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. 18H AGO

    No ICE without water | No money for TSA | No more QR codes (eventually)

    PLUS: Why is Donald Trump averse to listening to his experts when it comes to Iran? Social Circle city officials closed off and locked the newly-purchased DHS warehouse utility box - meaning "no water for ICE," and no access to sewer services, either. [RELATED: Quinnipiac poll: 64% want path to legal status for most undocumented immigrants] Georgia seems to be primed to move back to using hand-marked paper ballots ... by 2028. All this overhauling over one man who couldn't accept the result of one election and none of the others before, that same day, or since. Insane, but at least they're not racing to upend local and state elections' offices before November. Today I provided another reminder that the "Biden-flation" the right keeps pointing back to while shrugging off "affordability" concerns was sparked by a Trump-negotiated deal with OPEC to throttle back oil production for two years. Speaking of mis-applied credit/blame, conservative pols and pundits are breathlessly trying to blame the partial DHS shutdown on Democrats, impacting air travel throughout the country; but Democrats offered a carve-out to fund TSA and the other parts of DHS not named ICE or CBP .That being said, AFGE union leaders are noting the pain. The notable eight-year gap between Trump 1.0 ignoring his secretary of state - who told Congress Iran was 'fundamentally in compliance' with the JCPOA negotiated by President Obama and Iran - and Trump 2.0 ignoring his director of the National Counterterrorism Center has us where we are now: spending $1 billion a day in a war-like "excursion" with Iran that's also spiking oil and gas prices globally - while simultaenously making us less energy independent in shuttering coastal wind farms for no good reason. Also, while Trump boasts he knew the Strait of Hormuz would be choked off, he apparently never planned for it. If you haven't heard much about the plight of Rodney Taylor, my last two segments today will infuriate you. Arrested about fourteen months ago for a crime he'd been pardoned for more than fifteen YEARS ago, Taylor is set to be deported back to Liberia. He came here at age 2 with a medical visa to help his parents provide for him the opportunity overcome being a double amputee. Oh, the pardon? DHS simply chooses not to recognize it, plus he's a man of color so "off he goes!" While detained, he's literally dragging himself through excrement to get a shower (when he even can) and relying on other prisoners for food the days he can't get to the cafeteria to eat. It's disgusting.

    1h 29m

  2. 1D AGO

    The 'ick' in Rick Jackson is evident | Why is no one testing Keisha?

    The Rick Jackson v Burt Jones ad wars had been entertaining for those of us outside Burt Jones campaign HQ for a while now, but if we take a moment to study it all further, to note that - according to an email chain obtained by the AJC (I'm guessing Burt Jones' folks provided it) - Jackson baited Burt into taping a complimentary video using a foster children's charity to lure him in last fall, does it not give you what the young people call "the ick?" Meanwhile, stating the obvious, Burt Jones has now publicly said he believes Jackson is the source of all the money being 'Georgians for Integrity' attack ads targeting him. Friend of the show Keith McCants' latest Peanut Politics blog brings up a good point: Before the GOP Tests Keisha Lance Bottoms, Democrats Better Do It First He's not wrong. As I've noted for a week plus now, the race for "second place" is on, as if the Democratic gubernatorial combatants have conceded the former Atlanta mayor will finish in position to be in a potential run-off. Keith's wondering why none of those candidates are taking shots at Bottoms while the current GOP front-runner - Rick Jackson - is.

