Obama visits Georgia as start of campaign tour in five battleground states [Video]
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- Former President Barack Obama visited Georgia to campaign for Senator Raphael Warnock and gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams.
- The visit marks the start of Obama’s campaign for Democrats in five battleground states.
- Republicans are currently in favor of winning back control of both chambers of Congress.
Former President Barack Obama rallied Georgia voters on Friday to help Democrats in a tight Senate race that could determine the course of the rest of President Joe Biden’s term.
Republicans only need to gain one seat to win back control of the Senate, and Georgia is one of their top targets. The state has been historically conservative but showed signs of a shift two years ago when it elected Biden, Senator Raphael Warnock, and Senator Jon Ossoff.
An increase in Black voters was instrumental in Warnock’s victory, and Obama made his visit to rally that community again. On Friday, the largely African-American crowd of over 5,000 chanted the former president’s signature slogan: “Yes we can.”
Obama urged them to vote in the midterms, saying, “I am here to tell you tuning out is not an option. Despair is not an option. The fundamental question you should be asking yourself right now is: ‘Who will fight for you?’”
Georgia has been breaking voter turnout records during early voting. As of Friday, over 1.25 million residents have already voted — a figure that is way beyond the 730,706 who voted at this time in 2018’s midterms.
Warnock has been leading the polls for months. But his Republican challenger, Herschel Walker, has caught up despite criticisms about his personal life.
Walker’s ex-wife accused him of domestic violence and two other women claimed that he pressured them to have abortions during their relationships. He denied all allegations.
On Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) was caught on a hot mic telling Biden that the Democrats’ prospects seem to be “going down” in Georgia. He was heard saying, “It’s hard to believe that they will go for Herschel Walker.”
Walker has opposed abortion but has been inconsistent on allowing for exemptions such as rape, incest, or considerations to the mother’s health. On the other hand, Warnock, a senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, supports abortion rights.
Walker, who is endorsed by former President Donald Trump, is a former football star of the University of Georgia. Obama threw shade at both Walker and Trump, saying, “It seems to me he’s a celebrity who wants to be a politician. And we’ve seen how that goes.”
Obama also campaigned for Stacey Abrams, who has been consistently trailing Republican Governor Brian Kemp.
Obama’s visit in Georgia marks the start of his tour in five battleground states that includes Wisconsin, Michigan, Nevada, and Pennsylvania. Biden, whose low approval ratings held him back from campaigning, will join Obama in his last stop on the Saturday before the Nov. 8 midterms.
Recent polls seem to be favoring Republicans in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. If they win back control of both chambers, they can block the rest of Biden’s plans and even launch investigations of his administration.
Source: Reuters
