1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,480 Speaker 1: Hi, this is new due to the virus. I'm recording 2 00:00:02,560 --> 00:00:05,440 Speaker 1: from home, so you may notice a difference in audio 3 00:00:05,559 --> 00:00:11,840 Speaker 1: quality on this episode of News World. The two Georgia 4 00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:16,040 Speaker 1: Senate runoffs between Republican David Purdue and Democrat John Asso 5 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:20,600 Speaker 1: and Republican Kelley Loffler and Democrat Raphael are some of 6 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:24,400 Speaker 1: the most important in modern district because these two races 7 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:27,800 Speaker 1: will determine whether Republicans maintain the control of the Senate 8 00:00:28,120 --> 00:00:31,320 Speaker 1: under a Biden administration and a Pelosi House, or whether 9 00:00:31,360 --> 00:00:36,239 Speaker 1: the radical left will control both the legislative and executive branches. 10 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:39,400 Speaker 1: We should be very worried for the future if these 11 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:42,640 Speaker 1: two Senate races are lost to the Democrats. The Georgia 12 00:00:42,720 --> 00:00:46,200 Speaker 1: Senate runoff election will take place on January fifth, twenty 13 00:00:46,479 --> 00:00:50,680 Speaker 1: twenty one, with early voting already underway. Early voting began 14 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:54,320 Speaker 1: on Monday, December fourteenth. To give us insights as to 15 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:57,120 Speaker 1: what is happening on the ground in Georgia, I'm pleased 16 00:00:57,120 --> 00:01:00,360 Speaker 1: to welcome my guests Brian Robinson. He's a Georgia publican 17 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:05,160 Speaker 1: strategist and a regular contributor on the podcast called Political 18 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:18,959 Speaker 1: Breakfast on WABE, the local NPR Station Atlane. We're going 19 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:22,920 Speaker 1: to talk about the Georgia Center runoffs, Georgia politics in general, 20 00:01:23,280 --> 00:01:26,560 Speaker 1: and we're very lucky to have Brian Robinson, who is 21 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:30,680 Speaker 1: a long time Georgia Republican strategist and he has a 22 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:35,000 Speaker 1: very deep knowledge of politics and Georgia. So Ran, first 23 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:37,240 Speaker 1: of all, thank you for green to come on and 24 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:41,640 Speaker 1: share your insights with our audience. I'm very glad to 25 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:44,560 Speaker 1: be here nude, and of course being from Georgia, I 26 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:48,279 Speaker 1: have so many tangential connections to you from being friends 27 00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:51,960 Speaker 1: with your daughter Jackie too, having been owned campaigns like 28 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:54,520 Speaker 1: the twenty ten campaign for governor and Georgia where your 29 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:57,880 Speaker 1: endorsement of my boss, Governor Deal was a major rip 30 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:01,560 Speaker 1: to that campaign, and so ever, grateful for your help there. 31 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 1: I remember that that was an exciting time and Nathan 32 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:09,760 Speaker 1: Deal turned out to be quite a governor I think. Yeah. 33 00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:11,919 Speaker 1: So tell us in general terms, how do you see 34 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:17,840 Speaker 1: the current Georgia's situation. George has been on this trajectory 35 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:22,360 Speaker 1: over the last decade toward political parody like other Southern 36 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:26,560 Speaker 1: states or Republicans had a strong foothold here and built 37 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:30,400 Speaker 1: very big majorities early in the decade. We had supermajorities 38 00:02:30,520 --> 00:02:33,840 Speaker 1: in the Georgia General Assembly and a two to one 39 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:37,799 Speaker 1: advantage in our congressional district. And there were many Republicans 40 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:41,320 Speaker 1: in Georgia throughout the years, yourself included. Who were the 41 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:46,240 Speaker 1: foot soldiers who really built that majority. But you know, 42 00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:51,480 Speaker 1: former Senator al Gorse Senior of Tennessee, when he lost 43 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:55,760 Speaker 1: in the early seventies his Senate seat, he said Democrats 44 00:02:55,760 --> 00:02:58,840 Speaker 1: have done such a good job of raising Southerners out 45 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:02,960 Speaker 1: of poverty that we've turned them into Republicans. And I 46 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 1: would flip that around and say that Georgia Republicans have 47 00:03:06,639 --> 00:03:11,000 Speaker 1: done such a good job building a dynamic economy that 48 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:15,840 Speaker 1: has increased wealth creation, created new jobs in Georgia, that 49 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:18,839 Speaker 1: we've brought in so many people to the state in 50 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:23,680 Speaker 1: pursuit of our economy that we've turned the state Democrats. 