    44 min

  3. 2D AGO

    Strait out of nowhere | In Georgia: ad wars & a micrositing

    Nothing like settling into the recliner Sunday evening to be rattled by the reality that the Trump White House should've known - prior to launching warfare on Iran - that the Strait of Hormuz ought to have been war-gamed (it has been, before) for becoming a deadly "choke point." That's what a 13-minute '60 Minutes' segment (yeah, on CBS, still) enlightened its audience to Sunday. Former Biden transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg - on CNN's 'State of the Union' Sunday - calling it "amateur hour." Joining Ron to discuss, CBS News national security advisor Dr. Jeff McCausland (44:30) Oh, and even before 20% of the world' oil supply got choked off, it turns out the late 2025 economic data was revised downward (and it wasn't good before that). So. Much. Winning. Maybe that explains why Trump's trying everything possible to will the economy into the black and of the red, by threatening (and failing, legally) Fed Chairman Jerome Powell. --- The TV flame war between Rick Jackson and Burt Jones is so one-sided it's almost bringing about some ... pity? ... for Burt. Almost. There's Jackson's attacks on Jones, with Jones opting to cast Jackson as a pro-Planned Parenthood businessman. That put Jackson on the defensive before putting out an ad featuring - get this - Burt Jones lauding Jackson just last fall. Oof. Meanwhile, as Ron noted last week, the AJC's Greg Bluestein noted the race for 'runner-up' in the Democratic gubernatorial primary is afoot. After the dust-up at the Stonecrest, Ga., forum between Geoff Duncan and Jason Esteves, the Esteves camp rolled out a Duncan-targeted microsite with a vast array of screen grabs of Duncan's past press clippings and social media posts. It's effective - for those who'll go to it (but how many people will that even be?)

    1h 29m

  4. 5D AGO

    Shawn's outlook, Kemp's legacy & First Amendment concerns

    Democratic Congressional candidate Shawn Harris, a retired brigadier general & current cattle rancher, got Ron up early to talk run-off and long term campaign strategy. Good news: he still sounds optimistic. Georgia Recorder columnist Jay Bookman tapped in for a conversatio about the current and future legacy of Governor Brian Kemp. Is his pragmatic Republican style is fading as Georgia’s GOP shifts toward MAGA politics ahead of the 2026 races? Nora Benavidez from the Georgia First Amendment Foundation shared her and her organization's concerns about a proposed Georgia bill (SB 481) that could restrict public access to police body-cam footage and other law-enforcement videos. Ron also highlighted an Oscar-nominated documentary backed by Soledad O’Brien that features a security guard protecting an Atlanta abortion clinic, and wrapped with comedian Sterling Thrill for the Friday Funnies. Tune in to catch the Ron Show weekdays from 4-6pm Eastern time on Georgia NOW! Grab the app or listen online at heargeorgianow.com. #HearGeorgiaNow #TheRonShow #SeanHarris #JayBookman #NoraBenavides #SoledadOBrien #SterlingThrill #GeorgiaPolitics #BrianKemp #GA14

    1h 29m

  5. 6D AGO

    Geoff & Jason trade swipes | Ashling Cam-paigning to streamline SoS office

    A Democratic gubernatorial forum got a little testy Wednesday night in Stonecrest, and Ron has the audio exchange. Each of the seven major candidates - former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, former lieutenant governor Geoff Duncan, state senator Jason Estevez, Olu Brown, state Senator Derek Jackson, and former DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond - laid out their visions for Georgia—while Duncan and Estevez traded sharp barbs over voting rights and records. Hear the troubling verbiage Duncan used, the attack Esteves sought to land and Duncan's return volley. Duncan, looking to capitalize on recent and prominent Black endorsements, is due to have a fireside chat with the Georgia Men for Democracy Now PAC at The Gathering Spot. Later in the show, Cam Ashling, a Democrat running for Secretary of State, joins Ron to talk about election security, voter protection, and her plan to create more Georgia businesses while fixing the state’s licensing system. Tune in to catch the Ron Show weekdays from 4-6pm Eastern time on Georgia NOW! Grab the app or listen online at heargeorgianow.com. #HearGeorgiaNow #TheRonShow #KeishaLanceBottoms #JeffDuncan #JasonEstevez #OluBrown #MichaelThurmond #DerekJackson #CamAisling #GeorgiaPolitics

    1h 7m

  6. MAR 12

    Olu Brown reminds us he's in to win | what did Tuesday in NW Ga tell us?

