Candidate addresses di_erences with Kemp
“Brian Kemp is too mean and too cheap to expand Medicaid in the state of Georgia.”
That was the first of several well-rehearsed zingers tossed out by Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams to an enthusiastic gathering of supporters Sept. 7, at City Center Stage in Eatonton. And Abrams’ followers responded right on cue each time as she made her case to replace Kemp as governor of Georgia in November’s election.
People began filtering in more than an hour before Abrams took the stage at 7 p.m., with most setting up lawn chairs, then vigorously cooling themselves with cardboard fans stating, “I’m a fan of Stacey Abrams,” handed out by a squad of young campaign workers. Some even erected beach umbrellas to battle the early evening sun amid temperatures in the high 80s, at least until the shadows of Eatonton’s downtown buildings eventually reached the stage after creeping across the small field and parking lots it faces.
Abrams arrived 15 minutes before her appointed start time in the requisite blacked-out Suburban, then waited in the car until it was almost time to speak. She emerged from the back seat five minutes early and took time for a few photos with privileged attendees, including Eatonton Mayor John Reid with his wife and city councilmember Janie Reid, who moments earlier successfully cajoled the crowd into moving closer to the stage. “Stacey likes to see you,” she told them.
Abrams looked relaxed, confident, happy; opening with a couple of personal stories, then launching into the meat of her speech with descriptions of financially failing hospitals, ever-rising medical costs and Kemp’s refusal to expand Medicaid in Georgia. She claimed to know how to expand the program “without raising a dime in taxes,” offering proof of it already happening in New Jersey, Kentucky, Louisiana and Indiana when former vice president Mike Pence was governor there.
“And if I can agree with Mike Pence on something, it must be good for Georgia!”
Cue the applause. Next, Abrams addressed a need for more mental health professionals and facilities to remove much of that responsibility from law enforcement officers, who are most likely the first to respond whenever 9-1-1 is dialed, regardless of the crisis at hand. She worked to dispel any hint of her “defund-the-police” reputation, insisting, “I support law enforcement, but I know there are jobs they should do and jobs they shouldn’t do.”
That led into accusing Kemp of weakening gun laws in the state to win a primary election, thus putting Georgia’s children at increased risk. Abrams harkened back to a Kemp campaign commercial from a few years ago that appeared to show him briefly point a shotgun toward a young man who supposedly wanted to date one of his daughters.
Abrams made clear she was not anti-gun at heart, stressing, “I grew up in Mississippi, came of age here in Georgia. I know how to shoot a gun,” and explained her great-grandmother Mumu taught her the number-one rule of gun safety: “You don’t aim that gun at anybody unless you plan to use it—not even in a commercial!”
Zinger number three. She also called out Kemp for signing into law a gun-show loophole to negate background checks prior to private sales of firearms and authorizing in May the elimination of Georgia’s concealedcarry permit requirement. Abrams stressed, too, that though she recognizes gun ownership as a right in American society, she believes laws should remain in place to manage their sales and distribution.
“We can protect the Second Amendment and protect second graders at the exact same time in the state of Georgia.”
Biggest round of applause so far.
Abrams moved on to education, lamenting a lack of subsidized daycare for preschoolers in the state before condemning Kemp’s signing of a law in April to prohibit school lessons that could cause individual students to feel anguish, guilt or other discomfort or stress because of their race. She suggested the new law creates an unnecessary atmosphere of distrust and conflict between parents and teachers, or even among students themselves.
“It’s wrong that (Kemp) is pitting our children against each other … it’s bad that he is telling our parents that they’re at war with our teachers. We should be lifting up our educators, making their jobs easier, not harder,” Abrams declared.
And while college or university attendance is a good progression for many, Abrams said many high school students don’t want to take that path, preferring instead to enter the workforce directly. To that end, she proposed funding a $20,000 annual investment for each of those enrolled in approved apprentice programs. “I’m going to do something we haven’t done since 2011, I’m going to restore free technical college in the state of Georgia,” Abrams said.
After referencing the impending arrival of Rivian to Rutledge, less than an hour’s drive from Eatonton, Abrams suggested, “If we can give one company $1.5 billion to open a factory, we can give our children a future in the state of Georgia.” Georgia is one of only two states in the country (alongside New Hampshire) that has eliminated need-based financial aid to college students, she added.
“We all know young people who’ve gotten the Hope scholarship and lost the Hope scholarship. You shouldn’t lose hope when you’re this young!”
Wild approval from the crowd.
But Abrams recognized she’d listed many expenditures and people would already be wondering where all the money would come from to pay for her programs. So she offered an answer after praising Georgia Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, along with President Biden for their policies. Because of them, she said, “We’ve got $5 billion in the bank right now in the state of Georgia, $5 billion that can pay for everything I’ve discussed and still leave about $2 billion left over. We can invest in Georgia’s children, invest in Georgia’s future, but we need a governor who believes both of those investments matter.”
Abrams wrapped up by lamenting the dearth of affordable housing in Georgia, not only in Atlanta and its surrounding suburbs, but in predominantly rural areas like Putnam County, too. And again, she referenced a general lack of healthcare providers across the state before taking one last shot at Kemp.
“We can repeal that six-week abortion ban, and we can stop (Kemp) from removing the exceptions for rape and incest,” Abrams said. “So let’s be clear, no matter where you stand on the issue of your choice, we live in a nation where the choice should be yours.
“I’ll put it this way. It took a man to break Georgia and it’s gonna’ take a woman to put it right.”
One last, big zinger for the road ahead.
An enthusiastic crowd of supporters greeted gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams in Eatonton.
IAN TOCHER/Staff