President Barack Obama returned to Atlanta four weeks after campaigning for Sen. Raphael Warnock and Stacey Abrams. With Warnock in a highly-publicized run-off with Republican candidate Herschel Walker, Obama made another trip to inspire Georgia voters to re-elect Warnock.
Held at the Pullman Yards in the Kirkwood community of East Atlanta, over 2,000 people packed the historic site to hear speeches from Obama and Warnock.
Obama made a point to discuss how Republicans would derail progress in the nation.
“You have the power to determine the course of this country,” Obama said. “If voters here in Georgia had stayed home two years ago, Republicans would have kept control of the Senate and they would have blocked every single piece of legislation that President Biden and Democrats passed.”
“We all know some folks in our lives who, we don’t wish them ill will, they say crazy stuff … but you don’t give them serious responsibility,” Obama said.
“Let me break down for you: An extra senator gives Democrats more breathing room on important bills. It prevents one person from holding up everything. And it also puts us in a better position a couple of years from now when you’ve got another election, but the Senate map is going to be tilted in the favor of Republicans,” he added.
But Obama made sure to drive home the point of Walker not being prepared to serve in the U.S. Senate.
“Since the last time I was here Mr. Walker has been talking about issues that are of great importance to the people of Georgia. Like whether it’s better to be a vampire or a werewolf,” Obama said, referring to Walker’s recent rant about vampires and werewolves. “This is a debate that I must confess I once had myself. When I was seven. Then I grew up. As far as I’m concerned he can be anything he wants to be, except for a United States Senator. This would be funny if he weren’t running for Senate.”
Obama’s overall appeal remains high even six years after he left the White House. The Democrats are hoping that his magic will rub off on Warnock who will face Walker in a run-off on Dec. 6.