    Democratic gubernatorial candidate Olu Brown joined the show to tackle Ron's queries on viability and the scant polling that doesn't have him on their radar. He spoke of his grassroots activism translating to his campaign while championing voting rights, education reform, healthcare expansion, and how he plans to tackle housing and transportation challenges across the state. Later, Jack Zibluk, a Democratic candidate in Georgia’s State Senate District 53 race, discussed his runoff campaign and the strategy to boost turnout in northwest Georgia. Ron also took a closer look at the special election in Georgia’s 14th Congressional District and what they mean for Shawn Harris' short-and-long term viability. Later, Ron reviewed Senate subcommittee testimony from David J. Bier of the CATO Institute, who confirmed - much to Senator Lindsey Graham's chagrin - that immigrants - including the undocumented - have lessened the federal debt by more than $14 trillion in the last three decades. Tune in to catch the Ron Show weekdays from 4-6pm Eastern time on Georgia NOW! Grab the app or listen online at heargeorgianow.com. #HearGeorgiaNow #TheRonShow #OluBrown #Zibluk #GeorgiaPolitics #GA14 #ShawnHarris #ClayFuller #GeorgiaElections #GeorgiaGovernor

    1h 28m

  7. MAR 11

    Fani's tab comes due for Fulton, TV ads get nasty & 'Magic City' night fouls out

    It seems forever ago we were all gripped by the "Fulton County v Donald Trump" summer court drama, but since Trump & his co-conspirators slipped out of DA Fani Willis' grip (and that of Jack Smith, too), it seems surreal to think that her office - and in essence the taxpayers of Fulton County - may be on the hook for the Trump defense team's $17 million legal tab, right? Whelp; here we are. Naturally her office can't possibly absorb that cost without it shuttering the office altogether, so at the very least, superior court judge Scott MacAfee threw her a lifeline - allowing the county to join in taking on the matter. On to discuss with me is CBS News' legal analyst Thane Rosenbaum. Then, the 2026 gubernatorial TV ads are getting nasty, with Rick Jackson going predictably anti-immigrant, Burt Jones trying (and mostly failing) to tie Jackson to Planned Parenthood and then there's Democrat Jason Esteves putting his chips on the table with a TV ad checking off a lot of the necessary boxes for him to be seen as viable by more than 4-5% of those polled. Finally, how on earth did the Atlanta Hawks' planned "Magic City" promotional night ever make it past a pitch meeting in the first place? The NBA put the brakes on the - ahem - "cultural" theme, and I just have to wonder why the league didn't have a system in place where they'd have to sign off on stuff like this anyway.

    44 min

  8. MAR 10

    Women answering the call to run in GA | The CASE for an unconventional candidate

    Ron launched into an important week, politically, in Georgia with Melita Easters, executive director of Georgia WIN List, who shared new data showing a record number of women running for office and Democrats competing in most legislative seats this cycle. They also discussed gerrymandering, crossover day at the Georgia legislature, election policy debates, and what - if anything - to make of sparse polling on the gubernatorial race. RELATED: Trump White House reportedly blocking intelligence report warning of homeland security threats in midst of Iran warCase Norton, a union camera technician and congressional candidate in Georgia’s 7th District, joined Ron to explain why he’s running. Norton talked about the slowdown in Georgia’s film industry, losing health insurance during slowdowns, and why working-class representation and healthcare reform are central to his campaign. Lastly, Ron reviewed a couple of notable op/eds: in them we have a conservative Ohio pundit whose views on immigration have made a complete 180 and a NYT conservative scribe who sees the lack of Christianity in today's GOP leadership as James Talarico provides insight into what an outspoken Christian serving constituents while remaining aligned with his values can look like from the left. Pedro Gonzalez: JD Vance's lies made me change my stance on immigration David French: James Talarico Is a Christian X-RayTune in to catch the Ron Show weekdays from 4-6pm Eastern time on Georgia NOW! Grab the app or listen online at heargeorgianow.com. #HearGeorgiaNow #TheRonShow #MelitaEasters #CaseNorton #GeorgiaPolitics #GeorgiaElections #GeorgiaWINList #GA07 #WomenInPolitics #RonRoberts

    1h 29m
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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
    708
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Ron Roberts
  • Show Website
    The Ron Show

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