It’s Not So Peachy for Georgia Republicans

Gov. Deal Slams 2018 GA-Gov Candidates for ‘Unbecoming Squabble’ with Delta

Yesterday, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal slammed the 2018 Republican gubernatorial field for embarrassing the state over a dispute with Delta. Several GOP candidates running to replace Deal picked a fight with the airline for cutting ties with the NRA. The fight was lampooned on late-night television and resulted in an embarrassing CNN news clip.
Gov. Deal has had enough.
From the Associated Press:

Gov. Nathan Deal, serving his final year in office, broke his silence on the controversy during a news conference with an apparent jab at candidates running to succeed him. He said a tax overhaul bill caught up in the debate had been “put at risk by the types of antics that tend to plague election years.”
…”Ours is a welcoming state, the epitome of Southern hospitality,” Deal said. “We were not elected to give the late-night talk show hosts further fodder for their monologues, or to act with the type of immaturity that has caused so many in our society to be skeptical about politics.”

Deal has reason to be angry. Georgia is in a heated battle to lure Amazon’s new headquarters to Atlanta. As Business Insider notes, the GOP candidates crusade could be “a disaster for Atlanta’s bid.” The Savannah Morning News editorial board also slammed the candidates for attacking the state’s largest employer:

And in a state with open primaries, Cagle and Kemp are peppering tens of thousands of prospective voters who work for aircraft-related businesses with their rapid-fire stupidity.

“Gov. Deal is right to be annoyed about the job-killing Republican primary in his state,” said DGA Communications Director Jared Leopold. “In just a few days, Republicans have managed to pick a fight against the state’s top employer, embarrass themselves on late-night TV, and scare Amazon. The 2018 GOP field is running so far to the right that they’re willing to sacrifice Georgia jobs for their social agenda.”