Remember that GOP autopsy and subsequent “rebranding” attempt? If none of that rings familiar, don’t worry—Georgia Republicans seem to have completely forgotten as well.

 

Republicans in Georgia and at the national level have bragged about this rebranding project in an attempt to convince us that the GOP is a more tolerant, inclusive party.

 

About that…

 

Jody Hice is a Republican running to replace Paul Broun in Congress. Hice has a history of repulsive comments—he’s suggested that supporters of choice are worse than Hitler, compared being gay to beastiality and incest and said that he has no problem with women running for political office “if the woman’s within the authority of her husband.”

 

Now, Jody Hice has turned his attention to followers of the Islamic faith. Here’s what he had to say:

 

“Most people think Islam is a religion, it’s not. It’s a totalitarian way of life with a religious component. But it’s much larger. It’s a geo-political system that has governmental, financial, military, legal and religious components. And it’s a totalitarian system that encompasses every aspect of life and it should not be protected [under U.S. law].”

 

But he doesn’t stop there…

 

“…That’s why Islam would not qualify for First Amendment protection since it’s a geopolitical system … This is a huge thing to realize and I hope you do. This will impact our lives if we don’t get a handle on it.”

 

Message to the Georgia Republican Party—if you want your outreach efforts to be taken seriously, stop putting racists and right-wing fanatics on the ballot.

 

Just this weekend, Nathan Deal was spotted pallin’ around with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. When Huckabee expressed concern that the two being spotted together might hurt Deal’s reelection bid, Deal said “You helped me get there in the first place.”

 

Last Thursday, Huckabee—who Deal calls a “good friend”—compared the Republican fight against LGBT marriage equality to fighting against Nazi Germany.

 

Phil Kent, Republican talking head and Deal political appointee to the Georgia Immigration Enforcement Board—who has called Somali refugees “primitive people“—recently said the notion of all cultures being equal is a “great lie”.

 

But it should come as no surprise that this is the company that Nathan Deal keeps. After all, Deal has derided minority voters as “ghetto grandmothers” and talked about judging a child’s potential based solely on the way they look.

 

And in just a few weeks, the GOP will choose a candidate for U.S. Senate between the guy who wants underprivileged children to sweep the floors for their free or reduced lunch and the guy who makes fun of people who don’t have a college degree.

 

The second runner-up in that Senate race likes to post things like this about First Lady Michelle Obama on Facebook.

 

This is the Republican Party’s problem. The GOP would rather stick with a strategy of throwing red meat to the most extreme wing of their base with disgusting rhetoric than address the very real problems they have with women, people of color, and the LGBT community.

 

The Democratic Party of Georgia realizes that our Party is not perfect and there is much work to be done. But our progress has accelerated because of Georgia Democrats’ commitment to tolerance, inclusion, and values that seek to lift people up rather than tear them down.

 

This year, Georgia Democrats have a ballot that reflects the diversity of our Party and our state.

 

Georgia Republicans? Not. So. Much.

 

It certainly seems as though the Georgia Republican Party has given up any attempt to reach out to new voters. And with rhetoric like that of Jody Hice and the rest of this crew…that isn’t going to change any time soon.