(Media Optics Analysis) Georgia Senate Debate - Raphael Warnock Vs Herschel Walker (10/16/22 17:07 PST) (1 Viewer)

[GordonGekko]

VIDEO: Herschel Walker CRUSHES Raphael Warnock Exposing His Corruption In Heated Senate Debate Oct 15, 2022 Black Conservative Perspective

Mainstream journalists and even liberal media figures admitted that Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker did better than expected during his Friday night debate against his Democratic opponent Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MPGPX4Ef0c




VIDEO: (FULL) Georgia Senate Debate Warnock vs Walker Oct 14, 2022

It's debate night in Georgia. U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock (D) and challenger Herschel Walker (R) square off for the first and only time ahead of the November election.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDjYHMyfiPk



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"The pathway to housing should be fair and equitable for everyone, and access to affordable housing is the infrastructure people in our communities need to elevate families into the working class and the middle class. It is the foundation that helps people support their families and contribute to their economies."

"Our children, and every person, deserve to live in dignity with a roof over their head and a safe environment to call home."

"I've long said housing is health care, especially during a pandemic."

"Housing is stability. Housing is dignity. Housing is absolutely necessary, critical infrastructure."

"I'm a strong advocate for working and middle class families."

- Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock

Apartments owned by Warnock's church evict 'homeless' tenants while senator receives hefty housing stipend

An apartment complex in Atlanta largely owned by Sen. Raphael Warnock's Ebenezer Baptist Church has been evicting tenants while the church pays him a large housing stipend.

www.foxnews.com

Ex-Wife Accuses Warnock of Neglecting Children, Failing to Pay Childcare Expenses

Georgia Democratic senator Raphael Warnock has been ordered to attend mediation for a custody dispute with his ex-wife, after she accused him of neglecting visitation with their two young children and failing to pay childcare expenses.

freebeacon.com

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"When you're accustomed to privilege, parity and equity and equality may feel like oppression."


"We cannot hide from history."


- Reverend Raphael Warnock

Questions arise over Warnock's use of campaign funds to fight lawsuit

The expenditures were made to defend himself against seemingly baseless claims involving his time as a pastor.

www.politico.com

Warnock’s troubled summer camp, arrest for interfering in child abuse probe surface

Rev Raphael Warnock, a pastor at Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church since 2005, previously worked for five years as pastor of a Baltimore church whose camp was plagued with abuse and health co…

nypost.com

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“While ⁦Reverend Warnock was calling law enforcement ‘thugs and bullies’ I was proud to serve the blue as an Honorary Agent and Special Deputy Sheriff of Cobb County for many years...”

"I started ballet in my early 20s. I studied for about ten years. Ballet is probably the one of the hardest things I've done, almost like MMA. People don't give it a lot of credit and think it's easy, but it's very difficult. For an athlete, you use muscles you really don't use, and ballet is something I really respect."

"Success is just being happy. And I try so many different things. I do a lot of different things. Because I think God has helped me to love myself. I know who God is, and I love God."


- Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker, who led the 1980 Georgia Bulldogs to a national championship

Herschel Walker Offers To Pay Rent for Anyone Facing Eviction by Raphael Warnock's Church

Republican Herschel Walker said on Tuesday morning that he will pay rent for those facing eviction at a property owned by Democratic Georgia senator Raphael Warnock's church, which according to a Washington Free Beacon report filed numerous eviction lawsuits against poor residents throughout the...

freebeacon.com

 

[GordonGekko]

“You know, he’s been through a long, tough period. He suffered a lot of concussions coming out of football.” - Newt Gingrich



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Despite widespread criticism and scandal, Georgia Senate candidate and Republican Herschel Walker actually did several things very well in his debate with Raphael Warnock.

1) Walker consistently associated Warnock with the failures of the Obama/Biden/Harris/Rice regime. (96 percent voting record by Warnock to align with Biden's policies. Including failures in Afghanistan, Border Crisis, energy, economy, inflation, crime, etc, etc ) And these past two years have been disastrous for the majority of Americans, particularly the working class. I've consistently said since 2020, that "working class minority voters" will be the biggest difference makers in the 2024 general cycle and likely in the 2022 Mid Terms. From a media optics standpoint, it was incumbent on Warnock's media team to "hard scrub" anything with Joe Biden or Kamala Harris away. What that means is it's in the interests of any GOP candidate to dig up any photo of a Team Blue candidate standing next to Biden for a photo op, or dig up any sound clip or transcript where said candidate is saying flowery praises for the current administration. Then push that everywhere in campaign media. This is the reason Obama is forced to go up on the campaign trail and try to rouse up support and "energize the base" for Democrats for the current Mid Terms. Every Biden/Harris failure will be pinned on Warnock by association, fair or not.

