We’ve written before about the number of problems that face Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock (D) headed into the general election campaign season.
President Biden’s low approval ratings are dragging him down in hypothetical match-ups with likely Republican nominee Herschel Walker. It’s gotten to the point that Warnock is even laughably trying to present himself as a moderate Democrat to the right of Biden on issues like taxes and border security.
On top of that, Warnock is in the middle of a child custody dispute with his ex-wife Oulèye Ndoye, who is “accusing Warnock of neglect of his children and failure to pay for childcare, leaving her ‘financially strapped,’” according to a Free Beacon report. This is something no one ever wants to go through, especially when they’re a candidate for public office.
And now, in a somewhat unexpected development, Warnock has handed Walker a pretty significant gift. As reported Monday, a draft majority opinion from the Supreme Court on the Mississippi pro-life case currently before our nation’s highest court was leaked to Politico and contained the statement written by Justice Samuel Alito that “We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled.”
While draft opinions are subject to change and no actual ruling has been made, The Usual Suspects rushed to declare their outrage and issue frantic calls to action, with some urging their fellow radical leftists to “burn this place down.” Predictably, Democrat politicos jumped on the Twitter machine to virtue signal their support for a “woman’s right to choose,” including Warnock:
As a pro-choice pastor, I’ve always believed that a patient’s room is way too small for a woman, her doctor, and the United States government.
I’ll always fight to protect a woman’s right to choose. And that will never change.
— Reverend Raphael Warnock (@ReverendWarnock) May 3, 2022
For a so-called “Reverend,” it was a rather interesting statement, as sports/social issues commentator Jason Whitlock pointed out in response:
Any room for God inside that patient’s room, pastor? https://t.co/Ag8w7ehI1T
— Jason Whitlock (@WhitlockJason) May 3, 2022
That’s a question that all “pro-choice” pastors should answer, IMO.
But beyond that, we need to remember that on the culture war front, the tide is changing as Republicans currently have the advantage, with Democrats now being viewed as too far to the left on issues like defunding the police, teachers instructing K-3 students on sensitive topics like gender identity and sexual orientation, and the role parents should play in helping decide what public schools should be teaching their children. It’s not too much of a stretch to foresee a scenario where the Democrat hyperventilating over this potential ruling ultimately backfires on them come fall.
Plus, Warnock must have forgotten that Georgia is not a blue state. It’s a reddish/purpling state, with plenty of middle grounders there who could go either way on these hot button issues. The position he took on abortion rights is not a “middle ground” type of position you see Democrats who try to portray themselves as “moderates” (as Warnock is doing) in battleground states take. His was an unequivocal statement of support for abortion on demand at any stage of pregnancy, and that is an extreme position that Walker will be smart to exploit in the coming months.
As it stands now, Walker still has the overall advantage in polling but a new one from local news outlet 11Alive News and Survey USA puts Warnock ahead by 5. It could be an outlier considering all other polls to date save one have shown Walker with the lead, including one from a Democrat pollster (and a recent one not included in the RCP averages from a Republican pollster had Walker up by 10).
That said, Walker should keep his foot on the gas and not let up on the pressure on Warnock, as he is vulnerable on a number of fronts right now. Warnock himself has even indicated he knows he’s in trouble considering he’s running ads where he actually admits he hasn’t done much of anything to write home about in his 15 months as a Senator. ICYMI, watch the ad below:
“I’m Raphael Warnock. I’m a dad. A senator. A pastor. But a magician I’m not. So in just a year in the Senate did I think I could fix Washington? Of course not …” Warnock’s latest campaign ad nods to challenges facing Democrats in Georgia #gapol #gasen pic.twitter.com/ZM0EhlGNpX
— Greg Bluestein (@bluestein) April 20, 2022
That is not an ad someone who is confident in their ability to retain their seat would put out there. Warnock is on the ropes and he knows it. Walker should continue ignoring the ankle-biting coming from his primary opponents and keep focusing on the bigger prize because control of the U.S. Senate may come down to that race, and an aggressive full-court-press strategy from his campaign must be in effect from now until Election Day.
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