'Self-inflicted quick-fire catastrophes' are costing Trump big in Georgia: columnist
Just one month ago, it seemed impossible to imagine Democrats winning Georgia for a second consecutive presidential election cycle.
However, writes Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Patricia Murphy, everything has changed thanks both to Vice President Kamala Harris' emergence as the Democratic presidential nominee and due to what she describes as former President Donald Trump's "self-inflicted quick-fire catastrophes."
In particular, she believes the last week-and-a-half has been particularly brutal for Trump politically.
"If you were writing a book on how to lose an election, Trump’s last 10 days would be your guide," she contends, before then running down the multiple blunders she argued Trump has made.
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"First, choose a running mate like U.S. Sen. JD Vance, whose many past cable appearances are easy to access, but too numerous to fully inspect," she begins. "Count on the fact that some of the opinions expressed will deeply offend an important segment of the general electorate, including suburban women. Next, insult a room full of Black journalists days after your convention, as Trump did at the National Association of Black Journalists in Chicago last week, just after you promised to bring unity to the country. Finally, go to a battleground state like Georgia and attack the popular governor, as well as the governor’s wife, even though both are in your own party."
Murphy takes particular exception to Trump's remarks about Kemp, which she said needlessly divided Georgia Republicans at a time when Democrats appear to be the most unified they've been all year.
"Kemp, Trump said, wouldn’t help him out after the election, when a 'simple phone call' could have overturned the election results," she recounts. "More recently, first lady Marty Kemp said she didn’t vote for Trump in this year’s GOP primary because Trump 'hasn’t earned my vote.' She wrote her husband’s name in for president instead. “I don’t want her endorsement. I don’t want his endorsement. I just want them to do their job for Georgia,” Trump said. After calling the first lady 'the wife,' Atlanta 'a killing field,' and Brian Kemp “a bad guy, a disloyal guy and a very average governor,” Trump concluded, 'In my opinion, they want us to lose.'"