The Ron Show

Ron Roberts
  • 4.7 (11)
  • POLITICS
  • UPDATED DAILY

Welcome to the Ron Show - Atlanta's only progressive audio platform airing five days a week on Georgia Now, M-F 4-6pm (replaying 8-10am the next weekday). Host Ron Roberts covers Atlanta, metro Atlanta, Georgia and national politics from a pretty unique lens ... he's just your run-of-the-mill Georgia-born gay progressive cat-dad realtor & talk show host. Dime a dozen, right?

  1. 3D AGO

    Debating a debate, 2028 messaging and the perplexing Panitch

    PLUS: CBS News White correspondent Olivia Rinaldi on Trump's 'Strait talk' & Tucker says the obvious (for once) Wednesday night, WXIA-TV (11 Alive) will livestream online a Democratic gubernatorial debate (live on WATL-TV as well) with just three of the six candidates running, culling the field to three based on a six-week-old poll while ignoring a two-week old poll that shows it's at minimum a four-person race. I'm curious how that best serves the electorate, frankly. Meanwhile, former Biden administration heavyweights (VP Kamala Harris and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg) are now openly toying with 2028 presidential runs, and I'm okay with that; I'd just like Democrats to pivot from just focusing on Trump and undoing his damage and start pitching themselves and the party as more aspirational - giving Americans a future to hearken to. CBS News' White House correspondent Olivia Rinaldi hopped on a call early Monday morning to discuss the corner President Trump has painted himself into and the logistics and shortcomings in a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz as a bullying tactic in the immediate aftermath of a mere 21 hours of negotiating yielding nothing substantive. Then there's the "Dr. Jesus" posting to get into. Politics certainly puts you in camps with folks you don't often think you'll be in, but Rep. Esther Panitch and I are both on the same page in the gubernatorial primary. That said, she and I have broad disagreement on the affinity for US/Israel "unquestioned" support and her aversion for Democratic Socialists in the party at all. She likens them to the left's version of "MAGA," while not discussing the issues that separate her from her opponent in the throes of a party primary. That and more in Monday's Ron Show.

    1h 29m

  2. 6D AGO

    Maybe it's Rahm who "lost the plot."

    USA Today ⁠conservative political columnist Ingrid Jacques pounced on Rahm Emanuel's words⁠ last week, along with American mobility trends that shows that liberals & progressives (get this) move around the country. That people are fleeing "progressive states" in droves for red states (it's ⁠actually happening to some notable red states⁠, too) and somehow concludes - with all that's going on in the world under the regime of MAGA mayhem - that things look bad for Democrats in the longterm. Okay. Emanuel, who may be prepping the runway for a presidential run, ⁠did an interview at GZERO World⁠ where he said "If they (Democrats) get caught in the cultural cul-de-sac again, running around, getting themselves wrapped around an ankle, the American people will make a judgment.” It was ⁠in another interview where Emanuel said Democrats had "lost the plot" ⁠ on cultural issues. Rahm served in the Obama White House so it stuns me he needs the history lesson or for this to be pointed out: The problem is, Democrats don't politicize "cultural" issues; they respond when Republicans do, and usually with a sort of timidity that doesn't ooze "strength." Democrats fail to lead and sit meekly in the background while society pushes cultural issues forward, then want some credit for it. People read through that, too.

    44 min

  3. APR 4

    GA legislature wraps, ICE takes a pause & Bondi takes a walk

    PLUS: Sterling Thrill returns for some 'Friday Funnies' & hell no, I won't feel bad for Kristi Noem The Georgia general assembly session for 2026 came to a close Thursday night, leaving a lot of ugly bills unaddressed (mostly in the House) and work "yet to be done" that legally has to be addressed by this summer with regards to election. That said, the fine folks at the Georgie Recorder put a lovely bow on the session. - - - Are the communities of Oakwood and Social Circle about to get a reprieve from the intrusive and overwhelming ICE detention facilities planned for (and to put strain on) their towns? Well, maybe, and good! Sterling Thrill hopped on for our weekly 'Friday Funnies' review of the headlines from a week gone by and boy did we have plenty to cackle about. Between the Bryon Noem 'bimbofication' bombshell and Pam Bondi getting whacked, there's a lot of meat on this week's funny bone. Don may be done with Pam, but Democrats may not be. Next up? Todd Blanche, and "who's next" to get whacked? - - - Lastly, a conservative columnist believes the Noems don't deserve all the smoke coming their way. Bullsh*t.

    1h 29m

  4. APR 3

    An 'indefensible' bill sits on Kemp's desk. How would AG Bob Trammell navigate such traps? Oh, and about the Noems ...

    With Republicans passing legislation targeting the five largest metro Atlanta counties (that their party can't win in) to turn many elections into non-partisan affairs, it often falls on the state's attorney general to defend those bills - if signed into law by the governor - when challenged in court. A former Democratic lawmaker and House minority leader - Bob Trammell - seeks to re-enter the political theater after six-years off-stage, running to be the Democratic nominee for attorney general on the November ballot. He and I discuss such legislation he'd have to (or choose not to) defend if elected, and the damage done to the American judicial process in the decade-long Trump era, too. - - - Speaking of Trump, the President addressed the nation in a primetime address Wednesday, where he made no new news. CBS White correspondent Weijia Jiang hopped on a call to review that address and provide what insights she has from her sources in Washington. - - - With revelations that Bryon Noem - former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem's husband - enjoyed "bimbofication" in his spare time, comes clapback from folks like comedienne Sunny Dae Jones. Joining me to discuss is RuPaul's Drag Race season 16 runner-up Sapphira Cristal.

