Nathan Deal makes a forceful, biblical case against Georgia’s ‘religious liberty’ bill (violation, federal)

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by jero23

Exactly and as I have warned this will blow up in Southern white social conservatives' faces.

Originally Posted by AnsleyPark

So no Black, Asian or Hispanic folks supported this bill???

It's good that Ansley asks this question.

That's because there were a few conservative black church clergy that supported Georgia's religious liberty bill but overall there seemed to be much more black opposition to the bill than there was black support for it.

All of the black Democrats in the Georgia Legislature voted against the bill (...there currently are no black members of the Republican caucus in the Georgia Legislature).

There was only one Asian member of the Georgia Legislature (very moderate Republican state representative B.J. Pak of Lilburn who retired from politics at the end of the 2016 legislative session of the Georgia General Assembly) and he voted against the religious liberty bill.

There seemed to be no visible support for the religious liberty bill from Georgia's Asian and Hispanic communities.

African-Americans, even if they may disapprove or be uncomfortable with the LGBTQ lifestyle, most often will be loathe to support religious liberty bills like these because these religious liberty bills are often viewed by a wide swath of the public as very thinly-veiled efforts to legalize discrimination (against LGBTQ and any and everyone else that very socially conservative religious Christian types may not like) and African-Americans are all too familiar historically with knowing what its like to be discriminated against.

Outside of the aforementioned vote against Georgia's religious liberty bill by very moderate retiring Republican B.J. Pak of Lilburn, Asians are not yet anywhere near close to being a force in Georgia politics to have a clear and articulated position on the religious liberty issue collectively, but Asians are not likely to support legislation that might encourage discrimination against them.

Hispanics seem to have maybe just slightly more political visibility in Georgia's political climate than Asians, but Hispanics also are not likely to support a bill that will encourage even more discrimination against them than they might already face.

Anti-LGBTQ bills like Georgia's vetoed controversial religious liberty bill, Mississippi's even much more broader legalized religious liberty bill and North Carolina's bathroom bill seem to have originated and be the priority almost exclusively of anxious white social ultraconservatives and no one else.

[fieldm]

As Southern States Stake Their Ground On LGBT Rights, Georgia Leads | Georgia Unites Against Discrimination

[rcsteiner]

I'm not normally a fan of Gov. Deal, but I fully support his stance in this case.

[Born 2 Roll]

Veteran Georgia political reporter Jim Galloway writes in his Atlanta Journal Constitution's "Political Insider" column that Georgia Governor Nathan Deal's veto of the Georgia Legislature's controversial religious liberty bill may have prevented Georgia from being put in play for the Democrats during the presidential election.

Galloway writes about how North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory's signing into law of the North Carolina Legislature's extremely controversial HB 2 (House Bill 2 "the bathroom bill") has damaged him politically heading into a re-election campaign and has put the state in play for Democrats during a presidential election year where it appears Republicans may struggle even more than anticipated because of the contentious primary between Donald Trump and Ted Cruz and because of this year's controversial anti-LGBTQ bills in North Carolina and Mississippi and last year's controversial anti-LGBTQ bill in Indiana that Republicans have signed into law.

Galloway writes that Deal's veto of Georgia's controversial religious liberty bill took away an issue (and a controversy) that Democrats could have used (by driving fundraising, new voter registrations and voter turnout) to ride the state's changing demographics to much more quickly push the state towards becoming purple.

The comments section in the article is really interesting to say the least as one commenter who is particularly disgruntled about Governor Deal's veto of Georgia's controversial religious liberty bill appears to issue a threat of violence against Governor Deal. Another commenter responds by pointing out the alleged threat of violence against Governor Deal and states his intent to notify the authorities (Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Georgia State Patrol) of the violent threat.


"The November advantages that come with Nathan Deal’s veto of ‘religious liberty’ bill" (Atlanta Journal Constitution/Political Insider)
The November advantages that come with Nathan Deal’s veto of ‘religious liberty’ bill | Political Insider blog

From the article:

Democrats in both Georgia and North Carolina have long pitched themselves as the next Southern state to shift from red to a noticeable shade of purple. Such advertisements are designed to attract the loose millions of dollars that float around during presidential election seasons.

When they’re lucky enough to get it, state parties use that national cash to register voters, to drive turnout, and to otherwise speed up the demographic shifts that play to Democratic strength, but haven’t yet taken effect.

When Nathan Deal vetoed HB 757, he increased the likelihood that a Democratic nominee for president would look elsewhere for an electoral college pick-up. Likewise, when Pat McCrory of North Carolina signed HB 2, he placed a target on his own state. Not to mention his own re-election.

Jared Leopold, communications director for the Democratic Governors Association, said his organization had already marked Indiana and North Carolina as likely Democratic pick-ups. But until March, only one of those Republican incumbents, Mike Pence of Indiana, had issues created by “religious liberty” legislation.

“North Carolina always was a target. But then HB 2 proved to us that McCrory is even more vulnerable,” Leopold said. “This really is about business investment and jobs. In both instances, you’ve got a governor who has taken his eyes off the ball.”

