Georgia Governor Brian Kemp is going national. He is increasing his out of state personal appearances highlighted by his visit with other governors at the Texas border, as well as landing on a Sunday talk show.  

One could easily make the case that the term limited Governor is laying the ground work for a Senate race in 2026, or even a Presidential bid in in 2028.  For now, the Governor is keeping those cards close to his vest. 

The message delivered on ABC’s This Week on Sunday is directly applicable to the races we have before us in 2024.  It is one targeted at the Republican base, but intended for disaffected Republicans who are no longer comfortable with the direction of the GOP as well as independents who are increasingly displeased with both parties.  

The headline from the program is succinct.  “Republicans need to quit looking in the rearview mirror.”  It is an echo and a bookend to Governor Kemp’s earlier clear and declarative statement that the 2020 election was not stolen. 

As Governor Kemp is not on the ballot this year, his message was not one of direct opposition to President Trump as the party’s presidential nominee.  He refused to take that bait each time it was offered, instead focusing on the broader context of where Republicans stand, and what they must be focused on. 

The past is the past. It cannot be changed. What voters can change – and will change, one way or another – is the future.  This is what the 2024 election is about. 

Every speech, every commercial, and every op-ed about the 2020 election is wasted by grinding old axes. The keep on choppin’ Governor wants voters focused on productively clearing and stacking what lies ahead

You don’t have to be a political scientist to know that the majority of voters do not like the current standard bearers.  Each party has come to the logical extreme of making the case against the other, without articulating or even caring about the competence or electability of their own Presidential candidate.  Voters are beyond tired of hearing that “Because the other guy is horrible, you must accept our slightly less horrible nominee.” 

While much of the analysis of Governor Kemp’s remarks will be focused on the presidential contest, the stakes are much bigger.  The balance of power in the Senate, House, and offices all the way down the ballot will swing based on how voters feel about the message of the two parties.  Governor Kemp’s admonitions are painting a picture much bigger than a contest between two unliked octogenarians.

The core of his message is simple, even if the answer isn’t.  Republicans need to say what they’re for, rather than to just protest what they are against.

This is not a new problem for the GOP.  The party has been running against the excesses of Washington since Grover Norquist declared the federal government needed to be small enough to fit in a bathtub so he could drown it.  The Tea Party movement supercharged the narrative.  MAGA at its core is just about “owning the libs” and vengeance for 2020, without the pretense of a plan for governing.

While MAGA have been rallying against 2020, Republicans at the state and local level have been governing.  Governors Kemp, Abbot, Younkin, Reynolds, DeSantis, and others can demonstrate effective governance on issue after issue that resonate with the disaffected center.

They have grown their states’ economies.  They’re lowering tax burdens on their citizens.  They’re expanding school choice.  They’re approaching rising crime quite differently than their contemporaries on the left.  They chose to open their economies and schools during Covid rather than perpetuate a culture of fear.

Each has a unique story to tell.  There is a real contrast of style, philosophy, execution, and results between Governors of red and blue states.  If the national debate was about this, Republicans would win the 2024 election – top to bottom of the ballot – in a landslide.  If the debate is about 2020, voters will be willing to move on from a party stuck in a past of conspiracy theories.

Governor Kemp understands this is a fight for the center, and for the future. It’s not about 2020, it’s about 2025 and 2055.

This is a moment in time to draw a contrast for the next generation. Republicans would be wise to sell the message that is fresh and resonating, not the one with the expired sell-by date.