51 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:28,000 Speaker 1: And it's going to be competitive. But you know, over 52 00:03:28,040 --> 00:03:31,160 Speaker 1: the last three decades, knew of every three people who 53 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:34,760 Speaker 1: have moved here too have been non white. And so 54 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:41,280 Speaker 1: the electorate that elected Sonny Purdue, the current Agriculture Secretary, 55 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:43,680 Speaker 1: as governor in two thousand and two, that electorate was 56 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:48,360 Speaker 1: over seventy five percent white. The electorate on November third, 57 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:51,880 Speaker 1: twenty twenty, was fifty three percent white. We are an 58 00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:55,520 Speaker 1: extremely competitive state. In twenty eighteen, of course, Governor Kemp 59 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:58,360 Speaker 1: beat Stacy Abrahams by fifty five thousand votes out of 60 00:03:58,440 --> 00:04:02,040 Speaker 1: four million, and of course Rooms became this national celebrity 61 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:07,680 Speaker 1: where it just almost obscene levels of glowing media coverage 62 00:04:07,720 --> 00:04:11,040 Speaker 1: of her. I've never seen anything quite like it. But 63 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 1: you know, the Democrats registered hundreds of thousands of people, 64 00:04:16,360 --> 00:04:20,520 Speaker 1: and we've had a million new voters registered since President 65 00:04:20,560 --> 00:04:23,800 Speaker 1: Trump was elected in twenty sixteen. So it is a 66 00:04:23,839 --> 00:04:27,880 Speaker 1: politically dynamic place where a lot of changes happening very 67 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:31,840 Speaker 1: fast here. I noticed, in particular that Atlanta has both 68 00:04:31,839 --> 00:04:37,599 Speaker 1: gotten bigger and more Democrat. Yeah, look at your old district, 69 00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:40,760 Speaker 1: you know, East Com and North Fulton. I mean this 70 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:45,680 Speaker 1: was the heart of Georgia Republicanism. This is where it began. Dunwoodie, 71 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:50,200 Speaker 1: Sandy Springs, ros we Afretta, Marietta, and those are all 72 00:04:50,279 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 1: blue counties now. And the General Assembly members who were 73 00:04:54,320 --> 00:04:56,880 Speaker 1: Republicans have been getting picked off one by one in 74 00:04:57,200 --> 00:05:01,400 Speaker 1: recent election cycles. And you've really seen the national trend 75 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:05,279 Speaker 1: of suburban areas, particularly you know, college educated white people 76 00:05:05,520 --> 00:05:08,440 Speaker 1: trending to the Democrats. We've seen that happen here. There's 77 00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:10,919 Speaker 1: no way to deny that that is going on. And 78 00:05:11,279 --> 00:05:14,640 Speaker 1: Georgia has been able to maintain Republican control by really 79 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:18,680 Speaker 1: juicing rural turnout. That was key for a governor Camp 80 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:20,800 Speaker 1: in twenty eighteen, it was key for a President Trump 81 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:25,200 Speaker 1: in sixteen. And Trump really did bring out new Republican 82 00:05:25,279 --> 00:05:27,360 Speaker 1: voters in a way that we had never seen before. 83 00:05:27,440 --> 00:05:30,560 Speaker 1: I mean, people who had never voted came out for him. 84 00:05:30,640 --> 00:05:32,919 Speaker 1: And I think he was so close here because he 85 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:37,760 Speaker 1: brought out another level of new voters in twenty twenty. 86 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:42,040 Speaker 1: What you're seeing in the suburbs, though, is concerning, because 87 00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:45,960 Speaker 1: that is where the growth is. You know, if you 88 00:05:46,040 --> 00:05:49,640 Speaker 1: look at the areas outside of Atlanta, there's been almost 89 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:52,840 Speaker 1: no growth over the last ten years, but Georgia has 90 00:05:52,880 --> 00:05:56,600 Speaker 1: grown significantly. And it's all right here in the twenty 91 00:05:56,600 --> 00:06:01,159 Speaker 1: eight twenty nine county metro Atlanta area, which is trending blue. 92 00:06:01,200 --> 00:06:04,479 Speaker 1: And that is why Stacy Abrams was so competitive, and 93 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:07,040 Speaker 1: that is why Joe Biden fought to a tie here 94 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:11,440 Speaker 1: in Georgia. He explained, just for the non Georgians who 95 00:06:11,480 --> 00:06:14,480 Speaker 1: will be listening to this, how does Georgia end up 96 00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:18,680 Speaker 1: with runoffs particularly, and in the case of Senator Purdue 97 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:23,680 Speaker 1: actually ran about one percent ahead of Trump, Yeah he did, 98 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:26,560 Speaker 1: and anywhere else in the country, for the most part, 99 00:06:26,839 --> 00:06:29,960 Speaker 1: Senator Perdue would be re elected to the Senate by now, 100 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:33,000 Speaker 1: Georgia and the other Southern states were once a one 101 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:36,440 Speaker 1: party Democrat state. So we've got runoffs in Georgia going 102 00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:40,839 Speaker 1: back to the early nineteen hundreds when the election rules 103 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:45,040 Speaker 1: were determined county by county, and every election was determined 104 00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:48,599 Speaker 1: in the Democratic primary. So the runoff rule kind of 105 00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:52,400 Speaker 1: goes back to Democratic primary rules at the turn of 106 00:06:52,400 --> 00:06:57,040 Speaker 1: the last century, and those rules became statewide in the 107 00:06:57,040 --> 00:07:00,280 Speaker 1: mid sixties when the county unit system was thrown. Now, 108 00:07:01,120 --> 00:07:04,000 Speaker 1: and we have had one hiccup, and you may remember this. 109 00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:09,920 Speaker 1: In nineteen ninety two, sitting US Democratic Senator wish Fowler 110 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:14,680 Speaker 1: is taken own by state Senator Paul Coverdale, a Republican 111 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:18,200 Speaker 1: from Atlanta, and wish Fowler gets more votes in the 112 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:21,760 Speaker 1: general election, but below fifty and so it goes to 113 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:25,160 Speaker 1: a runoff, and Paul Coverdale, the Republican, beats wish Fowler 114 00:07:25,480 --> 00:07:28,080 Speaker 1: and goes to the US Senate well, the Democrats still 115 00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:31,960 Speaker 1: controlled Georgia then, so they go, we're gonna fix this. 116 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:36,080 Speaker 1: So they lowered the threshold down to forty five percent. 