In addition to unforced errors, Abrams is also guilty of major flip-flops. She now insists, for example, that she never favored defunding the police. Yet, during a 2020 interview on this subject, CNN’s Alisyn Camerota asked Abrams, “So yes to some defunding?” She answered, “We have to reallocate resources, so yes.” She then posited this implausible budget dilemma: “If there’s a moment where the resources are so tight that we have to choose between whether we murder black people or serve black people, then absolutely our choice must be service.” Having since discovered that “defund the police” is deadly at the ballot box, she now says she wants to increase police salaries.

Georgia voters are likely to be skeptical, considering that Abrams still sits on the board of the Marguerite Casey Foundation, which openly advocates defunding and even abolishing the police altogether. Its Twitter feed is full of posts like this: “What we’re seeing is an evolution in thinking. ‘Defund the police’ was put onto the agenda and it’s changing the discourse. It’s making people think about ‘Well, what should policing look like?’” Most Georgians think “policing” should “look like” a real attempt by our leaders to reduce crime. Abrams’ continuing presence on the board of this radical foundation means her vision differs substantially from that of the voters.

This, in the end, is why Abrams can’t make the sale in the Peach State. Ironically, her elevation to political stardom by the corporate media has become something of a liability. Most Georgia voters know more about her than they did in 2018 and that has made fewer of them willing to trust her. Moreover, her celebrity status has also made her so complacent that she hasn’t attended to the political basics. She gets a lot of money from out of town, but has neglected local constituencies without which she can’t get elected. Finally, it’s clear that she has no real plan to fix any of the myriad problems facing Georgians. Being famous for being famous isn’t enough. She has to actually do something.