{"id":36287,"date":"2023-01-16T09:20:27","date_gmt":"2023-01-16T09:20:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/?p=36287"},"modified":"2023-01-16T09:20:27","modified_gmt":"2023-01-16T09:20:27","slug":"georgia-governor-brian-kemp-inauguration-launches-bid-for-senate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/16\/georgia-governor-brian-kemp-inauguration-launches-bid-for-senate\/","title":{"rendered":"Georgia Governor Brian Kemp inauguration launches bid for Senate"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> [ad_1]<\/p>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_vp gnt_em_vp__yt gnt_em__fp\" data-g-r=\"vp_tp\" data-c-vt=\"youtube\" aria-label=\"YouTube video\" aria-live=\"polite\"><a target=\"_blank\" class=\"gnt_em_vp_a gnt_em_vp__yt_a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/K7H71xlxROk\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-g-r=\"vp_tg\" data-c-vpattrs=\"{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;K7H71xlxROk&quot;, &quot;id&quot;:&quot;69805425007&quot;}\" aria-label=\"Play YouTube video\"><img alt=\"\" class=\"gnt_em_vp_img gnt_em_vp_img__yn\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/K7H71xlxROk\/maxresdefault.jpg\" onload=\"if(this.naturalWidth&lt;200){this.setAttribute('onload','this.classList.remove('gnt_em_vp_img__yn')');this.src=\" https:=\"\" decoding=\"async\"\/><svg class=\"gnt_em_vp_svg\"><use xlink:href=\"#gnt_svg_video_play\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>This commentary is written by opinion columnist Adam Van Brimmer.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">For <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/gov.georgia.gov\/\" data-t-l=\":b|e|k|${u}\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\" rel=\"noopener\">Brian Kemp<\/a>, this week\u2019s <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gpb.org\/events\/news\/2023\/01\/12\/governor-kemps-inauguration-ceremony\" data-t-l=\":b|e|k|${u}\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\" rel=\"noopener\">inauguration<\/a> marked his last &#8211; as Georgia\u2019s governor, but likely not of his political career.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">A term limit prevents him from leading the state beyond 2026 and will force him to seek another office. As Kemp delivered a predictable inaugural address Thursday morning, full of references to \u201ckeeping his foot on the gas,\u201d putting \u201cGeorgians first\u201d and at least on Bible verse, this observer kept returning to one question.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">What\u2019s next for him? <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.senate.gov\/\" data-t-l=\":b|e|k|${u}\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\" rel=\"noopener\">U.S. Senate<\/a> in 2026? The<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/about-the-white-house\/presidents\/\" data-t-l=\":b|e|k|${u}\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\" rel=\"noopener\"> White House<\/a> in 2028? And how will his future political aspirations influence how he governs over the next four years?<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" style=\"height:440px\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2023\/01\/13\/NSMN\/6068c8cb-62ef-444e-9dc3-d6a2f11cb830-AP23012602136970.jpg?width=660&amp;height=440&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" data-gl-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2023\/01\/13\/NSMN\/6068c8cb-62ef-444e-9dc3-d6a2f11cb830-AP23012602136970.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=880&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Gov. Brian Kemp delivers his inaugural address. (AP Photo\/Brynn Anderson)\"\/><\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Kemp offered too few hints during the inauguration. The speech was devoid of partisan rhetoric beyond passing shots at federal government bureaucracy. He made no mention of culture war issues. He declined to lay out any sort of legacy initiative, as previous second-term governors, including criminal justice reform champion Nathan Deal, have.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Kemp\u2019s stated priorities are \u201csafe streets, good schools and good-paying jobs\u201d and he\u2019s \u201cfocused on growing Georgia, not growing government.\u201d What political mechanisms Kemp employs to achieve those goals will be tied to which office he hopes to hold next.<\/p>\n<aside aria-label=\"advertisement\" class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\"\/>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><strong class=\"gnt_ar_b_al\">Kemp sworn in:<\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/story\/news\/state\/2023\/01\/12\/georgia-governor-brian-brian-kemp-sworn-in-for-second-term-outlines-priorities-in-address\/69802775007\/\" rel=\"noopener\" data-t-l=\":b|e|spike click:9|${u}\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\">Governor promises tax return, education funding, development<\/a><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\">What makes Kemp such a good politician?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Kemp plays politics like a master does chess &#8211; always several moves ahead. He\u2019s demonstrated a shrewdness over the last five years that runs contrary to his simple country boy persona, and he\u2019s built a brand as a next generation conservative.