Kemp is apparently banking on the idea that a successful, college-educated suburban businesswoman could appeal to enough of these former Republicans to stem the slide. That’s good in theory, but the practice will be harder to navigate.
The future Republican majority coalition in Georgia and elsewhere has to include suburban moderates, blue-collar populists and solid party loyalists of all stripes. These voters disagree on many things and are sharply divided on the president himself. Loeffler might be a natural politician, but even a natural could be flummoxed by the competing demands this coalition will impose.
Even in Atlanta, moderate suburbanites are less likely to be pro-life and pro-gun than conservatives and populists. Atlanta also has a long tradition of business-friendly tolerance, going so far as proclaiming it was “A City Too Busy to Hate” during the turbulent 1960s. Once Loeffler arrives in the Senate, she will have to craft a voting record that nods to these traditions while also reassuring the party base she hears and respects their concerns. That will be easier said than done.
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