Progressives have a much harder time attacking minority candidates because a lot of social issues are off the table. No one is getting away with finding fault with Warnock on civil rights, race relations, etc.. Obama had the same advantage. A lot of the Congressional Black Caucus and the Hispanic Caucus have fairly moderate voting records and yet they get very little criticism or primary challenges (other than some exceptions like Henry Cuellar). But if a white Democrat has the same record, they'll easily get primaried from the left. It's why minority candidates (in my opinion) are stronger general election candidates. They can actually win primaries without having to bend over backwards for the progressives in the Democratic Party. And in turn that helps project the image of moderation required to win the general election.
How much power do hardcore progressives truly have in the Dem party? They seem like 2nd row assistant coaches on the Dem coaching staff Am I wrong?
The thing about Warnock running is that this is probably his last term as a Senator either way. Georgia is still red. Every other statewide race the Republican trounced the Dems. If he has interest in running he needs to do it before this term is up. I expect Joe to run again. So that means Warnock would be in line to decide not to seek re-election in 6 years and run in an open Democratic party after Joe either wins or loses this go round.
He's a complete face and a fraud. I'm not saying Walker was any better but it's embarrassing suggesting him for president. You have already said you'll support any democratic candidate while I would never endorse Trump. Seems like the onus is on your side
Im curious, what makes him a farce or a fraud? I can see a credible attack on him lacking experience governing. Or perhaps his policies. What is it about him that makes him a fraud or a farce?
In what ways has Warnock been fraudulent? I never said I would support any Democratic candidate. It would depend who their opponent was. I used to never vote straight ticket. That's changed lately.
I like the idea of him being a front runner to succeed Biden but the issue is the risk of pulling him out of Georgia focused governing since that’s such an important state moving forward to keep in the fold. Also the Georgia Latino voter numbers that I’ve seen continue to be a concern for the party. In the short term I’d like Warnocks ability to turnout the Biden coalition but if the party wants to do more than just squeak out wins, they’ve gotta find someone who can do a better job of pulling back up the Latino vote. I think Warnock could be a very effective communicator for the country though and an inspirational figure for sure. The right will be fueled up though even more. They’ll despise him even more than Obama.
People keep talking about Georgia going blue. I don't see it. Had the GOP run a Senate candidate who was like Kemp; I don't think Warnock would have made it to a runoff. Yes, I mean a white guy who didn't pay for abortions and rant about vampires and werewolves. Even a sane sounding black GOP candidate like Tim Scott from South Carolina probably would have beaten Warnock. 2020 was a referendum about Trump. 2022 was about Trump and a brain-dead candidate who almost won in the general. Georgia isn't blue, not yet.
Thanks for a good laugh with this thread. Warnock barely survived his re-election bid, challenged by a candidate who sounds like Buckwheat(I’m a Hershel fan for what he had accomplished in his life). Now you guys are pushing for Warnock to be president? LMAO
A bit premature. I'm not feeling it. White evangelical churches (of which there are many in Georgia but also across the country, especially the South) can be pretty suspicious of the fidelity of the faith of non-white churches and non-evangelical churches. They can be especially suspicious of black liberation theology -- an approach that can credibly be applied to Warnock. Casting doubt on the faith of black and non-evangelical figures is at the front of the playbook. See this article saying Martin Luther King wasn't really a Christian. Here is an article intimating Obama's pastor, Jeramiah Wright wasn't really a Christian. Here is an article that manages to disparage the true faith of both Bill Clinton and Barack Obama while at the same time saying it's impossible to know another man's heart. And here is another article doing the same to Warnock. Professing Christian faith will not score points with many people going to baptist, pentecostal, adventist, non-denominational, etc churches. They can be quickly convinced that Warnock's christianity isn't christian at all, that he's going to hell and that he will lead many astray. The fact that he's a pastor makes things worse, not better. He may as well be a satanist. I get what you mean about the dynamic that shields minority candidates from having to steer too far left in the primary and costing votes in the general. But, I cannot believe that being a minority is somehow an overall electoral advantage. You're still losing votes on the margin to conscious and subconscious bias.
The minority penalty for Democrats has more or less been erased by the exodus of rural and southern voters. Racial polariziation in the South and Appalachia was the primary barrier to nominating a minority. Those voters are now out of the picture. Obama already proved this point. Obama did worse than Kerry among Southern and Appalachian White voters but did better or improved among WWC voters in the Midwest, Northeast and Western US states. In other words, Obama's race was really only a penalty in the south and Appalachian regions. Everywhere else he experienced little to no penalty. And given the historic level of African American turnout that he produced, he more than offset any losses. You see this downballot too. Warnock himself is proof of this. Normally you wouldn't nominate a black senate candidate in the South because Democrats historically relied on rural Democrats that would never vote for a minority. But there really aren't very many Democrats in rural Georgia anymore and the path to victory is now through a combination of urban/suburban voters and African American voters in both the cities and southwest Georgia.
I would say how absurd it is for GOP Senate candidates losing to Democrats in a deep red state. If a republican can win a Senate election in let's say Massachusetts, I would assume the GOP would consider him or her for a presidential run because the parties want mass appeal.
