 years. Bill Shipp made a name for himself in Georgia in 1953 when, as editor of UGA’s student newspaper, he wrote a column calling for the school of law to admit a black student, Horace Ward. It angered the powers that be to such an extent, that the state legislature drafted a bill to have him expelled from school. Instead, he left UGA and joined the Army and was stationed in West Germany. When he returned to the States, he started work at what was then the Atlanta Constitution, where he worked for over 30 years covering politics, the civil rights movement, and breaking news from around the world. He befriended and made enemies of Georgia’s political elite. He was considered both a confidant and a persona non grata by governors and legislators for decades. He was the first to break the news to the country that Jimmy Carter was running for President. Later in life, he was one of the first newsm

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 Ap

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

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

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. #gapol

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. Underhyp

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 pa

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 t

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 g

Welcome to The Georgia Politics Podcast! On today’s episode, we interview candidate for the Georgia GOP Chairmanship, Rebecca Yardley. Rebecca discusses her plan to organize in areas of the state that have not seen much investment from the state party, how she plans to build a big tent and welcome coalition of Republican voters and how her experience would serve her well if elected Chairman. It’s another jam packed episode full of insights into the possible future of the Republican party in Georgia. Connect with Rebecca by visiting her campaign website rebecca4gagop.com. Connect with The Georgia Politics Podcast on Twitter @gapoliticspod Daelen on Instagram @daelen_lowry Proud member of the Appen Podcast Network. #gapol

Welcome to The Georgia Politics Podcast! On the show today we answer all of our listeners questions about politics, the 2024 election, immunity deals for fake Georgia electors and much more. Every once in a while the emails pile up, the DMs get out of control and we need to just take an episode to help answer some questions. You all had plenty and we did our very best to answer as many of them as we could. Still have something to ask? Email hans(a)appenmedia(dot)com ot DM us on Twitter @gapoliticspod. Thanks for all the questions! 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

Welcome to The Georgia Politics Podcast! On today’s episode, we interview former State Senator and current candidate for the Georgia GOP Chairmanship, Josh McKoon. Sen. McKoon discusses his plan to reshape the state party, including his vision for inclusivity and running candidates everywhere. He also talks about what concerns he hears from party delegates when he is courting their votes and how he thinks Republicans should think about past and future elections. It’s a jam packed episode full of insights into the possible future of the Republican party in Georgia. Connect with Sen. McKoon by visiting his campaign website mckoonforchairman.com. Connect with The Georgia Politics Podcast on Twitter @gapoliticspod Megan Gordon @meganlaneg Preston Thompson @pston3 Hans Appen @hansappen Daelen on Instagram @daelen_lowry Proud member of the Appen Podcast Network. #gapol  

GaPol_Trump   This week on The Georgia Politics Podcast, Megan sits down with Chris Sandbach to discuss what we know and what we don’t know about the Trump indictment related to hush money payments to Stormy Daniels. There have, of course, been plenty of news articles and commentary on what implications the indictment of Donald Trump could have for the country writ large and Donald Trump’s political future, but we think what is needed is an explainer of exactly what the charges are, what evidence is presented by the Manhattan DA in the indictment, and what we can expect to learn in the next few months. Attorney Chris Sandbach joins Megan (also an attorney) to go over the details. We want our listeners to be informed of the facts to help them formulate their own opinions on the merits of the case against the former President. About Chris Sandbach Chris Sandbach has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science with an emphasis on Foreign Policy and Received his J.D. from Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School in 2015.

On The Georgia Politics Podcast today, the DNC picks Chicago and Brian Kemp pitches anyone but Trump in 2024. Atlanta lost its bid last week to host the next Democratic National Convention in favor of Chicago. Atlanta leaders were thinking up until the final day that it was safely theirs. What happened, and is Georgia still the center of the political world?  Also last week at the Republican National Committee Meeting in Nashville, Brian Kemp encouraged his party to stay away from the issue of election denial in upcoming campaigns. “To voters trying to pay their rent, make their car payment or put their kids through college, 2020 is ancient history,” he said, adding that voters want to know the GOP’s vision for the future and “couldn’t care less about anyone’s sour grapes.” Is he right? Meanwhile, a new UGA poll has the former President polling in the 40s in Georgia, despite several other announced candidates. Is Brian Kemp going out on a limb? Underhyped/Overhyped, Play-Along-At-Home and much, much more on

Welcome to another special episode of The Georgia Politics Podcast! Professor Stone and Craig sit down to discuss the political rise and fall of Jimmy Carter's chosen Vice President, Walter Mondale.  Known as a bit of a Washington insider, the Senator from Minnesota was supposed to help balance out Carter's Washington inexperience and be his man on the hill. It didn't quite work out that way, and while Mondale tranformed the role of Vice President, Carter's presidency would go on to be known for his inability to relate with Congress. In 1984, Wondale won the Democratic primary in a crowded field, but would end up losing one of the most lopsided Presidential elections in American history. To add insult to injury, he would also go on to lose a Senate race in his home state of Minnesota. America's biggest political loser? You decide. Connect with The Georgia Politics Podcast on Twitter @gapoliticspod Proud member of the Appen Podcast Network. #gapol

On another feature of The Local Option with Dana Barrett, Fulton County, Georgia Commissioner Dana Barrett sits down with Preston to take a deep dive into navigating the political landscapes of (even) local governments. Wouldn't it be better if every conversation about an issue didn't have to end with "and Politics?"  Then, Commissioner Barrett gives her take on the recent headline-making controversy at the most recent Fulton County Commission meeting before offering thoughts on "Invest Atlanta."  You can follow Dana Barrett on twitter at @TheDanaBarrett, or visit her website electdanabarrett.com. Reach out to her via email at Dana.Barrett@fultoncountyga.gov. Like this special series? The Local Option is now its own stand alone podcast! Subscribe wherever you listen to podcast by searching for "The Local Option with Dana Barrett." Connect with The Georgia Politics Podcast on Twitter @gapoliticspod Proud member of the Appen Podcast Network. #gapol

Welcome to the 4th annual Sie Die episode of The Georgia Politics Podcast! On today’s show, we dive into the bills that are headed to the Governor’s desk for his signature and which bills are not…and all the shenanigans that happened in between. Senate Bill 233 was the latest attempt at a school voucher program to not get the votes it needed during a recent legislative session. The voucher would have provided $6,500 to families living in the area of a failing school to be put towards a private school or home schooling. The bill failed by a vote of 85-89. It was then immediately tabled, meaning it can still be considered during 2024’s session.  House Bill 19, otherwise known as the Annual Budget, made it through both chambers with just hours to spare. It included full funding for the HOPE Scholarship, pay raises for law enforcement and teachers. HB196, a bill to keep the process moving on Medical Cannabis Oil, once again failed to gain traction on the final day of legislative session.  Sports Betting failed to