Opening Time

States across the country are preparing to reopen. In Georgia, Brian Kemp is getting a lot of hell from the national press and local press for doing so. A lot of that, frankly, is that Kemp beat Stacey Abrams in 2018 and the national press has hated him ever since. But in Georgia, internal GOP polling shows Kemp with his worst job approval rating ever and, should the election be held today, Trump would only tie Joe Biden. This is state party polling and it is brutal for the GOP. If the polling trends do not shift, the GOP could see a blowout in Georgia in November and put at risk its ability to unilaterally draw new legislative lines. A lot is riding on Kemp’s ability to manage the situation as the state opens up. As to how Georgia and other states are reopening, it is very simple — slowly and with masks. I sat down with Governor Kemp and interviewed him about not just how the state will proceed, but also what the state will do if the virus flares up. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ewerickson.substack.com/subscribe