The Hollywood tsunami happening in Georgia could gradually flip Georgia blue. The first step in that process is coming on April 18. According to Democrats and many liberal writers, there is a ‘major referendum on President Trump’ brewing in the state of Georgia, and it occurs on April 18.
Simultaneously, there is a political anomaly of epic proportions happening in a very conservative district within the Atlanta, Georgia suburbs. This is the sixth-district, which former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich flipped to Republican in 1979. It has been Republican since.
It was a stepping-stone for current Georgia Sen. Johnny Isakson (R) and it was most recently a seat held by Tom Price (R), who vacated the seat to become President Trump's Health and Human Services secretary.
But, something unprecedented is happening. A Democrat named Jon Ossoff is out-polling the top two Republican contenders combined. Granted, there are thirteen Republicans on the ballot to just five Democrats.
As it stands, Ossoff has 41 percent of the vote. This is significant because Price won the 2016 election with just over 61 percent of the vote - meaning Ossoff is poling ahead of the most recent Democrat showing in 2016.
Something else unusual just happened in this little suburban, Republican district that no one anticipated: Hollywood.
You may not know this but the Atlanta metro area is quickly becoming the next Hollywood in terms of film production. Many Hollywood insiders predict that Atlanta will eventually eclipse the size of Hollywood's footprint in California.
Enter a plethora of far left, liberal actors and actresses who love to engage and opine on politics. Or should I say manipulate voters with their star power?
Just this week Alyssa Milano, best known for her role on "Who's the Boss" and "Melrose Place" went campaigning with Ossoff. Aside from visiting voters at their homes, she also tweeted to here 3 million followers a phone number for people to call where "[she] will pick you up and take you to vote!” Early voting began on Monday.
Milano has tweeted several times this week on behalf of Ossoff, and many of the tweets have been to encourage fundraising.
When you combine the fact that Hollywood celebrities are in Atlanta filming a new movie with more than $5 million in campaign donations, this is a powerful wake-up call to Republicans.
Ossoff is not known as a politician in Georgia. Previously, he was a investigative filmmaker who’s competed films for the BBC and Al Jazeera. Voters know very little about his politics except that he is the declared candidate and a Democrat.
Nearly $1 million has poured into his campaign from thousands of donors across the country resulting from an initiative of the website Daily Kos. He's received money from Al Jazeera and other top Democrat donors/activists.
Republicans, perhaps apathetic, after having the biggest power grab in American political history are seeing a light at the end of the tunnel while not realizing it could be an oncoming train about the plow over them.
This special election does not have a primary. Instead, all eighteen candidates are on a single ballot and if no one reaches 51 percent there will be a runoff in June. Given the fact that Ossoff was polling at 32 percent a month ago (now at 41 percent representing a nine point gain in 30 days), it's possible that won't be needed.
President Trump's diversity advisor, Bruce Levell (a Republican vying for the same seat) told me in a radio interview that the idea of a Democrat winning in this district is nothing short of "delusional." I'm not that confident given the fact that every television station, radio station and major publication has an unfettered pipeline of Ossoff advertisements.
Amy Kremer, one of the founding members of the Tea Party movement, is also running for this seat as a Republican. She told me on my radio show that his door hanger advertisements promote saving Planned Parenthood, but say little about other issues.
His website says, "we can be a strong prosperous secure nation and stay true to the core American values that unite us." His campaign promises are making health insurance more affordable and understandable on the insurance marketplace, working to improve the economy, fighting hate speech, being strong on national security, honoring and protecting seniors, improving education, the environment and anti-corruption.
Many of the narratives on his website appear very vague and in cases rather close to the rhetoric of moderate Republicans like Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and John McCain (R-AZ). His liberal positions (planned parenthood and hate speech for instance) sound significantly moderated compared to Democrat leaders like Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) or Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
This could be the perfect storm for Republican public relations. This is likely to be a low turnout election. This reality could easily clear the way for Ossoff to win given the major celebrity involvement, massive national funding and apathy by the recently victorious Republican Party.
This is not truly a voter-referendum on Trump, because this district overwhelmingly supported him. However, it will be a very believable story for Democrats to use in further damaging Trump's political capital across the nation.
If Ossoff wins, there will be little mentioned of how the growing Hollywood scene is likely altering George's politics. The media won’t tell voters across the nation of how much special-interest money poured into Georgia for the sake of creating a political victory against Trump's interests much larger than the recent defeat on healthcare reform.
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