117 00:07:36,480 --> 00:07:39,720 Speaker 1: If you've got over forty five percent, you won, and 118 00:07:40,080 --> 00:07:45,360 Speaker 1: it worked. In nineteen ninety six, Max Cleland, a Democrat, 119 00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:49,000 Speaker 1: ran for US Senate for Sam Nancy got in. The 120 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:52,840 Speaker 1: owner of Republican ran against him, and Max Cleveland won 121 00:07:52,920 --> 00:07:55,040 Speaker 1: with forty nine percent of the vote. So the Democrat 122 00:07:55,120 --> 00:07:58,160 Speaker 1: scheme had worked. They got a Democrat elected to the 123 00:07:58,280 --> 00:08:02,040 Speaker 1: US Senate, and then the Aulicans took over the state 124 00:08:02,120 --> 00:08:04,840 Speaker 1: in two thousand and two two thousand and three and 125 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:09,120 Speaker 1: change it back to fifty and ever since then their 126 00:08:09,160 --> 00:08:11,760 Speaker 1: plan has worked. In two thousand and eight, our Senate 127 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:15,480 Speaker 1: seat went to a runoff, sitting Republican Senator Saxeky Chambliss 128 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:18,560 Speaker 1: was heldbll of fifty and then got fifty eight percent 129 00:08:18,920 --> 00:08:22,560 Speaker 1: in the runoff. So what change we have had has 130 00:08:22,640 --> 00:08:25,680 Speaker 1: been for partisan advantage based on who was in power 131 00:08:26,080 --> 00:08:30,040 Speaker 1: at the time. It strikes me, though, as somebody who 132 00:08:30,320 --> 00:08:32,920 Speaker 1: sort of grew up with the Georgia Republican Party. My 133 00:08:33,040 --> 00:08:36,720 Speaker 1: first active involvement was for the Nixon campaign in nineteen 134 00:08:36,800 --> 00:08:40,520 Speaker 1: sixty and Columbus Georgia Muskogee County when I was a 135 00:08:40,559 --> 00:08:43,520 Speaker 1: senior in high school and there were no elected Republicans 136 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:46,480 Speaker 1: outside the mountains back then. It seems to me that 137 00:08:46,559 --> 00:08:50,480 Speaker 1: historically in those runoffs we did very very well. In fact, 138 00:08:50,559 --> 00:08:53,760 Speaker 1: particularly in the Saxby Chamblist race, the margin was amazing 139 00:08:54,160 --> 00:08:56,320 Speaker 1: in the run But I get a sense that this 140 00:08:56,400 --> 00:08:59,280 Speaker 1: year that's not the same thing, partly because you do 141 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:04,960 Speaker 1: have this new, much more intense Democratic Party, which is 142 00:09:05,240 --> 00:09:08,000 Speaker 1: Stacey Abrahams. I think as a competitor you have to 143 00:09:08,040 --> 00:09:10,640 Speaker 1: take your hat off to her and say, she's very determined, 144 00:09:10,679 --> 00:09:13,640 Speaker 1: She's been very effective. So this is will be much 145 00:09:13,679 --> 00:09:16,079 Speaker 1: more of a brawl. And I don't think it's anywhere 146 00:09:16,120 --> 00:09:19,960 Speaker 1: nearest predictable as those earlier races, where you could sort 147 00:09:19,960 --> 00:09:22,360 Speaker 1: of say, well, the Republicans will turn back out, the 148 00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:26,360 Speaker 1: Democrats won't, and the marginal white what's year since now 149 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:32,120 Speaker 1: of the Georgia electorate going into the January vote, and 150 00:09:32,280 --> 00:09:36,080 Speaker 1: of the state of the two senatorial races. Your assessment 151 00:09:36,120 --> 00:09:38,559 Speaker 1: a dead owned mister Speaker in two thousand and eight, 152 00:09:38,720 --> 00:09:40,840 Speaker 1: and that's nice be channel with race and a runoff. 153 00:09:40,880 --> 00:09:44,160 Speaker 1: He won by sixteen points fifty eight to forty two, 154 00:09:44,240 --> 00:09:48,520 Speaker 1: just a wipeout election. Fast forward ten years of twenty eighteen, 155 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:52,800 Speaker 1: we had numerous races go to runoff, including for Secretary 156 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:54,640 Speaker 1: at State, and of course now everybody in the world 157 00:09:54,679 --> 00:09:57,360 Speaker 1: knows who our Secretary of State is. He's become an 158 00:09:57,480 --> 00:10:02,760 Speaker 1: household name in the country and internationally. And that race, 159 00:10:02,840 --> 00:10:04,800 Speaker 1: and we had a Public Service Commission race which is 160 00:10:04,800 --> 00:10:08,079 Speaker 1: also stay wide. Those are won by about four points, 161 00:10:08,160 --> 00:10:11,240 Speaker 1: and so you can see how over time that margin 162 00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:14,840 Speaker 1: has shrink and runoffs just as it is shrink in 163 00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:18,920 Speaker 1: general elections. So you can tell from the strategies being 164 00:10:18,920 --> 00:10:22,920 Speaker 1: played out by both of these campaigns that all signs 165 00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:25,600 Speaker 1: expect this to be very tight. I mean, I don't 166 00:10:25,640 --> 00:10:28,719 Speaker 1: see any scenario where anyone wins by a margin in 167 00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:32,160 Speaker 1: victory of three points or four points. That would be 168 00:10:32,520 --> 00:10:37,240 Speaker 1: absolutely shocking given the fundamentals in the state today. And 169 00:10:37,520 --> 00:10:40,439 Speaker 1: you see left War and Purdue really running a turnout 170 00:10:40,559 --> 00:10:45,640 Speaker 1: strategy election. And the messaging here is Rapia Warnock is 171 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:50,960 Speaker 1: a radical liberal socialist out of the mainstream views. John 172 00:10:51,080 --> 00:10:54,480 Speaker 1: us Off is a pretender. Is the phrase that I've heard, 173 00:10:54,600 --> 00:10:59,000 Speaker 1: You know, somebody would resume no accomplishments and of course 174 00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:03,800 Speaker 1: driving the overall message that Democrats are going to fundamentally 175 00:11:03,880 --> 00:11:08,320 Speaker 1: change America. If Georgia gives these two Senate seats to 176 00:11:08,640 --> 00:11:13,200 Speaker 1: the Democrats, it gives Democrats complete control of Washington. And 177 00:11:14,080 --> 00:11:16,280 Speaker 1: let's not forget. I was talking to my old boss, 178 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:18,120 Speaker 1: Nate the Deal about this last week. He was like, 179 00:11:18,240 --> 00:11:21,480 Speaker 1: remember Brand, the last time the Democrats controlled everything, That's 180 00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:24,480 Speaker 1: how we got Obamacare. So why is it going to 181 00:11:24,559 --> 00:11:27,319 Speaker 1: be this time? Because it's going to be something big 182 00:11:27,440 --> 00:11:31,800 Speaker 1: that not only conservatives but Middle America isn't going to life, 183 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:35,280 Speaker 1: from packing the court to opening the borders, to Medicare 184 00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:39,520 Speaker 1: for all, etc. Etc. And so the Republicans have an 185 00:11:39,520 --> 00:11:43,200 Speaker 1: advantage here, mister speaker, in that we have a much 186 00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:47,440 Speaker 1: more scary message than the Democrats. Do you know, Fear 187 00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:50,800 Speaker 1: is a great motivator, and Republicans are right to be 188 00:11:50,920 --> 00:11:54,560 Speaker 1: concerned about what would happen if the Democrats controlled every 189 00:11:54,600 --> 00:11:58,120 Speaker 1: level of power. And on the flip side, what you're 190 00:11:58,160 --> 00:12:01,120 Speaker 1: seeing the Democrats do, And I think this is very 191 00:12:01,160 --> 00:12:04,880 Speaker 1: telling as far as white Democratic voters. I think the 192 00:12:04,960 --> 00:12:08,400 Speaker 1: Democrats feel like those votes are in the bank. They 193 00:12:08,440 --> 00:12:12,280 Speaker 1: seem to think that white liberals are highly motivated to 194 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:16,000 Speaker 1: go vote, and they are not being targeted in the advertising. 