‘The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia’ – Or Maybe Back On

By Colleen O’Connor

Yes, it is a song, but a song that might presage the entire fate of the country.

The lyrics tell of a Gothic murder, lots of jealousy, infidelity, and an innocent man hanged.

Then ends with a bizarre twist, with the real murderer (the “little sister” of the man hanged) who confessed and warned,” Don’t trust your soul to no backwoods Southern lawyer, ’cause the judge in the town’s got blood stains on his hands.”

The surprise ending or literary “plot twist” in this song, or any story, requires misdirecting the audience with “fake” information.  The finale depends on the element of surprise.

The many surprises coming from Georgia begin with the two U.S. Senate races on January 5th.  The outcome will determine not just the control of the U.S. Senate, but choice between deadlock and progress.

Already, this race is the most expensive contest in congressional history (closing in on half a billion dollars) and yet remains, “too close to call.”

Plot twist. Whether Democrats or Republicans win, or split the difference.

The voter suppression history of Georgia, itself, is gothic.  The vestiges of the old Confederacy live on as demonstrated in the recent Governor’s race against Stacey Abrams where voting rolls were purged and polling stations moved to remote locations in minority precincts.

Still the practice persists.

Just this Monday, a federal judge ordered two counties to reverse a decision removing thousands of voters from the rolls ahead of the Senate runoff elections.

More than 4,000, of those purge voters were in Muscogee County, which President-elect Biden won in November. The other 150 culled were from Ben Hill County, which Trump won by a wide margin.

Plot twist.  The judge, Leslie Abrams Gardner is the sister of former gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams; the prominent leader of Democratic voter registration efforts in Georgia.

Twists galore.  Republicans have demanded that the Judge recuse herself.  She refused and added, “An Order detailing the Court’s reasoning is forthcoming.”

Appeals probable.  Trump’s modus operandi, try something, anything.  Get it in court.  Stall for time and a surprise outcome.

Hasn’t worked, yet.  Republicans have filed over 53 lawsuits alleging a stolen, rigged, or illegal election, and lost each of these cases, with rulings from 88 different judges.

New twist.  Back to overturning Biden’s victory.

A Republican lawsuit against Vice-President, Mike Pence, arguing that he cannot count the Electoral College votes on January 6th when Congress certifies the votes.  This is a largely ceremonial meeting required by an 1887 federal law; the Electoral Count Act.

No surprise.  Going nowhere legally.

However, it happens the day after the Georgia Senate tallies and amidst Trump’s call for a “wild” MAGA demonstration that same day in the capital.  Chaos as a strategy?

Twists.  Pretext for martial law? Raise more money for self? How to avoid/ defend N.Y. lawsuits?  Avoid jail?  Kushners take up residence in Israel after having the US Embassy courtyard in Jerusalem named in Jared’s honor?

Reportedly, Kushner was recognized for his work on behalf of US President Donald Trump for regional peace and strengthening recognition of the biblical city as Israel’s capital.  And Kushner Companies plan a bond sale on Tel Aviv Bourse in coming months in hopes of raising $100 million on debt market.

Unhappy with Mar a Lago renovations, will Trump decamp to Russia?

Watch Georgia next week and after.

The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia, a song even the writer disliked, went gold and sold more than a million copies—as a single.

Maybe the Democrats will put the lights back on in Georgia with two new Senators.

Surprise ending for sure.