Politically Georgia: 5 takeaways from the vice presidential debate

Today’s newsletter highlights include:

Tensions rise over White House disaster declarations in Georgia.
The temporary closing of some Georgia post offices raises concerns about mail-in ballots.
A Republican candidate for the state House of Representatives has died.

Credit: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP

Credit: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP

Voters don’t usually make up their mind based on a presidential candidate’s running mate. That’s why the mission for most candidates in a vice presidential debate is to avoid mistakes while making the boss look good.

But Tuesday’s vice presidential debate was different in that it will likely be the final time the two major party campaigns will face off in person before Election Day. Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris debated last month. But so far, Trump has declined to accept a rematch.

Here are five takeaways from last night’s vice presidential debate between Republican U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio and Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

1. Where have you been?

JD Vance delivered a debate performance that many Republicans had hoped Donald Trump would have done last month. His answers were smooth and — most of all — focused. When faced with sharp questions about Trump’s record, he shifted the focus back to Harris. His best moment came during his answer on abortion, an issue where Trump has struggled to maintain a consistent message. “We’ve got to do so much better of a job at earning the American people’s trust back on this issue,” he said.

2. It’s not how you start, but how you finish.

Tim Walz got off to an uneven start. He stumbled a little while explaining why he had falsely claimed he had been in China during the Tiananmen Square protests (“I … misspoke on this,” he said.) But Walz got stronger as the debate went on. His best moment came near the end when he asked Vance directly if Trump won the 2020 election, a question that Vance did not answer. “Will you keep your oath of office even if the president doesn’t?” Walz asked.

3. Surprisingly respectful.

For the most part, both Vance and Walz avoided personal attacks. Multiple times, the two men said they agreed with each other on various issues. When Walz said his son witnessed a shooting at a community center while playing volleyball, Vance stopped to offer his condolences. The two men also shook hands and spoke with each other when the debate concluded.

4. Georgia was everywhere.

Georgia’s 16 electoral votes may very well decide this election, and the two candidates spent a significant amount of time discussing issues specific to the peach state. Vance and Walz both weighed in on the tragic case of Amber Thurman, the Georgia woman who died while waiting to receive an abortion. And they debated gun policy in light of the fatal school shooting at Apalachee High School.

5. Barbs, with a side of softness.

Vance and Walz both threw plenty of punches. But they tried to sprinkle in moments of humanity to showcase their softer sides. Vance repeatedly mentioned he was the father of “three beautiful little kids” and referenced his upbringing by his grandmother in Ohio. Walz said he grew up in rural Nebraska, a town where “you rode your bike with your buddies until the street lights turned on.” It was a subtle way to introduce themselves to voters who have been focusing on the top of the ticket.

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Credit: AP

GOOD MORNING! We’re 34 days away from the presidential election. Former President Donald Trump leads Vice President Kamala Harris in Georgia by six percentage points in the latest poll from Quinnipiac University. That’s outside the poll’s margin of error of 3.2 percentage points.

Here’s three things to know for today:

Harris will visit Augusta today to tour areas impacted by Hurricane Helene, where she will get a briefing from Federal Emergency Management Agency officials and give a speech. The trip is part of her official vice presidential duties.
Gas in Georgia will be about 30 cents cheaper starting Thursday after Gov. Brian Kemp suspended the state’s fuel tax to help with the recovery from Hurricane Helene, the AJC’s Michael E. Kanell reports.
Georgia’s abortion clinics are getting ready for a possible increase in patients after a judge struck down the state law that bans abortions after fetal cardiac activity is detected, the AJC’s Maya T. Prabhu reported.

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Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

STORM CLOUDS. The White House’s decision to leave out dozens of Georgia counties from an emergency disaster declaration sent some Republicans into a tizzy — and Democrats into damage control mode.

Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration early Tuesday approved 11 counties for a federal disaster declaration, a key designation that unlocks vast amounts of federal aid. But Republican Gov. Brian Kemp had asked for 90 counties to be included — and the entire congressional delegation seconded his request.

The discrepancy miffed key Republicans. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones called the decision “disheartening.” U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, R-Jackson, questioned whether the Biden administration truly understood the extent of the damage.

And former President Donald Trump’s campaign issued a scathing statement.

“Thousands of Georgians are currently without access to basic resources including electricity, food, and water, and dozens have lost their lives as a result of this storm,” said Trump spokesperson Morgan Ackley. “Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have once again failed to lead during a time of crisis.”

Credit: Mark Schiefelbein/AP

Privately, some Democrats were just as frustrated — and several personally lobbied the White House to expand the list.

Later in the day, the Biden administration added an additional 30 counties to the disaster declaration. The governor held off on the attacks. But he told us he was so upset by the initial list that he dialed up the White House and reached a senior Biden aide.

“I explained it was going to create a political firestorm and was sending the wrong signal,” he said of his discussion with Biden administration officials. “They listened to us.”