195 00:12:16,040 --> 00:12:21,120 Speaker 1: Every Democrat ad you see is very specifically targeted at 196 00:12:21,200 --> 00:12:24,720 Speaker 1: the African American Democrat vote here. I mean there's the 197 00:12:24,800 --> 00:12:28,360 Speaker 1: testimonials from small business people, people who've had COVID, etc. 198 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:33,600 Speaker 1: And they're all black voters. So that demographic is being 199 00:12:33,640 --> 00:12:38,040 Speaker 1: targeted heavily. And so Democrats obviously think that black voters 200 00:12:38,120 --> 00:12:42,280 Speaker 1: aren't that energized. And I think that may be true, 201 00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:46,520 Speaker 1: because look, why did the Democrat base want more than 202 00:12:46,600 --> 00:12:49,360 Speaker 1: anything in the world. They wanted to get rid of 203 00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:51,880 Speaker 1: Donald Trump, that he was the big book of man. 204 00:12:51,960 --> 00:12:55,079 Speaker 1: They hate him, and now they feel like, hey, we 205 00:12:55,120 --> 00:12:58,079 Speaker 1: got what we wanted. We're good. So that's going to 206 00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:12,480 Speaker 1: be a major motivating problem for the Democrats. This is 207 00:13:12,520 --> 00:13:15,120 Speaker 1: Gianno Caldwell. This week on Allow with Giano Caldwell, I 208 00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:18,160 Speaker 1: talk to one of America's favorite doctors, doctor Drew Pensky. 209 00:13:18,679 --> 00:13:21,520 Speaker 1: Doctor Drew has been a fixture in America's conversation around 210 00:13:21,520 --> 00:13:24,600 Speaker 1: public health and wellness for a generation, particularly when it 211 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:28,199 Speaker 1: comes to addiction and addiction treatment. We cover all these topics, 212 00:13:28,240 --> 00:13:30,680 Speaker 1: plus the good doctor thoughts on the rollout of a 213 00:13:30,720 --> 00:13:34,160 Speaker 1: COVID vaccine and the aftermath of the presidential election. Listen 214 00:13:34,200 --> 00:13:37,320 Speaker 1: to Allow with Gianno Caldwell every Monday on the iHeartRadio app, 215 00:13:37,360 --> 00:13:47,920 Speaker 1: Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm kind 216 00:13:47,920 --> 00:13:53,360 Speaker 1: of intrigued because I think the commercials that the Democrats 217 00:13:53,400 --> 00:13:56,760 Speaker 1: are running, which are basically from one's I've seen, there's 218 00:13:56,840 --> 00:13:59,880 Speaker 1: kind of touchy feeling. I'm really okay. I don't know 219 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:02,480 Speaker 1: why you call me a radical. There's one now I 220 00:14:02,520 --> 00:14:04,760 Speaker 1: think of Warnick. I think trying to put up Christmas 221 00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:07,400 Speaker 1: lights or something. But in Warning's case, at least I 222 00:14:07,480 --> 00:14:11,160 Speaker 1: just did Fox before coming here to the podcast, and 223 00:14:11,240 --> 00:14:16,319 Speaker 1: they had another warning quote, this one describing people who 224 00:14:16,400 --> 00:14:19,840 Speaker 1: voted for tax cuts as baby killers and King Herod. 225 00:14:20,280 --> 00:14:26,280 Speaker 1: Herod is the cynical politician who's willing to kill children 226 00:14:27,760 --> 00:14:32,120 Speaker 1: and kill the children's health program in order to preserve 227 00:14:32,200 --> 00:14:35,840 Speaker 1: his own wealth and his own power. The United States 228 00:14:35,880 --> 00:14:42,239 Speaker 1: Senate decided by a slim majority to pick the pockets 229 00:14:42,360 --> 00:14:46,120 Speaker 1: of the poor, the sick, the old, and the yet 230 00:14:46,320 --> 00:14:50,960 Speaker 1: unborn in order to learn the pockets of the ultra rich. 231 00:14:52,360 --> 00:14:54,640 Speaker 1: Stuff that was very powerful in the pulpit. If you're 232 00:14:54,640 --> 00:14:57,360 Speaker 1: an African American Baptist preacher. A lot of stuff is 233 00:14:57,400 --> 00:15:00,359 Speaker 1: really powerful. But if you're then running for the US, 234 00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:05,200 Speaker 1: almost every other day there's a new Warnant quote. And 235 00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:07,920 Speaker 1: in that sense, it seems to me he's more easy 236 00:15:07,960 --> 00:15:14,120 Speaker 1: to define than Assaf absolutely, And look no further than 237 00:15:14,440 --> 00:15:18,280 Speaker 1: David Purdue, who is running against us off if you 238 00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:22,600 Speaker 1: are on his email list, he's often attacking quotes from Warnock. 239 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:27,400 Speaker 1: He's attacking Warnock's record, even though he's not running against Warnock. 240 00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:31,480 Speaker 1: He's trying to group them together. And Warnock has got 241 00:15:31,520 --> 00:15:35,320 Speaker 1: the same issue, and that is there's thousands and thousands 242 00:15:35,360 --> 00:15:39,720 Speaker 1: of hours of tape of him saying things, and so 243 00:15:40,240 --> 00:15:43,440 Speaker 1: anything can be used against you in the future. And 244 00:15:43,960 --> 00:15:48,880 Speaker 1: Radio Warnock is not a centrist, he is not an 245 00:15:48,880 --> 00:15:54,160 Speaker 1: Old Georgia Democrat. He is extremely liberal. He's never tried 246 00:15:54,240 --> 00:15:59,400 Speaker 1: to hide it. And he has used the Ebenezer MLK 247 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:04,680 Speaker 1: Day ceremony, which should be a unifying event for the 248 00:16:04,680 --> 00:16:08,320 Speaker 1: country where we remember this great Georgian Martin Luther King 249 00:16:08,480 --> 00:16:13,200 Speaker 1: and celebrate the progress that we've made toward equal rights 250 00:16:13,200 --> 00:16:16,360 Speaker 1: were all, and he is instead often use it to 251 00:16:16,440 --> 00:16:20,040 Speaker 1: make it a democratic rally. And I can tell you 252 00:16:20,040 --> 00:16:24,440 Speaker 1: from a personal example in twenty fourteen. Then Governor Deal 253 00:16:24,680 --> 00:16:27,280 Speaker 1: gave a speech of m okay, and he talked about 254 00:16:27,280 --> 00:16:30,760 Speaker 1: the criminal justice reforms, which years later President Trump also 255 00:16:31,320 --> 00:16:35,120 Speaker 1: really pushed to great acclaim and made a real significant difference. 