Georgia Democrats demand Obama – not Biden – to help win Senate seats

Biden never tried to match the spectacle of Trump’s rallies for two reasons: He couldn’t draw the same type of crowds, and during a pandemic, that’s not sure. And while the race is heading for a recount, it looks like he will win in Georgia without having hosted big public events.

But even a small-scale visit from former President Barack Obama or former First Lady Michelle Obama could generate the level of media attention it takes to get the needle moving, Democrats say. An Obama adviser said the former president was ready to help if asked; the former president made an appearance in the state for both candidates on the eve of last week’s election.

“The most important thing for us is whether Barack or Michelle comes. We don’t necessarily need Joe to come; he needs to get this White House in order, ”said Cliff Albright, co-founder of Black Voters Matter, one of the independent groups that has contributed to a strong African-American stake in the state.

Organizers like Albright and Senate nominees’ advisers Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock are clear that they would welcome Biden to the state with his historic vice president-elect, California Senator Kamala Harris.

But in the age of the coronavirus, they say it will be much more difficult to organize large campaign events, solicit neighborhoods and register more voters before the December 7 deadline.

The double-headed election pits Ossoff and Warnock against incumbent Republican David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, respectively. This is the first time that a state has had two second-round senatorial elections at the same time; in addition to that, the outcome of these two races will determine the control of the chamber. A Democratic sweep would lead to a 50-50 Senate where the ties are severed by Harris, who as vice president also acts as president of the Senate.

An adviser to Ossoff agreed that Biden is more useful to Democrats, showing that he can govern after Trump’s tenure shake up – and instill voter confidence in Democratic governance – than spending his time in Georgia the next two month.

“The best thing Biden can do is make a good transition,” the adviser said. “Don’t fight with [Senate Majority Leader Mitch] McConnell. Lead by example. Restore faith in the presidency. The worst thing that can happen is to become partisan again in Washington. “

Ossoff became the first of four contenders to kick off the second round with a drive-thru kick-off rally here on Tuesday night. Dozens of participants were spaced out in an asphalt parking lot while many more stayed in the hundred or so cars lined up in the parking lot, cheering and honking in the light rain. Almost every Democratic speaker who got the crowd excited before Ossoff referred to the Dec. 7 voter registration deadline and early voting, highlighting the organizational effort required to win.

“We need President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to be able to lead, to be able to govern,” Ossoff said in his remarks, adding that Democrats in the state “have all the momentum, we have all the energy. “

Senate campaigns have contacted Biden’s advisers, but conversations so far have been superficial, two sources familiar with the discussions said. A Biden adviser said the Democratic Senate campaign committee had been criticized by some donors and consultants after falling short of expectations that Democrats would return the Senate.

“There is a significant concern, this incredible sentiment against the DSCC over how much money has been spent in these Senate races not to win,” a Biden adviser said. The person added that it is not clear how they are “going to be able to get the kind of funding they need, as no one has much faith in party committees and their ability to put the money to good use in it. moment.

The DSCC and the Campaigns said they were encouraged by the early enthusiasm for the second round, particularly given Ossoff and Warnock’s success with small donors. DSCC advisers worked closely with both campaigns during the general elections and have already started helping with coordination between the two campaigns, the State Party and the collective of participation and volunteer organizations on the ground here. .

In a memo on Monday, the committee announced a multi-million dollar investment focused on organizing in the field and virtually, including with phone banking and text messaging. While the Democrats failed to overthrow the Senate last, their victories in Arizona and Colorado, both won by Biden, gave them optimism for Georgia.

“We will build on the success President-elect Biden and Vice-President-elect Harris have had in Georgia,” said Lauren Passalacqua, spokesperson for the committee.

Jesse Hunt, a spokesperson for the Republican National Senate Committee, said voters were discouraged by Democrats’ adoption of “socialist ideas.” And the more Warnock and Ossoff bring in national surrogates for the state, the more obvious it is to whom they are indebted.

Biden edged Ossoff by around 100,000 votes, while Perdue narrowly passed Trump, according to current figures. Warnock received the most votes in the special election, but only passed Loeffler by 7 percentage points, with 20 candidates getting votes. Historically, Democrats have lost special elections to Republicans, but both sides claim the state is changing in ways that help Democrats, with Biden’s narrow victory showing Georgia can be won.

In addition, Republicans appear to be much more divided than Democrats.

To show their solidarity with Trump, Loeffler and Perdue released a joint statement on Monday calling on Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to step down for his handling of the election. Raffensperger, who rebuffed Trump’s baseless allegations of voter fraud, urged senators to focus on their second round.

Some Republicans are also concerned that all the talk about fraud could hurt grassroots participation.

“Trump is going to cost the GOP in the Senate. His supporters internalize the fact that the Georgia election was stolen so why bother to try, ”Erick Erickson, a prominent Republican in the state, worried on twitter.

Trump’s campaign sent more than 90 staff to the state to help with the recount, and dozens more members of the Republican National Committee hit the ground this week to help Loeffler and Perdue.

While Trump has yet to pledge to visit the state, Vice President Mike Pence has announced he will campaign there, as will the two Florida senators, including future presidential hopeful Marco Rubio.

“It’s the wild and wild west here,” said Chip Lake, a veteran Republican strategist who worked in the just-ended primary campaign for Rep. Doug Collins vs. Loeffler, a named incumbent.

“Many, if not all, of the Republicans who want to push the tires in four years are going to treat Georgia the way Iowa is usually treated,” Lake said. “But no one can produce the excitement that Trump can.”

The Democrats are also showing themselves in force. Donors open their wallets and volunteers and paid staff are on the way.

Democrats on the ground are happy with the great interest they have received from those offering aid, but also stress that an out-of-state campaign will not solve the problem. They want Georgian agents and organizations to be in the foreground.

“I’m always a little wary of seeing too many people taking to out-of-state streets to knock on doors. We certainly appreciate the help and we love that people are excited about our state, ”said Sarah Riggs Amico, who ran for Lieutenant Governor in 2018 alongside Stacey Abrams. She added that Biden and Harris “are tremendous assets in this state. Not just because their post meets the moment, but because they just became the first ticket since Bill Clinton in 1992 to reach this state. We know these are strengths and we also understand the challenges. “