With less than five weeks before the midterm elections, many top Georgia Republicans are now worried about being stuck with a candidate who has been simultaneously defensive and aggressive over allegations he had paid for a girlfriend’s abortion.
But, strangely enough, many Republicans, including Mitch McConnell and Herschel Walker’s mentor, Donald Trump, continue to rally around Walker as his campaign said online donations have skyrocketed, reports the Washington Post.
The Georgia race between Walker and Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock is one of, if not the most, critical and competitive Senate races of the midterm — and could decide which party has control of the chamber.
As of Friday, Walker was trailing Warnock in the polls. “Even the most staunch Republicans are rattled,” Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan (R) said Wednesday night on CNN. “Every Republican knew that there was baggage out there, but the weight of that baggage is starting to feel a little closer to unbearable at this point.”
A new type of Republican voter
The New York Times reported on Monday that Walker still has the backing of Evangelicals in Georgia. And I found the story rather strange. I really was under the impression that striking a woman, which Walker has been accused of doing, and paying for an abortion after being in a promiscuous relationship, was considered sinful.
The NYT writes that the morning after the Republican senate candidate’s ex-girlfriend came forward to say he had paid for her to have an abortion, dozens of people gathered in a hall of First Baptist Atlanta, a prominent Southern Baptist church.
Pastor Anthony George sat on a platform, with Mr. Walker at his right hand. “The pastor recalled God’s protection of King David, the ancient Israelite king, and claimed a similar promise for Mr. Walker. The candidate shared a testimony of how Jesus changed his life. The pastor invited people to the front to pray for him.”
“This is the fight of his life, holy God,” the pastor prayed. “And we call forth your ministering angels to be his defenders.” The people clapped and gave shouts of amen.
Perhaps I am being cynical, but it seems that most of the Conservative GOP crowd seems to live by the belief that their elected officials can do anything they want, even if it is illegal – they will forgive and forget – as long as they get elected.
Mr. Walker has wielded his Christianity as an ultimate defense, at once denying the abortion allegations are true while also pointing to the mercy and forgiveness in Jesus as a divine backstop.
Actually, the support of Christian conservatives we are witnessing in Georgia was born when Trump began his candidacy and was further honed during his tenure as the -president.
Readers may remember that in 2016, white evangelicals supported Mr. Trump in high numbers after reports about his history of unwanted advances toward women and vulgar comments about them.
Jentezen Franklin, one of Mr. Trump’s top evangelical supporters who have hosted Mr. Walker at his church, Free Chapel in Gainesville, Ga., said he supports Mr. Walker because everything Mr. Walker stands for in terms of policy, from abortion to crime, reflects his own views.
My take on this whole mess in Georgia? Politicians, particularly those with no scruples, like Trump and his heir, Walker, will say anything to please the voter. It has been done all through history – so it is nothing new.
