Nathan Deal makes a forceful, biblical case against Georgia’s ‘religious liberty’ bill (Atlanta: how much, hotel)

[atltechdude]

Excellent development.

Very nice words from the Governor. I think he finally gets it.

[tikigod311]

I'm glad the gov finally came out and (hopefully) just killed the bill. The uncertainty and bad press around this was not good for Georgia.

[3rdbass]

This was a nice surprise! We don't need this amendment hanging over Georgia. It would have been bad for our economy and would show GA is going backwards on social issues.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by Hokiehaven

Something says he's working his way to higher aspirations, if not for his age, he may try a presidential run, otherwise potentially a plum position in the new republican party that will need to form. He sees what's happened and still coming.

I don't necessarily think that Governor Deal is working towards higher aspirations as much as he is fiercely trying to protect his legacy as the governor who made Georgia one of the world's international capitals for film and television production.

The passage of this increasingly extremely controversial religious liberty bill into law would instantly destroy all the work that he has done to make Atlanta and Georgia an international TV and film production capital and pretty much extinguish that likely lasting legacy of being the governor that made Georgia "Hollywood South" that Deal has worked feverishly to establish during his administration.

In other words, Governor Deal is not about to let these idiots willfully and mindlessly destroy in one felled swoop a legacy that he has worked so hard to build for this state's future.

[Hokiehaven]

Maybe, sure he wants his legacy and he has nothing to lose now as his term limits are up, but with the state of the Republican party right now, his role in it beyond his term as Governor will likely be important for him, whether in the state or nationally.

But I do believe he was bible thumping against gays on his way to the Governor's mansion when he originally landed the job.

YouthPride hits back at Deal over anti-gay ads — Project Q Atlanta

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

Why is he using the bully pulpit?

All he has to do is veto it.

Governor Deal is using the bully pulpit because that is part of his job as the state's administrative chief executive.

In this case, Deal is using the bully pulpit to attempt to ward off the completely unnecessary massive public relations, economic and political crisis that would result from the passage of this bill.

Governor Deal (along with House Speaker David Ralston who also is not enamored with this bill and the possible PR crisis/economic fallout its passage would bring) is also using the bully pulpit to attempt to prevent the political crisis that would result if he had to issue a veto of this bill and the legislature potentially responded with an override attempt.

(...This bill passed the Georgia Senate with a vote of 38-14, which means that the Senate would likely have the votes (of 67% or a two-thirds majority) to override a Deal veto. The bill has not yet come up for a vote in the Georgia House, so it is still uncertain if the bill will pass the house or if the house would have enough votes to override a possible Deal veto.)

If Governor Deal and Speaker Ralston were to allow the bill to pass the House, by the time that the bill got to Governor Deal's desk for consideration of either his signature into law or his issuance of a veto, the political and PR momentum would be so much greater that the PR/economic stakes would be much higher and the discourse on both sides of the issue would be much more intense. If Deal dislikes this legislation in its current form and the growing amount of negative attention surrounding it, it is in his best interest to de-escalate this potentially damaging situation before the bill comes up for a vote in the House.

By using the bully pulpit to attempt to prevent these possible unnecessary public relations, economic and political crises and a damaging culture war showdown that would publicly playout in the international media, Governor Deal is doing his job as the state's administrative chief executive.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by Hokiehaven

Maybe, sure he wants his legacy and he has nothing to lose now as his term limits are up, but with the state of the Republican party right now, his role in it beyond his term as Governor will likely be important for him, whether in the state or nationally.

Anything is possible. Though, during and throughout his re-election campaign in 2014, Deal on multiple occasions stated that the 2014 election would be the last campaign of his political career.

Given his age (73) and his long career in politics at the state and congressional levels (was first elected to the Georgia Senate as a conservative Democrat in 1980 and has never lost an election during his 35 years in elective politics), Nathan Deal's biggest priority will most likely be cementing and protecting his legacy as the governor that extended Republican rule (proving to all onlookers both inside and outside the GOP that the electoral gains the party experienced during the Sonny Perdue years were no fluke) and got the state back on a more constructive track after the political and economic disarray that the state experienced during the second term of the administration of Georgia's first Republican governor since Reconstruction (Sonny Perdue).

When Deal leaves office in January 2019, he will have been in state and congressional electoral politics for 38 years and will most likely be ready to retire to his home in Demorest in Habersham County in rural Northeast Georgia much more than he will be to take on anymore political endeavors.

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by Hokiehaven

Maybe, sure he wants his legacy and he has nothing to lose now as his term limits are up, but with the state of the Republican party right now, his role in it beyond his term as Governor will likely be important for him, whether in the state or nationally.

But I do believe he was bible thumping against gays on his way to the Governor's mansion when he originally landed the job.

YouthPride hits back at Deal over anti-gay ads — Project Q Atlanta

True, but there's been a genuine shifting of attitudes towards the issue over the past 8 years or so--both personally and politically.

[arjay57]

Good for the governor.

The last thing we need is the government sticking its big snout into when and to whom consenting taxpaying citizens can get married.

[AnsleyPark]

Originally Posted by Born 2 Roll

Governor Deal is using the bully pulpit because that is part of his job as the state's administrative chief executive.

In this case, Deal is using the bully pulpit to attempt to ward off the completely unnecessary massive public relations, economic and political crisis that would result from the passage of this bill.

Governor Deal (along with House Speaker David Ralston who also is not enamored with this bill and the possible PR crisis/economic fallout its passage would bring) is also using the bully pulpit to attempt to prevent the political crisis that would result if he had to issue a veto of this bill and the legislature potentially responded with an override attempt.

(...This bill passed the Georgia Senate with a vote of 38-14, which means that the Senate would likely have the votes (of 67% or a two-thirds majority) to override a Deal veto. The bill has not yet come up for a vote in the Georgia House, so it is still uncertain if the bill will pass the house or if the house would have enough votes to override a possible Deal veto.)

If Governor Deal and Speaker Ralston were to allow the bill to pass the House, by the time that the bill got to Governor Deal's desk for consideration of either his signature into law or his issuance of a veto, the political and PR momentum would be so much greater that the PR/economic stakes would be much higher and the discourse on both sides of the issue would be much more intense. If Deal dislikes this legislation in its current form and the growing amount of negative attention surrounding it, it is in his best interest to de-escalate this potentially damaging situation before the bill comes up for a vote in the House.

By using the bully pulpit to attempt to prevent these possible unnecessary public relations, economic and political crises and a damaging culture war showdown that would publicly playout in the international media, Governor Deal is doing his job as the state's administrative chief executive.

Good analysis. Listening to the GOP debate last night, I think Ted Cruz may proffer up a piece of national legislation that does just what this bill was attempting to do.