More counties are expected to join the list. FEMA sometimes issues the disaster declarations on a rolling basis to free up funds for storm-ravaged counties sooner as it works to complete evaluations on others. That’s what happened after Hurricane Idalia bombarded the Southeast in August 2023.

But the sometimes plodding pace of the federal bureaucracy comes during a tense moment in the election calendar. Voters only have a few more weeks to make up their minds.

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Credit: Jason Getz/AJC

VOTING CONCERNS. The U.S. Postal Service’s decision to temporarily close some facilities in Georgia in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene is raising concerns about its ability to process mail-in ballots in time to be counted.

The Postal Service said it would shut down locations in the Augusta area, Decatur, Valdosta and Waycross, the AJC’s Jeremy Redmon reports.

A spokesperson for the Postal Service said Tuesday that the agency is sending recovery teams to Georgia “to ensure safe and swift restoration of delivery and retail services.” Last week, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy vowed his agency was ready to deliver mail-in ballots.

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Credit: Katelyn Myrick/AJC

PORTS STRIKE. Union dockworkers went on strike on Tuesday, and the Georgia Ports Authority is caught in the middle.

The state-run authority is not officially part of the dispute between the International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance. Yet the GPA closed its busy marine terminals in Savannah and Brunswick early Tuesday out of respect for the 2,500 union members who work there, according to Griff Lynch, the authority’s CEO.

The AJC’s Adam Van Brimmer recently wrote a story about how the strike comes during a time of uncertainty for the authority. Unlike most cargo ports, the GPA runs the terminals itself and employs its own workforce who work alongside union members.

But the next master contract, whenever it comes, could unravel that unique business model.

The stakes are high for Georgia’s economy. The Port of Savannah is the nation’s third busiest for container cargo while the Port of Brunswick is the second busiest for wheeled cargo, such as automobiles.

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Credit: Mike Adams for the AJC

SPECIAL SESSION? When Hurricane Michael walloped Georgia six years ago, then-Gov. Nathan Deal surprised many lawmakers by summoning them back to Atlanta for a special session to approve emergency funding.

Gov. Brian Kemp seemed skeptical of that possibility this time. For one, Georgia’s financial reserves are in much better shape than they were in 2018. And Kemp expressed more confidence that Congress will approve relief funding more swiftly than they did in 2018.

“The politics around Hurricane Michael disaster funding at the time, it was a divided Congress and it was very frustrating,” he said of the nearly year-long debate. “Storm response should not be partisan. There should be funding available.”

Now, he said, he doesn’t believe Georgia has “the need to do what Gov. Deal did. But I’m keeping all options on the table.”

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Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

LISTEN UP. Today on “Politically Georgia,” Katie Sanders, editor-in-chief of PolitiFact, will discuss the vice presidential debate. Then, the AJC’s David Wickert joins the show to talk about election law.

You can listen live at 10 a.m. on WABE 90.1 or follow “Politically Georgia” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes are uploaded by noon each day, just in time to have lunch with us. Have a question for the show? Give us a call at 770-810-5297.

On Tuesday’s show, the AJC’s Ernie Suggs and musician Chuck Leavell talked about former President Jimmy Carter’s 100th birthday. And the AJC’s Maya T. Prabhu discussed a state judge’s decision to strike down Georgia’s abortion law.

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RIP. James Scott Vandiver, the Republican candidate for a Gwinnett County-based state House seat, has died. He was 67.

Vandiver was a candidate in Georgia House District 102, where he was challenging Democratic state Rep. Gabe Okoye of Lawrenceville. Okoye said he did not know Vandiver personally, but said he has “no doubt his active involvement in the community will be remembered by many.”

“My thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to his family and friends during this incredibly difficult time,” Okoye said.

An obituary described Vandiver as “a dearly loved father, faithful friend, and esteemed member of the community.” He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention this summer.

“We take solace knowing he got to enjoy that experience while effectively representing our State,” said Georgia House Majority Leader Chuck Efstration, R-Auburn. “Our prayers go out to the Vandiver family. May his memory be eternal.”

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Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL.

Republican National Committee Co-Chairwoman Lara Trump and Women for Trump will host a hurricane relief event in Austell, Georgia.
U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, the Republican vice presidential nominee, will speak at campaign rallies in Auburn Hills and Marne, Michigan.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will kick off a bus tour through Central Pennsylvania with stops in Harrisburg, Reading and York.

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Credit: Steve Schaefer/AJC

SHOUTOUTS. Today’s birthday:

U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Lithonia.

Want a birthday shoutout in the Politically Georgia newsletter? There’s a form for that! Click here to submit the shoutouts. It’s not just birthdays. We’re also interested in new jobs, engagements, birth announcements, etc.

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AS ALWAYS, send your best scoops, gossip and insider info to greg.bluestein@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com and adam.beam@ajc.com.

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