256 00:16:35,360 --> 00:16:40,480 Speaker 1: Deal was a trailblazer in Republican politics, and he had 257 00:16:40,520 --> 00:16:42,560 Speaker 1: in front of the audience and he said, under my leadership, 258 00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:46,800 Speaker 1: there are twenty percent fewer African American men going into 259 00:16:46,800 --> 00:16:50,400 Speaker 1: state prisons than there were five years ago. And he 260 00:16:50,440 --> 00:16:53,280 Speaker 1: came out in favor of putting an MLK statue on 261 00:16:53,400 --> 00:16:55,520 Speaker 1: the grounds of the state capital. These are two really 262 00:16:55,520 --> 00:17:00,200 Speaker 1: big things. And after that one, I got up and 263 00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:04,680 Speaker 1: bashed Governor Deal for not expanding Medicaid. Okay, that's how 264 00:17:04,800 --> 00:17:08,520 Speaker 1: partizan he is. That's how much he politicized that event 265 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:11,480 Speaker 1: is supposed to be for all Americans. So he is 266 00:17:11,520 --> 00:17:13,920 Speaker 1: not even pretending to be a centterest in his ads, 267 00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:16,400 Speaker 1: and he's very much going with what Biden was doing 268 00:17:16,480 --> 00:17:18,760 Speaker 1: in their convention, which I was kind of confused by 269 00:17:18,760 --> 00:17:21,760 Speaker 1: at the time. I remember thinking like the Republican convention 270 00:17:21,880 --> 00:17:25,399 Speaker 1: was so much more substantive than the Democrat convention. We 271 00:17:25,480 --> 00:17:28,320 Speaker 1: actually talked about issues, you know, we had called the 272 00:17:28,359 --> 00:17:31,320 Speaker 1: party and know but we were talking about stuff we 273 00:17:31,359 --> 00:17:34,520 Speaker 1: had done and we're gonna do. And all the Democrats 274 00:17:34,520 --> 00:17:38,440 Speaker 1: talked about was Joe Biden is such a nice guy. Well, 275 00:17:38,560 --> 00:17:41,200 Speaker 1: he's the people on the train. He's great. And you're 276 00:17:41,200 --> 00:17:43,600 Speaker 1: seeing a little bit of that strategy here. We don't 277 00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:46,639 Speaker 1: want to talk too much about issues. We want to 278 00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:50,240 Speaker 1: convince you that we're pretty nice people, and that has 279 00:17:50,680 --> 00:17:55,040 Speaker 1: played out throughout weeks on TV here. I think if 280 00:17:55,040 --> 00:17:57,879 Speaker 1: you had their issues, he wouldn't want to talk about 281 00:17:57,880 --> 00:18:02,120 Speaker 1: issues either. I would want to be stringing Christmas lights too. Yeah, 282 00:18:02,760 --> 00:18:05,399 Speaker 1: so tell me this to get into a more sensity 283 00:18:05,480 --> 00:18:09,920 Speaker 1: rate from can you explain to non Georgians what's going 284 00:18:10,000 --> 00:18:12,639 Speaker 1: on with the Secretary of State and drop boxes and 285 00:18:13,040 --> 00:18:16,560 Speaker 1: absentee bots. I mean, it's so different from the Georgia 286 00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:19,000 Speaker 1: that I used to represent in Congress. I've really been 287 00:18:19,040 --> 00:18:23,040 Speaker 1: startled off fall watching the maneuvering and whatever, and it's 288 00:18:23,200 --> 00:18:26,040 Speaker 1: very hard to tell what the truth is. A lot 289 00:18:26,040 --> 00:18:28,240 Speaker 1: of this is new for us. It's not the Georgia 290 00:18:28,320 --> 00:18:31,359 Speaker 1: that you know, because it is different. There's been a 291 00:18:31,440 --> 00:18:35,280 Speaker 1: history here traditionally like five to seven percent of Georgians 292 00:18:35,400 --> 00:18:38,720 Speaker 1: voting by mail. It has not been a heavily used 293 00:18:39,119 --> 00:18:43,160 Speaker 1: tool by our voters. And you know, twenty thirty years ago, 294 00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:48,320 Speaker 1: most people who voted absentee were order Republican voters. And 295 00:18:48,359 --> 00:18:51,160 Speaker 1: so in the mid two thousands, when we did an 296 00:18:51,320 --> 00:18:54,720 Speaker 1: election law reform, we did put in some photo ID 297 00:18:54,880 --> 00:18:58,760 Speaker 1: requirements for in person voting, but those were not extended 298 00:18:58,920 --> 00:19:02,399 Speaker 1: to absentee ballots. And there was a healthy discussion amongst 299 00:19:02,480 --> 00:19:05,119 Speaker 1: Republicans who were in the state House then. Many Republicans 300 00:19:05,119 --> 00:19:09,199 Speaker 1: didn't want to have photo IV for absentee ballots, but 301 00:19:09,760 --> 00:19:11,879 Speaker 1: there was a sentiment of a sum in power that 302 00:19:12,640 --> 00:19:15,919 Speaker 1: we don't want to put up any hurdles to our voters, 303 00:19:15,920 --> 00:19:18,640 Speaker 1: to Republican voters. So it really was a Republican law 304 00:19:18,720 --> 00:19:23,360 Speaker 1: that started that. And today we had over a million 305 00:19:23,400 --> 00:19:28,520 Speaker 1: people vote by mail this year, a significant portion of 306 00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:32,080 Speaker 1: the electorate. And in this runoff, mister Speaker, we've already 307 00:19:32,119 --> 00:19:38,000 Speaker 1: had over a million absentee ballot request. Just yesterday fifty 308 00:19:38,040 --> 00:19:43,160 Speaker 1: thou absentee ballots came in to county election offices. So 309 00:19:43,920 --> 00:19:45,199 Speaker 1: I don't know if this is going to be a 310 00:19:45,240 --> 00:19:48,600 Speaker 1: long term change and how Georgian has choosed to vote, 311 00:19:49,160 --> 00:19:52,199 Speaker 1: and if it is, the Georgia General Assembly is going 312 00:19:52,280 --> 00:19:55,240 Speaker 1: to have to make some reforms, make some changes and 313 00:19:55,480 --> 00:19:59,200 Speaker 1: some security features, and the Secretary of State has proposed 314 00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:02,800 Speaker 1: some the governor has proposed some legislative leaders have been 315 00:20:02,920 --> 00:20:05,040 Speaker 1: coming up with ideas on how we can make it 316 00:20:05,520 --> 00:20:08,640 Speaker 1: more secure. In Georgiana, we have one hundred and fifty 317 00:20:08,680 --> 00:20:14,760 Speaker 1: nine counties, and each county has its own elections system, 318 00:20:15,119 --> 00:20:17,800 Speaker 1: and so there gives a lot of local autonomy in 319 00:20:17,880 --> 00:20:19,800 Speaker 1: how these decisions are made as far as like where 320 00:20:19,880 --> 00:20:21,960 Speaker 1: brock boxes are and how many there are in that 321 00:20:22,040 --> 00:20:25,280 Speaker 1: kind of thing. So it's a very decentralized system. It's 322 00:20:25,320 --> 00:20:28,600 Speaker 1: much easier to like have a single focus for something 323 00:20:28,640 --> 00:20:31,199 Speaker 1: and to blame the Secretary of State or the governor 324 00:20:31,280 --> 00:20:33,760 Speaker 1: or somebody else for it. But we have a system 325 00:20:33,840 --> 00:20:39,840 Speaker 1: that is very locally controlled. So in that context, do 326 00:20:39,880 --> 00:20:43,720 Speaker 1: you think there wasn't a great deal of inappropriate voting 327 00:20:43,800 --> 00:20:48,399 Speaker 1: or do you