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">He\u2019s done so with the <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wabe.org\/how-brian-kemp-overcame-trump-and-abrams\/\" data-t-l=\":b|e|k|${u}\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\" rel=\"noopener\">unwitting help of former President Donald Trump,<\/a> who excommunicated Kemp for not aiding and abetting the <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brennancenter.org\/issues\/ensure-every-american-can-vote\/vote-suppression\/myth-voter-fraud\" data-t-l=\":b|e|k|${u}\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\" rel=\"noopener\">2020 election fraud lie<\/a>. Trump\u2019s contempt for Kemp freed the governor to carve out his own political identity where he can be a pro-business champion one day and a culture warrior the next without having to show fealty to the mah\u0101r\u0101ja of <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.maralagoclub.com\/\" data-t-l=\":b|e|k|${u}\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\" rel=\"noopener\">Mar-a-lago<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Given the widespread public <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2022\/06\/26\/trump-fatigue-sets-in-some-donors-are-getting-sick-of-the-sh-show-00042413\" data-t-l=\":b|e|k|${u}\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\" rel=\"noopener\">Trump fatigue<\/a> and the <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/projects.fivethirtyeight.com\/biden-approval-rating\/\" data-t-l=\":b|e|k|${u}\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\" rel=\"noopener\">general ineptness of current Democrat leaders<\/a>, Kemp is well-positioned for a higher-profile post. His remarks about Washington, D.C. in the inauguration speech sounded like a premise for future talking points that might relate to how Kemp could bring his proven leadership skills on the state level to a federal office &#8211; Oval or otherwise.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" style=\"height:441px\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2022\/12\/23\/USAT\/c9b11ce2-ed5d-4981-9843-67a095c4faca-AP_Election_2022_Politics_Education.jpg?width=660&amp;height=441&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" data-gl-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2022\/12\/23\/USAT\/c9b11ce2-ed5d-4981-9843-67a095c4faca-AP_Election_2022_Politics_Education.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=882&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis addresses the crowd before publicly signing the Stop Woke bill in April 2022.\"\/><\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Unlike others Republicans aspiring to higher office &#8211; think<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flgov.com\/\" data-t-l=\":b|e|k|${u}\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\" rel=\"noopener\"> Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis<\/a> &#8211; Kemp is maneuvering for the future cautiously. He senses Georgians\u2019 focus on the economy and knows he has momentum from a string of economic development wins, such as EV plants planned near Savannah and Athens.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">He spoke Thursday of intending \u201cfor Georgia to be recognized as the electric mobility capital of America\u201d by the end of this second term. Assuming <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/story\/business\/automotive\/2022\/05\/20\/hyundai-motors-savannah-ga-bryan-county-jobs-electric-cars-assembly-plant\/9820711002\/\" data-t-l=\":b|e|k|${u}\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\" rel=\"noopener\">Hyundai<\/a> and <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/story\/news\/2022\/05\/02\/rivian-gets-1-5-b-incentives-build-northeast-georgia-plant\/9622730002\/\" data-t-l=\":b|e|k|${u}\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\" rel=\"noopener\">Rivian<\/a> are building EVs in our state as planned by the 2026 election, he\u2019ll have met that goal and tens of thousands of Georgians will be earning a good living in that sector.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><strong class=\"gnt_ar_b_al\">Professor:<\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/story\/opinion\/2022\/05\/25\/governor-brain-kemps-win-victory-gop-against-trump\/9926559002\/\" rel=\"noopener\" data-t-l=\":b|e|spike click:17|${u}\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\">Kemp defeated Trump&#8217;s ally. He could upset Trump in 2024 presidential primary<\/a><\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img gnt_em_img__inset\"><img class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" style=\"height:450px\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2021\/06\/16\/NSMN\/ef8260a7-8173-49b8-9b86-dd07d91810be-ghows_gallery_ei-GA-201129543-9be0a959.jpeg?crop=1200,1800,x0,y0&amp;width=300&amp;height=450&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" data-gl-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2021\/06\/16\/NSMN\/ef8260a7-8173-49b8-9b86-dd07d91810be-ghows_gallery_ei-GA-201129543-9be0a959.jpeg?crop=1200,1800,x0,y0&amp;width=600&amp;height=900&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Opinion Editor Adam Van Brimmer\"\/><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\">What approach will Kemp use to run for next office?