Political Breakfast With Denis Ohayer

Primary election day turned into primary election week, as vote counting continued. But with runoffs and November looming, the scramble to fix this week’s mess is on. The surviving campaigns check the numbers and plan for more battle, while the battle against the Coronavirus isn’t over—and those numbers could change everything again, even as the Legislature returns tries to figure out how much the state has to spend. WABE political contributor Denis O'Hayer talks it all over with Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson and Republican strategist Brian Robinson.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Primary day in Georgia was unlike any other. But even those trading blame for all the problems agree on one thing: they don't want anything like this to happen again. This bonus edition of the Political Breakfast looks into the delays, glitches, and frustration that confronted so many voters. It originally aired live on 90.1 WABE on June 10, 2020. WABE political contributor Denis O'Hayer welcomed Republican strategist Brian Robinson and Democratic strategist Brian Robinson, along with University of Georgia political scientist Charles Bullock; Gabriel Sterling from the Secretary of State's office; and WABE reporters Emma Hurt and Emil Moffatt.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After an extraordinary and wrenching week in Atlanta and the rest of Georgia, the question now is: Where do all of us go from here on, in addressing the disease of racism? Meanwhile, a much more recent disease, COVID-19, is still with us, and the recent events have made confronting it a potentially much more complicated thing. WABE political contributor Denis O'Hayer explores some of the thinking with Republican strategist Brian Robinson and Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Governor Brian Kemp again lifts some Coronavirus restrictions, while keeping some others. But he’s making a pitch for the Republican National Convention later this summer, and the numbers for the pandemic in Georgia still don’t give a clear picture of where it’s heading. Meanwhile, Georgia’s law enforcement and political leaders are again examining the relationship between police and African-American communities, after the video-recorded death of an unarmed black man at the hands of police in Minneapolis. WABE political contributor Denis O’Hayer talks it all over with Republican strategist Brian Robinson and Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When it comes to your health, there’s a saying you might have heard: "Know your numbers." Georgia’s COVID-19 numbers have been the subject of a lot of scrutiny lately. Meanwhile, some new polling numbers, if they’re right, forecast a real fight up and down the state ballot in November, while the people who run elections here worry about how to safely handle the numbers of voters who show up in person. WABE political contributor Denis O’Hayer again welcomes Republican strategist Brian Robinson and Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just days after Georgia’s attorney general announced a state investigation of how local authorities responded to the February killing of an unarmed young black man near Brunswick, two suspects are in custody; the U.S. Justice Department is called in; and some top state leaders are getting behind a hate crimes bill. Meanwhile, Governor Kemp extends some pandemic response measures, and partially lifts others. And some Republican polling predicts close battles with Democrats in the November elections. WABE political contributor Denis O’Hayer sorts through it all with Republican strategist Brian Robinson and Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Georgia slowly re-opens, the Coronavirus continues to spread. And so does the debate about the right things to do, and the possible cost in more lives lost. At the Georgia Capitol, lawmakers start to figure out what the cost will be in services the state can provide. Meanwhile, Georgia again gets the nation’s attention--this time for the killing of an unarmed young black man near Brunswick. WABE political contributor Denis O'Hayer talks it all over with Republican strategist Brian Robinson and Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While everyone holds out hope that an experimental drug tested here in Atlanta might help COVID-19 patients, Governor Brian Kemp is conducting a trial of his own, as he lifts more restrictions on businesses in the state. Meanwhile, schools, students and parents are trying to get some idea of what the coming school year will be like. And there are still plenty of questions about whether there’s enough good information to make any of those decisions. And Senate candidates in both parties face some tough strategic decisions of their own. WABE political contributor Denis O'Hayer talks it over with Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson and Republican strategist Brian Robinson.