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ATLANTA – Former President Barack Obama and Vice President Mike Pence staged dueling rallies on Friday to court Georgian voters, seeking support in the battle for Senate control.
Obama joined 2018 gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams and the two Democratic Senate candidates, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, for a virtual rally on Friday afternoon. Around the same time, Pence joined Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., For an in-person rally in Savannah.
Senator Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., Was also due to attend, but changed her plans after campaign staff member Harrison Deal died in a car crash, she said in a statement .
President Donald Trump will hold a rally in Valdosta on Saturday with the two Republicans in the second round, in about a month.
“You are now, once again, at the center of our civic universe because the special elections in Georgia will ultimately determine the course of Biden’s presidency and whether Joe Biden and Kamala Harris can legislate all of the time. commitments they made, ”Obama said.
Currently, the Senate partisan divide is 50 Republicans and 48 Democrats. If Ossoff and Warnock both win their race, the Senate will be under Democratic control as Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will serve as the tie-breaker. If Republicans win just one of Georgia’s seats, the GOP will retain control of the chamber.
Obama highlighted his struggles with Republican senators during his presidency, saying Senate oversight “really matters”, adding that “the promise” of the next administration “rests in part on their ability to have a cooperative posture with Congress. “.
“Anyone listening right now, you have to realize it’s not just Georgia,” Obama said. “It’s about America – it’s about the world. And it’s in your power to make an impact.”
Campaigning in the state has been sparse this week with Republicans in Washington, DC for Senate work and Democrats, for the most part, avoiding campaigning in person due to the worsening Covid-pandemic. 19.
One million Georgians have already requested postal votes for the next election starting on Friday, as Abrams noted. Abrams, Ossoff and Warnock have all pushed for the 23,000 or so Georgians who will turn 18 after the November elections, but before the second round, to register to vote.
“It’s time for all of us to get ready,” Warnock said. “Put on our shoes. The battle is not over. We have a race ahead of us and we intend to win.”
Additionally, Obama and the candidates have taken on Perdue and Loeffler during their recent stock controversies. Obama said during the pandemic they “were primarily worried about their portfolio of stocks.”
“Gracious kindness,” he added. “That alone should tell you something. Somehow we’ve gotten used to this stuff.”
Pence appeared earlier Friday alongside Perdue and Loeffler at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Each person sat more than six feet apart and was masked for the event, in which Pence referred to Republican senators as “leaders” and “staunch partners in our national response” to the coronavirus. Pence also thanked them for “their constant and constant support”.
At the Savannah rally, Pence carefully threaded the needle, not acknowledging Biden’s victory, but stressing the need to maintain a Republican majority in the Senate.
“I’m here because I’m with Donald Trump,” Pence said, “and I’m here because we are with Senator David Perdue and Senator Kelly Loeffler.”
The vice president said: “we will keep fighting until every legal vote is counted” and “every illegal vote is rejected”.
Two Georgia recounts have so far reaffirmed Biden’s victory in the state, which was less than 13,000 votes.
“And we will never stop fighting to make America great again,” Pence continued. “That’s why we need David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler in the majority in the United States Senate.”
He also tried to assure the crowd that – despite what the Trump campaign argued in court – the vote in Georgia would be secure.
“We’re over them. We are watching, ”Pence said, urging voters to ignore calls not to participate in the election. “We can fight for our president and more Republicans in the Senate at the same time.”
Republicans found themselves in a bind. Trump’s refusal to accept the election results limits their ability to deliver one of their most effective messages, which is that keeping the Senate under Republican control will serve as control for President-elect Joe Biden’s administration.
To further complicate and undermine some Republican efforts, Trump allies urged voters not to vote in the second round in protest against what they call a “rigged” general election. Neither Trump nor his allies have provided evidence of electoral fraud, and state Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has vehemently defended the integrity of the election.
The president has repeatedly targeted Raffensperger and Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who he said was not doing enough to help his cause.
In a nod to reality, Pence also told the crowd they had to vote for both Republicans because “the Senate majority could be the last line of defense” against the Democrats’ agenda.
“Georgia has to hold the line,” Pence said.
The Vice President also offered prayers and condolences to the late Loeffler staff member, describing him as “a truly wonderful young man”.
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