Republicans in Georgia were asked to choose between two public figures from Georgia--TV chef Paula Deen and civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr--and Deen overwhelmingly won the popularity contest. According to Public Policy Polling, the celebrity chef has an overall 73% favorability rating with Georgia Republicans; Martin Luther King, Jr. has a 59% favorability among self-identified Republicans in Georgia.
Favorability ratings with Georgia Republicans: Paula Deen 73/11, Martin Luther King Jr. 59/28— PublicPolicyPolling (@ppppolls) August 7, 2013
After a lawsuit deposition disclosed that she had used a racial slur, Deen lost numerous sponsors. The Food Network announced in June that they would not renew Deen’s contract.Deen told NBC's Matt Lauer on the Today show that she used the N-word only once and that she is not a racist. “The day I used that word, it was a world ago. It was 30 years ago,” she said about being held at gunpoint during a bank robbery. “I had had a gun put to my head.” She also posted apologies on Youtube.com. Apparently many fellow Georgians have forgiven her.