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to the Georgia lab! No, not the state’s COVID testing lab (we’re still working on getting more of those up and running). The entire state is a now a lab--and we’re all the subjects. Governor Brian Kemp finds support from some government leaders and pushback from others--including President Trump--on his plan to partially re-open the state for business. On that subject, business folks, workers, and state and local governments struggle to adjust to life amid pandemic. And a familiar and controversial politician is getting out of that business--at least for now. WABE political contributor Denis O'Hayer digs into all of it with Republican strategist Brian Robinson and Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While President Trump suggests that the nation is past the peak of the Coronavirus outbreak, Georgia certainly is not. And the state continues scrambling for enough tests to tell us exactly where we are. Meanwhile, in electoral politics, there were parades of endorsements and reports of campaign cash in the contests for president and U.S. Senate. WABE political contributor Denis O’Hayer explored those issues--and more--with Republican strategist Brian Robinson and Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson, See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite a few hopeful signs, the terrible Coronavirus toll in Georgia continued. Governor Brian Kemp extended the statewide shutdown, but a shortage of data--and supplies for frontline healthcare workers--continued to hinder the effort to fight the disease. Meanwhile, Georgia’s new GOP senator fought back against questions about her stock trades, and the names of Georgia Democratic women keep coming up as possible vice presidential contenders. WABE political contributor Denis O’Hayer again welcomes Republican strategist Brian Robinson and Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It might be hard to remember now, but this was supposed to be the week when Georgia Democrats would have their say in the presidential battle. Instead, because of the Coronavirus, the voting will wait until May 19th at least; Georgia’s governor closes schools until April 27th at least; and the debate continues over whether he’s done at least enough to keep people from passing the virus around. Meanwhile, the Feds promise states will soon get relief money, and the internal GOP war heats up in a U.S. Senate race. For a look at all of that, and more, WABE political contributor Denis O’Hayer again welcomes Republican strategist Brian Robinson and Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Faced with a frightening jump in the number of Georgia Coronavirus cases and deaths, Governor Brian Kemp orders a statewide shutdown, but then faces a blast of criticism for the timing of it, and the reason he gave for it. Meanwhile, local government leaders felt some push-back for the decisions they made or didn’t make. And the storm over a Georgia Senator’s financial transactions intensified. WABE political contributor Denis O’Hayer talks it all over with Republican strategist Brian Robinson and Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a Georgia state senator tested positive for Covid19, hundreds of his fellow lawmakers went into quarantine. But not before giving governor Brian Kemp emergency executive powers. Lisa Rayam talks with WABE politics reporters Emma Hurt and Emil Moffat, who themselves are in quarantine as they spent a lot of time at the state captiol. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Coronavirus, and Georgia’s response dominate this edition of the Political Breakfast. It's about putting the political part of the public health story into context for you. And we’ll look at a bit of other political news, too--from the new stage in the Democratic presidential contest, to the scrambles for both of Georgia's Senate seats (a production note: this episode was taped in the hours before reports about stock trades by Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler). WABE political contributor Denis O'Hayer, Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson, and Republican strategist Brian Robinson got together digitally, via different lines of communication, from their homes and offices.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

State leaders have suspended the Georgia legislature indefinitely as the coronavirus keeps spreading and the state gets ready for more testing. Guest host and WABE health reporter Sam Whitehead talks with politics reporters Emma Hurt and Emil Moffatt about the state's response to the crisis and the bills that passed before things shut down at the gold dome. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With astonishing and frightening speed, Coronavirus has reshaped life in Georgia, at least for now. State leaders are trying to shape a unified response, amid unpredictable signals from the administration in Washington. Meanwhile, the predicted internal Republican Senate fight continues to intensify, while a Democratic mayor finds her prediction in the presidential race is looking pretty good right now. Just some of what's on the table for this edition of the Political Breakfast. Republican strategist Brian Robinson and Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson talk it over with WABE political contributor Denis O'Hayer.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Crossover day is this week, which means time is running out for some bills to become law. Lisa Rayam talks with WABE's Emma Hurt and Emil Moffatt about what still need to pass either the Georgia House or Senate to stay alive. Meanwhile, the Coronavirus is having  politicians keeping their hands to themselves. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgia used to be just a fundraising pit stop for presidential campaigns, but this year national Democrats promise they’re going to pump resources into the Peach State. President Trump is opening what he calls a Black Voices for Trump Community Center. With all this attention and energy aimed at Georgia voters, how come some of them just stay home. And will the state's new voting machines pass their big test?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgia lawmakers wrangle over hands-free driving fines and Uber/Lyft fees in committees as the legislature reaches its half-way point in this year's session. Lisa Rayam talks with WABE's Emma Hurt and Emil Moffatt. Environment reporter Molly Samuel also pays a visit to talk about coal ash bills. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.