    1h 29m

  5. APR 1

    How a tax cut for some becomes a tax HIKE for ALL & what new polling says re: Ga Dem gov race

    A push to lower state property taxes by using slick language and maneuvers to raise the sales tax (I told ya so) is fodder for back & forth under the Gold Dome in Georgia's closing general assembly days. There's new polling that shows a surge by former Senator Jason Esteves, making that potential run-off a four-person tangle. Joining me to discuss the ramifications is Atlanta-based political consultant Andrew Heaton.

    44 min

  6. APR 1

    GA Legislative home stretch | Meet the 27-year old progressive US House hopeful

    We're in the final days of the 2026 Georgia General Assembly legislative session, and with vacated seats & a mad rush to jam in some awful bills, the pressure's on - mostly on beleaguered Democrats to hold off the worst. Georgia Recorder reporters provide a nice summation of what's still alive, what could be revived and what's off the table (for now). Get this, though: some GOP legislators may be seeing their items get snubbed by Lt. Governor Burt Jones in retaliation for those lawmakers endorsing Rick Jackson in the GOP gubernatorial primary. Jackson even told supporters lawmakers are afraid of being seen with him because of Jones' alleged intimidatory tactics. Meanwhile, the anti-Jones 'Georgians for Integrity' got bad news from the state ethics commission - for whatever that's worth this late in the soap opera. - - - Meet Caitlyn Gegen, 27-year old (double) UGA grad who also graduated from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She's running for Georgia's 9th Congressional district seat currently held by Andrew Clyde, and she's running as an unabashed progressive option for Democrats in the upcoming primary. Hear her explain why she believes that may bring voters outside the party to vote for the party.

    44 min

  7. MAR 31

    Christian v 'Christian Nationalism' - Talarico, Warnock & author April Ajoy

    PLUS: Thurmond's endorsement gets: plums or prunes? Also, Keisha's list was ... something to see & Esteves' list is long. - -- Coming off a third - and impressive - 'No Kings Day' weekend, it was in listening to (marveling at) Rev. Senator Raphael Warnock deliver a "no notes" speech in Atlanta Saturday that somehow aligned well against the faux religiosity on display at CPAC on the same weekend. The emergence of James Talarico in Texas has Christian nationalism freaking out like "The Wizard" once the curtain was pulled back. Which brings me to my guest today: April Ajoy, author (Star-Spangled Jesus: Leaving Christian Nationalism and Finding a True Faith), content creator, influencer, and ex-Christian nationalist, joined me to share her exodus from right wing evangelism, which began about the time Trump descended down the golden escalator. - - - IN the second half of the show (44:35) Mike Thurmond's two "gets" - former governor Roy Barnes & former Atlanta mayor & UN ambassador Andrew Young - got a lot of media & social media coverage over the weekend, but are they significant? Also, who on Keisha Lance Bottoms' campaign staff let public her endorsement page in a completely unfinished template form? Jason Esteves, meanwhile, has a substantial list of Democratic state legislators. Of course, Geoff Duncan got press for picking up prominent Black male nods, too. - - - A WSB-TV story focusing on the north Atlanta v south Atlanta economic divide isn't just an "Atlanta story;" it's playing out in cities of any substantial size just about everywhere in the U.S. Thought I'd chew on it a bit. - - - A 'No Kings Day' walk-off in Macon concerns me. Sure, a local sheriff was allowed to speak and his department works in coordination with ICE, but A) that's mandated by state law and B) he came to NKD/Macon looking to engage, so shouldn't we? - - - It seems pretty clear MAGA has lost Joe Rogan. Joe zeroed in on the war / Wall Street grift. - - - Back under the Gold Dome, the 'zombie bill' Senator Greg Dolezal crafted to put onerous burdens on local elections officials and pursue hand-marked paper ballots by fall passed the Senate and now sits in the House. What'll happen to it, there, I wonder?

    1h 28m

  8. MAR 28

    For 'No Kings,' maybe we need more than an occasional 'day'

    Millions of Americans will take part in the third 'No Kings Day' multi-pronged protest today, and yet there are those who question the efficacy. "The needle isn't moving" said one Substack scribe, and she's not wrong, but she isn't just talking about the last year. 'Occupy Wall Street' was fifteen years ago. FIFTEEN YEARS! On this week's "Politics Girl" podcast, host Leigh McGowan and guest Ezra Levin opine that it’s not enough to just go, we need to be bringing people with us. Okay, yes. Sure. Make it a friend date, but ask everyone around y'all - pick ten - what they're doing tomorrow and/or Monday. I guarantee you it'll be the normal mundane stuff we all do in life wholly unrelated to resistance. That's the problem. Meanwhile, CBS News' White House correspondent Ed O'Keefe hopped on a call to provide an update on the US/Israel "excursion" on Iran and helps to delineate what's fact vs just "what Trump said" on presents and negotiations. Ed touches on the TSA/DHS situation, too, and what good it'll be to potentially have the National Guard involved at airports, too. Back to 'No Kings,' the big question is: "What Comes Next?" Under the Gold Dome, Georgia Republicans are passing legislation to make many metro Atlanta county races "non-partisan" in order to try and shield voters from knowing who's in which party. Why just "those" counties? C'mon. They're all "blue." Lastly, has Burt Jones found Rick Jackson's weakness? Maybe. Rick doesn't seem to be sharp on many issues.

    44 min
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4.7
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

Welcome to the Ron Show - Atlanta's only progressive audio platform airing five days a week on Georgia Now, M-F 4-6pm (replaying 8-10am the next weekday). Host Ron Roberts covers Atlanta, metro Atlanta, Georgia and national politics from a pretty unique lens ... he's just your run-of-the-mill Georgia-born gay progressive cat-dad realtor & talk show host. Dime a dozen, right?

Information

  • Creator
    Ron Roberts
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    722
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Ron Roberts
  • Show Website
    The Ron Show

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