Former President Barack Obama warned that the future of American democracy lies on the ballot in the 2022 midterm elections during a speech in College Park, Ga. Friday, October 28, 2022.
Riley Bunch / Georgia Public Broadcasting
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Former President Barack Obama warned that the future of American democracy lies on the ballot in the 2022 midterm elections during a speech in College Park, Ga. Friday, October 28, 2022.
Riley Bunch / Georgia Public Broadcasting
Former President Barack Obama voted Democrat in this year’s midterm elections as necessary to protect democracy while campaigning for Senator Raphael Warnock and presidential candidate Stacey Abrams in Georgia today. Friday.
“Democracy is not self-actualization,” he said. “It’s up to us to work, nurture, take care of it not just on Election Day, but every day in between. It’s up to us as citizens to say ‘This is’ importance!’ This election matters, Georgia.”
Obama delivered a tortuous speech seen as a closing message to Democrats in several key battleground states, acknowledging the impact of inflation, rising crime and other prominent issues. with voters while treating the election as a referendum on America’s future.
“There could be a lot of issues in this election,” he said. “But the basic question, the fundamental question that you should be asking yourself right now is ‘Who’s going to fight for you? Who cares about you, who sees you, who believes you? It’s a choice in life. this election.”
He warned that Republican majority in the House and Senate could cut abortion rights and potentially target other rights like same-sex marriage in the coming years.
“If that’s not worth 15 minutes of your time, I don’t know what is,” Obama said.
Supporters of Senator Raphael Warnock and presidential candidate Stacey Abrams cheer during a rally out of the vote in College Park, Ga. Warnock faces a tight re-election battle against Republican Herschel Walker.
Riley Bunch / Georgia Public Broadcasting
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Supporters of Senator Raphael Warnock and presidential candidate Stacey Abrams cheer during a rally out of the vote in College Park, Ga. Warnock faces a tight re-election battle against Republican Herschel Walker.
Riley Bunch / Georgia Public Broadcasting
For example, the ruling party suffered losses in the midterms, and Obama told the crowded stands next to the Atlanta airport that the harsh national environment should not prevent them from voting early in this year’s election.
“I understand why people are worried, I understand why you might be worried,” he said. “I understand why sometimes just watching football or Dancing with the stars can be tempting. I’m here to tell you that tuning is not an option.”
The former president’s visit came on the final weekend of early in-person voting in Georgia ahead of the heaviest typical turnout. More than 1.38 million Georgians voted in the 2022 election, breaking early direct voting records for a midterm term and approaching the level of enthusiasm typically reserved for presidential years.
So far, early voting data from the Georgia Secretary of State’s office shows an older and darker constituency than similar scores in previous elections and nearly 5% of early voting voters. either newly registered or sat out the 2018, 2020 and 2021 elections.
Senate Control Could Run Through Georgia Again
Warnock is locked in one of the closely contested Senate races in the country against Trump-backed Republican Herschel Walker after Warnock and fellow Democrat Senator Jon Ossoff narrowly won control. United States Senate in January 2021.
Now, the path to a Senate majority could run once again through Peach State, as polls suggest a tight race could lead to a December 6 runaway if no candidate won a majority in November, as Liberal candidate Chase Oliver is also voting in the low single digits.
“We came back because we knew that democracy was the political enactment of a spiritual idea,” said Warnock, pastor of historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. “The ballot is a sacred thing, your vote is the bloody vote. By all means, use it and make sure everyone you know uses it.”
Warnock’s campaign has relied on his brief stint in the Senate to date, touting work aimed at reducing healthcare costs for seniors and bipartisan initiatives with colleagues like Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama.
At the campaign rally, however, Warnock pivoted his message from achievements to attacks on Walker’s character, and the campaign was plagued by false revelations about his personal story. and his career profile.
“This is a man lying about the most basic truths of his life,” Warnock said. “And we’ve all witnessed it first-hand – he wears his lies, quite literally, like a badge of honor. our family and children, work and future. our future?”
The final days of the Senate race have been stirred by accusations from a second woman that Walker, a staunch abortion opponent, pressured her to have an abortion and pay for it. this.
A rematch after four years of making
Abrams faces a much tougher road in a rematch with Governor Brian Kemp after narrowly losing about 55,000 votes in 2018. Kemp has run a campaign on Georgia’s burgeoning economy and The first term included a raise for teachers, a record budget surplus and one of the earliest reopenings after widespread closures because of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.
The former House Minority Leader focused her second campaign around her signature issue on Medicaid expansion and argued that Republican leadership in the state had left behind voters from both parties.
“Every election is a choice, and for a long time they have tried to make us believe it is a choice between parties or personalities,” Abrams said. “We know it’s different this time. This time it’s an election about the choice between someone who attacks our freedoms and someone who will defend our freedoms.”
Kemp has led in most polls for much of the campaign, and will feature former Vice President Mike Pence, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Arizona Governor Doug Ducey in the closing days. end of the campaign.
A closing message for the Democratic Party
Georgia presidential candidate Stacey Abrams, former President Barack Obama and Senator Raphael Warnock cheer at a rally out of the vote in College Park, Ga. Friday, October 28, 2022.
Riley Bunch / Georgia Public Broadcasting
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Georgia presidential candidate Stacey Abrams, former President Barack Obama and Senator Raphael Warnock cheer at a voting rally in College Park, Ga. Friday, October 28, 2022.
Riley Bunch / Georgia Public Broadcasting
Obama’s services as a campaign representative have been in high demand in recent elections, both in Georgia and nationally, as President Joe Biden’s support has dropped in difficult economic situation.
Before the 2018 gubernatorial race, he rallied for Abrams and attacked Republicans for “trying to scare you with all kinds of divisive issues” and less than 24 hours before Election Day. The 2020 election visited Georgia because it represents “where we put this country back on track.”
Now, in the closing days of 2022, he will visit Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada and Pennsylvania as Democrats hope to retain their Senate majority and win governorship in a national setting. often favors Republicans but sees weaker GOP candidates in key races.
“Democrats aren’t perfect, I’m the first to admit that,” he said. “Politicians, like all of us, can make mistakes. But right now, with a few notable exceptions, most of the GOP – and all of these candidates – don’t even fake it. pretend that the rules apply to them too.
Before leaving the stage, Obama reiterated the importance of showing up to vote for all candidates, including those running for office like Secretary of State – the offices that run the election. vote.
“It’s not enough to elect the top Democrats,” Obama said. “We need to elect the good people and vote. Across the country, some of the people who have tried to undermine our democracy are running for offices that will oversee the next election. And if If they win, there’s no telling what might happen.”
