Political Breakfast from WABE

Hundreds of WABE fans joined us for a live broadcast from Georgia State University -- about 7 weeks out from Georgia's midterms. One race that's in a statistical dead heat in the polls is for the U.S. Senate seat between incumbent Raphael Warnock and his GOP challenger, former NFL and University of Georgia football star Herschel Walker.  Plus, the power of negative campaign ads. And...

What, if any, are the political ramifications of Governor Kemp asking President Biden, to cancel the student loan forgiveness plan just weeks before the election? Plus Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams says she's on Kemp's heels, and is closing the gap.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Georgia judge has said Governor Brian Kemp must testify before the Fulton special grand jury, but he can wait until after the November election. Meanwhile some are praising President Biden’s decision to forgive $10,000 in student loans for most borrowers, but others aren’t so sure. In Columbus, Democrats hold a joint campaign event to share their platforms. And we remember Georgia’s former first...

Tensions are high between the offices of Fulton District Attorney Fani Willis and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, as Willis seeks to compel testimony on attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, while Kemp's team says it's a political move. And how effective is a new campaign ad from Herschel Walker calling out Senator Warnock's use of a particular canine in the democrat's last run for off...

Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams says she’s working to address the challenges of Black men because if they vote for her like she knows they can, she can win the Georgia Governor’s race… but is it enough to outweigh Governor Brian Kemp’s strong economic message and track record of appointing Black officials? Meanwhile, how will Black voters navigate the racial politics as things get heated betwee...

Political rhetoric or possible reality? California Governor Gavin Newsom wants Georgia's billion-dollar film and TV industry to move to HIS state. Why? Newsom says California is free of controversial, conservative, and restrictive abortion laws like the one active in Georgia.  Martha Zoller fills in for Brian Robinson The team also talks about Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens' diligent effort&nbsp...

What will the political and economic ramifications be after organizers canceled the annual Music Midtown festival, reportedly due to Georgia’s lax gun laws? Will Stacey Abrams be able to build up enough momentum in the governor’s race ahead of November to overcome a gap in the polls? And what does it mean that one commentator said Herschel Walker is ‘what Republicans want from their Negroes?’ Saba...

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is finding out which high-profile GOP lawmakers she can, and cannot, subpoena as part of the grand jury investigation into attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. And senate candidate Herschel Walker has not confirmed whether he will participate in the October 16, Atlanta Press Club debate with incumbent Senator Raphael Warnock, but he says...

Money is pouring into Georgia ahead of the November general election, but is it going where it’s most needed? What chance does a Democrat have at unseating Marjorie Taylor Greene, and how would Charlie Bailey lead a Republican-majority state senate if elected Lieutenant Governor? These questions, and an update on Fulton County special grand jury investigation, on this week’s episode of Political B...

As the debate over abortion remains top of mind for many Georgia voters, advocates on either side of the issue are rallying their base, but also trying to find ways to best help women in the state. Former Planned Parenthood president and CEO Staci Fox and Georgia Life Alliance Leadership Director Elizabeth Reed join Political Breakfast to discuss how their supporters are receiving the news and how...

Now that the Supreme Court has rolled back Roe V. Wade and sent the decision back to the states, will it galvanize Democrats and how will Republicans push back? Conservative commentator Martha Zoller fills in for Brian Robinson to give her analysis of how each side arrived at this point, as well as to discuss last week’s runoff elections. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

   The Political Breakfast Team talks about Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger's re-election campaign. His appearance before the US House Select Committee investigating the insurrection at the Capitol launched him front and center, just months ahead of the November general election. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Strategists Brian Robinson and Tharon Johnson don't hold back when analyzing comments made by some of the high-profile candidates running for office.    Democratic candidate for Governor, Stacey Abrams and Republican candidate for Senate, Herchel Walker are some of those being called on to explain certain statements made on and off the campaign trail. ...

State Rep. Bee Nguyen and former State Rep. Dee Dawkins-Haigler joined Political Breakfast a day after taking the debate stage to make their case to voters. With two weeks left until the primary runoff, they both took shots at Republican opponent incumbent Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger as they tried to set themselves apart. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the primary over and the runoff still a few weeks away, the candidates at the top of the ticket are already gearing up for the November general election. How will strategies change now that the candidates know their opponents and must appeal to a broader voter base? Will Herschel Walker be driven to speak up more? Will Warnock emulate his winning strategy from 2020? And what does Gov. Br...

Georgia’s primary election saw wins for several frontrunners, including incumbent Republican Governor Brian Kemp, fellow Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and Democratic Congresswoman Lucy McBath. But many Trump-backed candidates didn’t fare well against their Republican opponents, with Herschel Walker the only big name remaining with the former president’s endorsement. On this liv...

**Disclaimer**: This episode contains language some may not find suitable for all listeners. As the country is still reeling from the racially motivated mass shooting in Buffalo, people on both sides of the aisle are processing how to think about this latest tragedy. Meanwhile early voting numbers in the final week before the primary reveal thousands who previously cast Democratic ballots are voti...

With less than two weeks to go before the Republican primary for Georgia governor, former U-S Senator David Perdue is lagging far behind incumbent Governor Brian Kemp in fundraising and spending. Will he be able to force Kemp into a runoff? And they're both behind Democratic fundraising powerhouse Stacey Abrams as she uses an uncontested primary to prepare for what's sure to be a tight general ele...

How will the U.S. Supreme Court's potential decision overturning legalized abortions in many states affect the upcoming elections as early voting gets underway? And what drove the DeKalb School Board to abruptly fire former Superintendent Cheryl Watson-Harris? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

False claims of voter fraud loomed large in the first of three debates between Governor Brian Kemp and former U.S. Senator David Perdue leading up to the highly contentious Republican gubernatorial primary to decide who will face the presumptive Democratic nominee, Stacey Abrams. Political Breakfast hosts a live on-air edition to go over the takeaways.  See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...

Georgia has significantly fewer new voter registrations and absentee ballot requests, Marjorie Taylor Greene faces a legal challenge to her candidacy, and a recent Politico article backs-up what Brian Robinson's been saying about Georgia's voting law. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A recent poll shows incumbent Senator Raphael Warnock trailing a few points behind likely Republican nominee Herschel Walker, but what will it take for this to hold until the November general election? And an internal poll from the campaign of Governor Brian Kemp shows him with a strong lead over his main opponent, former Senator David Perdue. How much should voters read into the numbers? See omny...

Lawmakers passed several bills on the final day of the 2022 legislative session that will appeal to many Republican voters ahead of elections: a bill clearing the way for transgender children to be banned from sports teams, another giving the GBI investigative authority over elections, and a 4.99% flat tax rate. The legislature also passed a $30.2 billion dollar budget and major mental health care...

Georgia's conservative state leadership got most of what they wanted out of the 2022 legislative session. WABE's politics reporters Rahul Bali and Sam Gringlas talk with editor Susanna Capelouto about what they will be able to take onto the campaign trail in coming months. This is the last episode of the 2022 Gold Dome Scramble as April 4th is the final day of the session. See omnystudio.com/liste...

Political strategists Brian Robinson and Tharon Johnson join Lisa Rayam on Morning Edition for a live edition of Political Breakfast to assess the impact of Donald Trump’s Georgia visit. Will his endorsement be enough to bolster David Perdue’s lagging campaign? And how significant is former House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s endorsement? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.