think that's really exaggerated by partisans what 328 00:20:48,520 --> 00:20:51,040 Speaker 1: happened here? Going back to twenty eighteen, you know, we 329 00:20:51,080 --> 00:20:55,040 Speaker 1: had Statia Everyone's loosed by fifty five thousand votes, and 330 00:20:56,040 --> 00:21:00,439 Speaker 1: she made some claims that I think are insupportable about 331 00:21:00,560 --> 00:21:03,800 Speaker 1: voter suppression. We had record turnout in twenty eighteen. We 332 00:21:03,800 --> 00:21:08,600 Speaker 1: had record turnout again in twenty twenty, and we've seen 333 00:21:08,640 --> 00:21:14,080 Speaker 1: tremendous growth in our electric and we have seen that 334 00:21:14,720 --> 00:21:18,240 Speaker 1: non white voters vote in the same percentage of the 335 00:21:18,280 --> 00:21:23,400 Speaker 1: population as white voters do. There's no evidence to those 336 00:21:23,480 --> 00:21:27,840 Speaker 1: Democrat claims of voter suppression, but one of the lasting 337 00:21:27,920 --> 00:21:31,600 Speaker 1: impacts here in Georgia was those claimed in twenty eighteen 338 00:21:31,680 --> 00:21:35,440 Speaker 1: made it okay to question the integrity of our elections. 339 00:21:36,320 --> 00:21:41,879 Speaker 1: I don't subscribe to theories that the machines were changing 340 00:21:41,960 --> 00:21:46,199 Speaker 1: the votes. You know, with some algorithm hack, the handcount 341 00:21:47,240 --> 00:21:49,840 Speaker 1: backed up what the machine did, and so that would 342 00:21:49,840 --> 00:21:53,680 Speaker 1: require absolutely every person whose vote was changed to not 343 00:21:53,680 --> 00:21:57,080 Speaker 1: notice on their printed out ballot that their vote was changed. 344 00:21:57,200 --> 00:21:59,800 Speaker 1: I just don't believe that. I think if there's sprawled 345 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:03,160 Speaker 1: I think Secretary Rappersberger has said this, If there is some, 346 00:22:03,240 --> 00:22:06,399 Speaker 1: it's people voting at old addresses when they left the 347 00:22:06,440 --> 00:22:08,400 Speaker 1: county or they left the state. I mean, I think 348 00:22:08,440 --> 00:22:11,920 Speaker 1: there's probably some of that out there, and then there's 349 00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:14,439 Speaker 1: a lot out there we don't really know. But the 350 00:22:14,480 --> 00:22:17,320 Speaker 1: state's hands are time. All states hands are times to 351 00:22:17,400 --> 00:22:20,959 Speaker 1: some degree on cleaning up the roles the Democrats call 352 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:23,960 Speaker 1: it voter purchase, right, We've heard that phrase over and 353 00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:26,920 Speaker 1: over again. That's not what it is. It is updating 354 00:22:26,920 --> 00:22:30,040 Speaker 1: the roles so that we know who you are, and 355 00:22:30,160 --> 00:22:32,000 Speaker 1: we know that you're alive, and we know that you 356 00:22:32,119 --> 00:22:36,680 Speaker 1: live where you are registered at. But the fads don't 357 00:22:36,680 --> 00:22:40,119 Speaker 1: allow us to update it too quickly. Basically have to 358 00:22:40,640 --> 00:22:44,040 Speaker 1: be an inactive voter for two cycles and so you 359 00:22:44,080 --> 00:22:47,240 Speaker 1: can move and stay on the rolls for years afterwards, literally, 360 00:22:47,760 --> 00:22:52,040 Speaker 1: and until we're able to update the roles in real time, 361 00:22:52,040 --> 00:22:54,439 Speaker 1: there's always going to be that opening for fraud. And 362 00:22:54,480 --> 00:22:56,480 Speaker 1: I can tell you Georgia officials would love to see 363 00:22:56,680 --> 00:23:00,359 Speaker 1: that loophole change, but we are relying on the all 364 00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:04,680 Speaker 1: government to do it. So I don't think that we've 365 00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:10,080 Speaker 1: seen widespread front Lieutenant Governor Duncan, Governor Camp Brian Ravensburger, 366 00:23:10,240 --> 00:23:14,240 Speaker 1: Attorney General Chris Carr. These are all strong supporters of 367 00:23:14,560 --> 00:23:19,520 Speaker 1: President Trump, very strong supporters, and it would be politically 368 00:23:20,520 --> 00:23:25,919 Speaker 1: advantageous to them to repeat what the President is saying. 369 00:23:26,400 --> 00:23:29,760 Speaker 1: The fact that they're not that they are taking on 370 00:23:29,960 --> 00:23:33,399 Speaker 1: the political peril. Said that the people on the ground 371 00:23:33,560 --> 00:23:39,040 Speaker 1: aren't seeing any evidence of widespread front had two examples. 372 00:23:39,520 --> 00:23:44,120 Speaker 1: The ambassador to Denmark her husband had died I think 373 00:23:44,160 --> 00:23:47,679 Speaker 1: five years ago in Los Angeles, and she got his 374 00:23:47,760 --> 00:23:53,159 Speaker 1: absentee ballot in Copenhagen this fall. Angels had still not 375 00:23:53,240 --> 00:23:56,359 Speaker 1: taken him off the rules. And back I think it 376 00:23:56,480 --> 00:24:00,760 Speaker 1: was in ninety three, we were working on a federal 377 00:24:00,800 --> 00:24:04,439 Speaker 1: election law, and in the House Administration Committee we were 378 00:24:04,480 --> 00:24:06,960 Speaker 1: trying to prove that the Democrats wouldn't purgage the roles 379 00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:10,680 Speaker 1: of dead people, and we finally offered an amendment that said, 380 00:24:10,720 --> 00:24:14,520 Speaker 1: if somebody has been dead for ninety nine years, they 381 00:24:14,560 --> 00:24:17,520 Speaker 1: should be taken off the roles, and we still launst 382 00:24:20,359 --> 00:24:34,560 Speaker 1: It was pretty wild. Student loan debt is only a 383 00:24:34,560 --> 00:24:38,040 Speaker 1: crisis for the most privileged whiners in American society today, 384 00:24:38,320 --> 00:24:41,120 Speaker 1: And on this week's Rob Smith Is Problematic, I dig 385 00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:44,919 Speaker 1: into the scam that is the student loan debt crisis, 386 00:24:44,920 --> 00:24:47,679 Speaker 1: how winey lefties need to take responsibility for the choices 387 00:24:47,720 --> 00:24:51,919 Speaker 1: they've made, how elite institutions are robbing students blind, and 388 00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:54,199 Speaker 1: how the rest of us shouldn't have to pay for 389 00:24:54,280 --> 00:24:57,520 Speaker 1: other people's poor choices. Listen to Rob Smith Is Problematic 390 00:24:57,600 --> 00:25:02,080 Speaker 1: every Tuesday on the iHeartRadio app Apple podcasts or wherever 391 00:25:02,160 --> 00:25:12,080 Speaker 1: you get your podcasts. If you had to guess, and 392 00:25:12,119 --> 00:25:14,199 Speaker 1: I'm gonna make you see, you have to guess, what 393 00:25:14,320 --> 00:25:16,920 Speaker 1: do you think will happen on election Day? I think 394 00:25:16,920 --> 00:25:19,679 Speaker 1: it's going to be a one to two point margin. 