An Elon University poll released Tuesday showed Democrat Roy Cooper, the state attorney general, leading McCrory among Republican voters, 48 to 42 percent. McCrory’s 37 percent job approval rating is his lowest.

In that state’s U.S. Senate race, Republican incumbent Richard Burr leads Democratic challenger Deborah Ross, 37 to 33 percent.

This is not 2004. Support for the portion of HB 2 that requires transgender people to use bathrooms that conform with their biological sex at birth evenly splits the North Carolina electorate, according to the Elon poll. Support is strongest among “born again” Christians. Catholics and “other Christians” are divided.

More than corporations are running away from HB 2 in North Carolina.

We told you earlier that Deal may very well skip Georgia’s state GOP convention in June. North Carolina has its state GOP convention next month. Already a governor has decided to take a pass on the Greensboro, N.C., gathering. Not McCrory.

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, head of the Republican Governors Association, had planned to speak at the event. She has found something else to do that day. In New Mexico.

All in all, HB 2 has helped create a climate in North Carolina that a Democratic presidential campaign may be unable to resist in August. It’s a climate that doesn’t exist in Georgia. If you’re a Republican, that might be a rare bright spot come November.

“This issue divides the party and ostracizes several wings of our coalition, not to mention the independents we need to win in statewide elections,” said Brian Robinson, former spokesman for Deal. “If the Republican governors in Indiana and North Carolina lose their re-elections — they’re both running neck to neck with Democratic challengers — Republicans in Georgia might give thanks that our governor’s wisdom spared us that blowback.”

[fieldm]

Originally Posted by Born 2 Roll

Veteran Georgia political reporter Jim Galloway writes in his Atlanta Journal Constitution's "Political Insider" column that Georgia Governor Nathan Deal's veto of the Georgia Legislature's controversial religious liberty bill may have prevented Georgia from being put in play for the Democrats during the presidential election.

Galloway writes about how North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory's signing into law of the North Carolina Legislature's extremely controversial HB 2 (House Bill 2 "the bathroom bill") has damaged him politically heading into a re-election campaign and has put the state in play for Democrats during a presidential election year where it appears Republicans may struggle even more than anticipated because of the contentious primary between Donald Trump and Ted Cruz and because of this year's controversial anti-LGBTQ bills in North Carolina and Mississippi and last year's controversial anti-LGBTQ bill in Indiana that Republicans have signed into law.

Galloway writes that Deal's veto of Georgia's controversial religious liberty bill took away an issue (and a controversy) that Democrats could have used (by driving fundraising, new voter registrations and voter turnout) to ride the state's changing demographics to much more quickly push the state towards becoming purple.

The comments section in the article is really interesting to say the least as one commenter who is particularly disgruntled about Governor Deal's veto of Georgia's controversial religious liberty bill appears to issue a threat of violence against Governor Deal. Another commenter responds by pointing out the alleged threat of violence against Governor Deal and states his intent to notify the authorities (Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Georgia State Patrol) of the violent threat.


"The November advantages that come with Nathan Deal’s veto of ‘religious liberty’ bill" (Atlanta Journal Constitution/Political Insider)
The November advantages that come with Nathan Deal’s veto of ‘religious liberty’ bill | Political Insider blog

From the article:

Nall, we cant risk Atlanta's economy to make a political point. Plus this would have damaged Atlanta reputation for years and that cant happen

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by Born 2 Roll

Veteran Georgia political reporter Jim Galloway writes in his Atlanta Journal Constitution's "Political Insider" column that Georgia Governor Nathan Deal's veto of the Georgia Legislature's controversial religious liberty bill may have prevented Georgia from being put in play for the Democrats during the presidential election.

Maybe. But if Trump gets nominated, I predict that Georgia will be in play. And there is no way the GOP retakes the White House if that happens (even if we do go red again).

Galloway writes about how North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory's signing into law of the North Carolina Legislature's extremely controversial HB 2 (House Bill 2 "the bathroom bill") has damaged him politically heading into a re-election campaign and has put the state in play for Democrats during a presidential election year where it appears Republicans may struggle even more than anticipated because of the contentious primary between Donald Trump and Ted Cruz and because of this year's controversial anti-LGBTQ bills in North Carolina and Mississippi and last year's controversial anti-LGBTQ bill in Indiana that Republicans have signed into law.

Hoisted by their own petard!

Originally Posted by fieldm

Nall, we cant risk Atlanta's economy to make a political point. Plus this would have damaged Atlanta reputation for years and that cant happen

This is true.

[scgraham]

I see people are now making up their own Jesus. The Scriptures are fulfilled yet again.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by scgraham

I see people are now making up their own Jesus. The Scriptures are fulfilled yet again.

Scriptural interpretations are so varied in nature that almost anything fulfills biblical prophesy in somebody's mind.

[arjay57]

If people are against the gay taxpayer so be it, but there's no basis for it in Christianity.

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by scgraham

I see people are now making up their own Jesus. The Scriptures are fulfilled yet again.

I accept your surrender.