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Economic success, especially jobs and wages, broaden the voting base and make politicians less reliant on social policy positions. In 2018, Kemp ran on a litany of culture warrior issues, from abortion to gun rights to immigration ahead of the 2022 election, he pushed through legislation to appease Trump loyalists, such as voting reform and transgender limitations.<\/p>\n<aside aria-label=\"advertisement\" class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\"\/>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">But during the campaign, he promised little on wedge issues that matter most to the deeply partisan. He doesn\u2019t have to deliver on pledges that are only popular with the Republican base &#8211; and he doesn\u2019t have to answer for that type of agenda should he elect to run on a national ticket.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">He can weigh which polarizing issues to take on over the next four years and embrace only those that help his brand. That\u2019s invaluable right now, as more Republicans push back against Trumpism and the party tweaks its identity to appeal more broadly to the electorate.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_anc\" id=\"gnt_atomsnc\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"loadAnc\" aria-label=\"Newsletter signup form\"\/>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><strong class=\"gnt_ar_b_al\">More from Van Brimmer:<\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/story\/opinion\/2022\/11\/20\/georgia-governor-candidate-stacey-abrams-lost-2nd-straight-election\/10726583002\/\" rel=\"noopener\" data-t-l=\":b|e|spike click:25|${u}\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\">Stacey Abrams is a two-time election loser in Georgia. Is her political career over?<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Much has been made over the last five years about a Georgia political superstar one day running for president. As Kemp took the governor\u2019s of office again Thursday, we moved closer to that reality &#8211; just with Kemp as that candidate, not Democratic darling <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/staceyabrams.com\/\" data-t-l=\":b|e|k|${u}\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\" rel=\"noopener\">Stacey Abrams<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" style=\"height:441px\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2021\/01\/08\/NABH\/3fad645d-17e2-4098-bba0-1677bcef250d-stacey2.jpg?width=660&amp;height=441&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" data-gl-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2021\/01\/08\/NABH\/3fad645d-17e2-4098-bba0-1677bcef250d-stacey2.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=882&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Georgia Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Raphael Warnock, left, applauds as President-elect Joe Biden speaks at a drive-in rally for Warnock and Jon Ossoff, Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020, in Atlanta. Standing with Warnock are Stacey Abrams, center, and Georgia Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate Jon Ossoff. (AP Photo\/Patrick Semansky)\"\/><\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Whether Kemp serves in the U.S. Senate first is the only question. His would-be opponent, <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/\" data-t-l=\":b|e|k|${u}\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\" rel=\"noopener\">Sen. Jon Ossoff<\/a>, attended Thursday\u2019s inauguration and listened closely to Kemp\u2019s remarks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Behind the stoneface, though, he must have been thinking about the formidable opponent before him. And whether Kemp&#8217;s next inauguration would be for the office Ossoff currently holds.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Contact Van Brimmer at <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"mailto:avanbrimmer@savannahnow.com\" data-t-l=\":b|e|k|${u}\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\" rel=\"noopener\">avanbrimmer@savannahnow.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>[ad_2]<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/__i\/rss\/rd\/articles\/CBMiggFodHRwczovL3d3dy5zYXZhbm5haG5vdy5jb20vc3Rvcnkvb3Bpbmlvbi8yMDIzLzAxLzE1L2dlb3JnaWEtZ292ZXJub3ItYnJpYW4ta2VtcC1pbmF1Z3VyYXRpb24tbGF1bmNoZXMtYmlkLWZvci1zZW5hdGUvNjk4MDUwODcwMDcv0gEA?oc=5\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[ad_1] This commentary is written by opinion columnist Adam Van Brimmer. For Brian Kemp, this&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36288,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36287","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-careers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36287","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36287"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36287\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36289,"href":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36287\/revisions\/36289"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36288"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36287"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36287"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36287"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}