395 00:25:20,680 --> 00:25:25,960 Speaker 1: And one thing that both sides seem to be planning 396 00:25:25,960 --> 00:25:28,879 Speaker 1: on is that there's not going to be a lot 397 00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:31,520 Speaker 1: of crossover voting, you know, people coming in and voting 398 00:25:31,560 --> 00:25:34,520 Speaker 1: for a producing Arno or for Leppler and Assholt, etc. 399 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:37,239 Speaker 1: Because both are running his tickets. So both of them 400 00:25:37,240 --> 00:25:39,320 Speaker 1: are making the calculation that there's not going to be 401 00:25:39,920 --> 00:25:42,359 Speaker 1: a high amount of crossover voting. And I think that's 402 00:25:42,600 --> 00:25:46,399 Speaker 1: largely true, but there will be a handful of people 403 00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:51,600 Speaker 1: who do it, and that handful could prove decisive. It 404 00:25:51,760 --> 00:25:55,840 Speaker 1: was just a handful of people who didn't vote for 405 00:25:55,880 --> 00:25:59,280 Speaker 1: Trump but voted for Purdue. You Purdue got a higher 406 00:25:59,280 --> 00:26:03,639 Speaker 1: percentage than President Trump. Our congressional Republicans got a higher 407 00:26:03,680 --> 00:26:07,119 Speaker 1: percentage than President Trump. Our General Assembly Republicans got a 408 00:26:07,160 --> 00:26:10,520 Speaker 1: higher percentage. It was just a handful of people, but 409 00:26:10,640 --> 00:26:13,720 Speaker 1: in a tight race, it was decisive. That handful of 410 00:26:13,720 --> 00:26:16,240 Speaker 1: people might decide if we get a split verdict, and 411 00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:20,040 Speaker 1: I would never ever take debate to say which way 412 00:26:20,080 --> 00:26:22,080 Speaker 1: I think it would split, but it's going to be 413 00:26:22,119 --> 00:26:25,600 Speaker 1: super tight. And you know, one thing that concerns me, 414 00:26:25,680 --> 00:26:30,960 Speaker 1: mister speaker, is I don't think Democrats are motivated. I 415 00:26:30,960 --> 00:26:33,600 Speaker 1: don't think they're particularly energized. I think they're fat and 416 00:26:33,680 --> 00:26:35,520 Speaker 1: happy and they're going to settle in for a long 417 00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:38,760 Speaker 1: winner's nap. I think that's something that Republicans have going 418 00:26:38,960 --> 00:26:44,880 Speaker 1: in their favor. But they are unified, right And one 419 00:26:44,920 --> 00:26:47,520 Speaker 1: thing that concerns me here on the ground in Georgia 420 00:26:47,920 --> 00:26:51,760 Speaker 1: is the ongoing fighting within the party. And it is 421 00:26:53,080 --> 00:26:56,439 Speaker 1: vitriolic and I'm in a bad spot. I mean, for 422 00:26:56,520 --> 00:26:58,440 Speaker 1: goodness sake, I got friends on all sides of this. 423 00:26:58,720 --> 00:27:01,960 Speaker 1: You know, these are my people and partisans in the 424 00:27:02,040 --> 00:27:05,160 Speaker 1: bunker with all of these votes for nearly two decades, 425 00:27:05,440 --> 00:27:10,080 Speaker 1: and to see the anger aimed at each other here 426 00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:13,040 Speaker 1: is very concerning and I would hate to see that 427 00:27:13,200 --> 00:27:16,800 Speaker 1: depress our turnout. Obviously, I was so thankful to see 428 00:27:16,800 --> 00:27:20,960 Speaker 1: your tweet when you came out against what Lynnwood was saying, 429 00:27:21,119 --> 00:27:24,520 Speaker 1: which was just madness. You don't explain what it was. 430 00:27:25,000 --> 00:27:27,080 Speaker 1: Two of them would come out and said we should 431 00:27:27,160 --> 00:27:30,960 Speaker 1: punish Georgia if they don't get these reforms done before 432 00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:33,600 Speaker 1: the election, we should not vote. And I just said 433 00:27:33,600 --> 00:27:36,640 Speaker 1: this is suicidal. Any Republican, and I've said this over 434 00:27:36,640 --> 00:27:39,919 Speaker 1: and over again, any Conservative who does not vote in 435 00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:44,040 Speaker 1: Georgia for the runoff, is giving Chuck Schumer control of 436 00:27:44,080 --> 00:27:48,320 Speaker 1: the US Senate, is guaranteeing two Radicals for the next 437 00:27:48,320 --> 00:27:52,280 Speaker 1: six years representing Georgia, and probably is guaranteeing that the 438 00:27:52,320 --> 00:27:56,240 Speaker 1: District of Columbia gets two Senators, that the Supreme Court 439 00:27:56,280 --> 00:28:00,159 Speaker 1: gets packed, the gun control gets passed, the tax is 440 00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:03,679 Speaker 1: get raised. I mean, it's just literally madness. And I 441 00:28:03,720 --> 00:28:06,280 Speaker 1: think my tweet may have actually had an impact of 442 00:28:06,359 --> 00:28:08,960 Speaker 1: some kind. And I've since been doing radio around the 443 00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:12,359 Speaker 1: state and talking to people everywhere I can to say, now, 444 00:28:12,480 --> 00:28:16,040 Speaker 1: if you're a conservative, you have to vote in this 445 00:28:16,080 --> 00:28:19,639 Speaker 1: particular runoff. It's the most important runoff in American history. 446 00:28:20,040 --> 00:28:25,000 Speaker 1: These two seats will decide whether Chuck Schumer and Nancy 447 00:28:25,040 --> 00:28:27,960 Speaker 1: Pelosi and Joe Biden are running the city or whether, 448 00:28:28,040 --> 00:28:31,840 Speaker 1: in fact, with Mitch McConnell and the increased number of 449 00:28:31,840 --> 00:28:35,080 Speaker 1: the House Republicans picked up with Kevin McCarthy as leader, 450 00:28:35,400 --> 00:28:39,840 Speaker 1: whether in fact, we have a hugely moderating influence on 451 00:28:39,840 --> 00:28:42,040 Speaker 1: what Biden can get away with. So I think this 452 00:28:42,120 --> 00:28:44,560 Speaker 1: is enormous and otherwise going to raise us because you 453 00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:47,360 Speaker 1: see how important this is if you look at the 454 00:28:47,400 --> 00:28:50,200 Speaker 1: total amount of money being spent in Georgia, which I 455 00:28:50,240 --> 00:28:53,080 Speaker 1: think because you have two center races at the same time, 456 00:28:53,360 --> 00:28:55,760 Speaker 1: it's a little hard to equate to other states. But 457 00:28:55,880 --> 00:28:58,000 Speaker 1: I think this will be far and away the most 458 00:28:58,080 --> 00:29:01,840 Speaker 1: expensive center races in history. And I'm curious, is there 459 00:29:01,880 --> 00:29:05,920 Speaker 1: a saturation point where the next thousand points on TV 460 00:29:06,040 --> 00:29:08,880 Speaker 1: just doesn't matter because you now have so much stuff 461 00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:12,160 Speaker 1: and so many mail wings and so many phone calls 462 00:29:12,160 --> 00:29:15,200 Speaker 1: and people get I guess vaccinated to use the current 463 00:29:15,240 --> 00:29:18,720 Speaker 1: word against whatever the next message is. What's the impact 464 00:29:18,720 --> 00:29:21,000 Speaker 1: of all of this money going to be in the state. 