Politics Today: New Election Rules in Georgia as Mudslinging Abounds

To say the 2024 Election season is heating up would be a misnomer. It has turned downright brutal this week. If you’re a fan of political mudslinging, you’ve had a lot to keep up with so far this week. If you prefer your politics with a side of civility — well, that’s just not going to happen.

But, the candidates for president are a much smaller issue right now in Georgia. The issue we should all be keeping our eye on is the State Election Board. Republicans threw Brad Raffensperger out as the overseer of the board and appointed three members who think the 2020 election was stolen. The behavior of these three Republican members of the board have raised concerns on both sides of the aisle as it becomes clear they intend to interfere in the 2024 election.

Georgia’s Election Rule Roulette

The Georgia State Elections Board has cooked up a new rule that’s about as clear as swamp water. County election officials don’t have to certify election results by a set time anymore. They now have the option to conduct a “reasonable inquiry” before certifying results. What’s reasonable, you ask? Well, that’s the million-dollar question. Being good government officials, they left that part vague and up to the interpretation of each county’s election board, meaning Georgia could potentially see 159 different standards being applied to their new rule.

The board’s Republican members claim it’s about election integrity. Democrats say it’s a recipe for chaos. One thing’s for sure: this one is going to court — or courts.

Trump’s Georgia Gambit

Speaking of those Republican board members, Trump has been praising the Georgia Election Board’s Republican members like they’re contestants on a reality show. It’s a move that’s raised eyebrows. Some say it’s just Trump being Trump. Others see it as a chess move in the ongoing game of election influence.

Trump’s Debate Trifecta

After grabbing media attention by saying he might not be attending the ABC Debate that he and Joe Biden had agreed to before Biden dropped out of the race, Donald Trump has agreed to participate in three debates this September.

According to Trump, Fox, NBC, and ABC will host the political spectacles with CBS hosting the Vice Presidential Debate. No word yet from the Harris campaign on if the Democratic candidate has also agreed to this set of debates.

Vance’s Verbal Volleys

Republican Vice Presidential Nominee J.D. Vance has been sharpening his rhetoric against Tim Walz, Kamala Harris’s running mate. Vance has been questioning Walz’s military record. While his criticisms have been somewhat debunked by the Nebraska National Guard office, it is a familiar song and dance in political campaigns and don’t let anyone tell you it is unprecedented for candidates to disparage another candidate’s military service — even if that service was honorable.

Since we have two vice presidential hopefuls with military records, now would be a good time to remind the candidates and the voters that criticism of military service or playing the game of who really served better or served enough can be a zero sum game. Back in 2004, the Swift Vets and POWs for Truth attacked John Kerry, questioning the legitimacy of his purple hearts and CBS News reported a completely debunked report criticizing George W. Bush’s National Guard Service. The latter cost newsman Dan Rather his career.

For Kerry, criticisms of his military service were damning. For Bush, the issue backfired and vindicated him. This is also a good time to remind voters that while Vance and Walz did serve in the military, Donald Trump avoided the draft in Vietnam due to bone spurs.

So, there you have it. Another day in American politics. It’s a world where facts are flexible, truth is negotiable, and reality is in the eye of the beholder. Your vote is the great equalizer.

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