465 00:29:21,920 --> 00:29:23,840 Speaker 1: I think I've seen that it's got up to about 466 00:29:23,920 --> 00:29:27,320 Speaker 1: four hundred million dollars just in the runoff, and I 467 00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:31,280 Speaker 1: stayed a little under eleven million people, and we have 468 00:29:31,440 --> 00:29:34,440 Speaker 1: reached the saturation point. I don't think the next thousand 469 00:29:34,440 --> 00:29:36,920 Speaker 1: points is going to make a difference where the next 470 00:29:36,960 --> 00:29:40,080 Speaker 1: thousand points makes the differences. My friends who are producing 471 00:29:40,120 --> 00:29:42,360 Speaker 1: the ads and producing the mail pieces who are getting 472 00:29:42,440 --> 00:29:45,360 Speaker 1: rich of the runoff. And I could speak cynically about 473 00:29:45,360 --> 00:29:47,080 Speaker 1: that because I'm not getting a cut of any of it. 474 00:29:49,080 --> 00:29:51,960 Speaker 1: I'm not at the Trople and this one. But it 475 00:29:52,120 --> 00:29:54,800 Speaker 1: is all about you gitting up this turnout. And of 476 00:29:54,840 --> 00:29:56,600 Speaker 1: course you gotta think next week there's going to be 477 00:29:56,600 --> 00:29:59,160 Speaker 1: a little bit of that down and the spending going 478 00:29:59,200 --> 00:30:02,800 Speaker 1: into Christmas and then maybe go back up, back down 479 00:30:02,880 --> 00:30:05,000 Speaker 1: a little bit around New Year's and back up going 480 00:30:05,040 --> 00:30:08,960 Speaker 1: into election day. I don't know that anyone is being 481 00:30:09,200 --> 00:30:13,760 Speaker 1: persuaded at this juncture by what they're seeing on TV 482 00:30:14,360 --> 00:30:18,280 Speaker 1: or in the mailbox. I literally just yesterday I had 483 00:30:18,320 --> 00:30:21,400 Speaker 1: four pieces of campaign mail. You know. Is that a 484 00:30:21,440 --> 00:30:24,320 Speaker 1: good returning on investment? No? I mean I am a 485 00:30:24,320 --> 00:30:27,640 Speaker 1: political junkie. I read campaign mail because I kind of 486 00:30:27,640 --> 00:30:29,680 Speaker 1: want to figure out what the strategy is. It helps 487 00:30:29,720 --> 00:30:31,760 Speaker 1: me what they're polling is showing as far as what's 488 00:30:31,800 --> 00:30:34,720 Speaker 1: working and what's not. So I approach it from a 489 00:30:34,760 --> 00:30:39,080 Speaker 1: professional lens. And even I just built the trash now 490 00:30:39,280 --> 00:30:41,960 Speaker 1: it was straightened too recycling when I got back to 491 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:44,520 Speaker 1: the house last night. So yeah, I do think we've 492 00:30:44,520 --> 00:30:47,400 Speaker 1: reached the saturation point. Forward to me and dollars is 493 00:30:47,480 --> 00:30:50,920 Speaker 1: a lot of money. And the fact is we're not 494 00:30:50,960 --> 00:30:54,400 Speaker 1: seeing any new messages. The messages I mentioned earlier about 495 00:30:54,800 --> 00:30:59,520 Speaker 1: radical liberal socialist and giving Democrats complete control of Washington. 496 00:30:59,600 --> 00:31:03,320 Speaker 1: That the message, and it has been pounded into our heads. 497 00:31:03,320 --> 00:31:06,680 Speaker 1: I don't think there's anybody in Georgia, even passive voters 498 00:31:06,800 --> 00:31:09,760 Speaker 1: or non voters, who don't know what the messaging is 499 00:31:09,960 --> 00:31:14,440 Speaker 1: at this juncture. It's just now reminding people that early 500 00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:19,400 Speaker 1: voting is ongoing. It started on Monday, and we had 501 00:31:19,480 --> 00:31:22,880 Speaker 1: one hundred and sixty thousand Georgian to show up on 502 00:31:22,920 --> 00:31:26,320 Speaker 1: Monday to vote. On the first day. Fifty thousand absentee 503 00:31:26,320 --> 00:31:29,200 Speaker 1: ballots came in on Monday. When I was dropping my 504 00:31:29,400 --> 00:31:32,760 Speaker 1: daughter off at school this morning in Buckhead, there was 505 00:31:32,880 --> 00:31:35,760 Speaker 1: a line out the door at a Buckhead library waiting 506 00:31:35,800 --> 00:31:39,680 Speaker 1: to early vote. So I do think the turnout strategy 507 00:31:39,920 --> 00:31:43,320 Speaker 1: is working. You know, the first day of early voting 508 00:31:43,320 --> 00:31:45,760 Speaker 1: and making was over one hundred and sixty thousand. That 509 00:31:46,080 --> 00:31:49,680 Speaker 1: is twenty three percent more than the first day of 510 00:31:49,680 --> 00:31:53,640 Speaker 1: early voting in the general election. Wow, because you don't 511 00:31:54,160 --> 00:31:58,479 Speaker 1: mobilize people are and how much at heart, Yeah, this 512 00:31:58,560 --> 00:32:03,160 Speaker 1: is really a big deal. Exactly how is working, and well, 513 00:32:04,080 --> 00:32:05,640 Speaker 1: we have to assume there's going to be a drop 514 00:32:05,680 --> 00:32:09,120 Speaker 1: off in the turnout. And we had five million people 515 00:32:09,240 --> 00:32:12,040 Speaker 1: vote in the general, a number we've never seen here before. 516 00:32:12,640 --> 00:32:16,040 Speaker 1: But so far the numbers are tracking for that kind 517 00:32:16,040 --> 00:32:20,240 Speaker 1: of turnout. Between them, the candidates are spending eighty dollars 518 00:32:20,280 --> 00:32:24,320 Speaker 1: per voter. Yeah, I mean cutness, Presidents people could buy 519 00:32:25,240 --> 00:32:27,800 Speaker 1: we just hand out eighty dollars chets. I'm with you. 520 00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:30,560 Speaker 1: I think we got in the wrong business. Listen, let 521 00:32:30,600 --> 00:32:34,640 Speaker 1: me wish you a very merry Christmas and are happy holiday. 522 00:32:34,640 --> 00:32:39,600 Speaker 1: And I really appreciate you taking the time to help 523 00:32:39,720 --> 00:32:43,600 Speaker 1: educate folks. George is obviously very fascinating anybody in the 524 00:32:43,640 --> 00:32:47,120 Speaker 1: country who is watching politics, and this is the most 525 00:32:47,640 --> 00:32:51,840 Speaker 1: consequential runoff of American history. And I really appreciate you 526 00:32:51,920 --> 00:32:54,280 Speaker 1: right here in the holiday season taking the time to 527 00:32:54,360 --> 00:32:58,280 Speaker 1: chat with us. Well, mister speaker, I've been a lifelong 528 00:32:58,360 --> 00:33:02,040 Speaker 1: fan and I am credibly grateful that you thought of 529 00:33:02,080 --> 00:33:04,280 Speaker 1: me and had me own and Merry Christmas to you 530 00:33:04,480 --> 00:33:09,320 Speaker 1: and to all of the Gingwish family. Thank you to 531 00:33:09,400 --> 00:33:12,440 Speaker 1: my guest Brian Robinson. You can read more about the 532 00:33:12,480 --> 00:33:16,440 Speaker 1: two Georgia Center runoffs on our show page at newtsworld 533 00:33:16,440 --> 00:33:20,800 Speaker 1: dot com. Newts World is produced by Gingwish three sixty 534 00:33:21,200 --> 00:33:26,360 Speaker 1: and iHeartMedia. Our executive producer is Debbie Myers, our producer 535 00:33:26,480 --> 00:33:30,760 Speaker 1: is Garnsey Sloan, and our researcher is Rachel Peterson. The 536 00:33:30,920 --> 00:33:35,280 Speaker 1: artwork for the show was created by Steve Penney. Special 537 00:33:35,360 --> 00:33:38,600 Speaker 1: thanks to the team at Gingwich three sixty. If you've 538 00:33:38,600 --> 00:33:41,960 Speaker 1: been enjoying Newtsworld, I hope you'll go to Apple Podcast 539 00:33:42,320 --> 00:33:45,160 Speaker 1: and both rate us with five stars and give us 540 00:33:45,160 --> 00:33:47,840 Speaker 1: a review so others can learn what it's all about. 541 00:33:48,760 --> 00:34:00,760 Speaker 1: I'm newt Gangwich. This is Newtsworld.