2) Walker kept it extremely simple. He's even said in public that he's "not a smart man" For example on abortion, he just said, "I support the Heartbeat Bill, that's the bill of the people," and allowed for exceptions for rape, incest, health of the mother, etc etc. No details, but simple messaging that is trying to appeal to the working class. He did a good job, quite surprisingly, of "framing the narrative" He consistently pointed out that he is not a professional politician and won't talk like one, and that Warnock was a "smooth talking pastor" He did not engage in complex policy discussions with Warnock, not getting bogged down in minutiae in this format. And he stayed on message that his goal is to help the working class because of inflation. "Kitchen Table Issues", so Walker did not stray and held to his strengths, which is being a "political outsider" He's not an outsider to Georgians, but his inexperience was going to be an issue. Instead Walker pointed out, correctly and with good timing, that professional politicians have done what exactly to help the majority of Americans and the majority of Georgians? Also something that lingers is Warnock was deeply associated with Stacey Abrams and her political arm, Fair Fight Action, that barnstormed 850K plus voter registrations. Promises were made in the 2020 cycle by both Abrams and Warnock, and did they deliver? The material needs of the working class in Georgia, like the rest of the country, got worse. The constant implication that Warnock represents "more of the same" was a solid safe theme for Walker to hold onto and he found a way to hang on.

3) Walker played into the sub conflicts within the overall black community. There are the wealthier and more educated black groups, and then there are the more numerous working class with typically less education. Walker's campaign was not trying to sway hardened radical leftists and those already committed to the establishment Democrats. The aim was for independents, moderates and undecideds, particularly those who could embrace the more simple messaging of Walker versus the more uptight "neat talking" tone deaf theme of Warnock. Walker even tells Warnock, on the eviction scandal, that it's "OK to speak the truth, do not bear false witness, Senator, do not bear false witness..."

4) Walker's media team only agreed to a short form debate, which was to their advantage. You can't ask someone with a reliever's skill set and arm to become a front line MLB starter in an instant. The more Walker was in front of a camera, the more difficult it would have been to hard prep him for more complex policy discussions. And more time to make a mistake that could not be erased away. The name of the game for Walker was no unforced errors and not leave open holes for Warnock to roll on the attack via some segue-way. The badge issue was a ripe opportunity but Warnock could not capitalize on it. Even with the Biden Administration baggage, Warnock should have been able to massacre Walker in a debate, the problem is Warnock is an empty suit.

This was the correct play for perception i.e. "I might not be the brightest light in the room, but I'm standing next to the sweet talking grifter who is just about as dim if you look closely"

5) Walker got in some legitimate sound clip friendly "kill shots"

On student loan forgiveness - Walker points out that it would be a wealth transfer to punish the working class black community for the benefit of the smug elements of Georgia's black political elite - “I didn’t co-sign for anyone’s loan...”

Warnock says - “It’s interesting to me that people who have been crying about student debt relief...” ( referring to the issue of pandemic-related PPP loans being ignored)

Walker counters - “Senator, you got a PPP loan.”

On abortion, Warnock said, "God gave us a choice and I respect the right of women to make a decision."

Walker with a solid defensible counter - "But also within the Bible. If you read the Bible more, God said 'Choose life.'....You know, it is-- and I heard about him. I heard he was a neat talker. But did he not mention that there was a baby in that room as well? And also ... did he not mention, that he's asking-- that he's asking the taxpayer to pay for it? So he's bringing the government back into the room..... He told me black lives matter.... in Atlanta, Georgia, there are more black babies that is aborted, than anything...why aren't you protecting those babies, instead of aborting those babies, why aren't you baptizing those babies.... "

( Warnock voted twice on the Women's Health Protection Act. The first time, he abstained from voting. Which was the right decision given his role as Reverend. The second time, was post SCOTUS ruling regarding Roe V Wade, where Warnock had no choice politically but to vote "Yes" for the WHPA. The problem is Warnock's district is heavily religious and the WHPA is very aggressive in terms of "abortion rights" One can argue it's less Pro Choice and more "Pro Abortion" with many overreaches compared to where most of America are being polled on abortion rights. Walker was able to take advantage of this. There are going to be black women who shift their votes just for this issue alone. )

On claims of being a law enforcement officer, Walker says -"...one thing I have not done, I've never pretended to be a police officer...." and pulls out an honorary police badge,

The moderator says, "You have a prop. That is not allowed, sir."

Walker retorts, "...not a prop, this is real."

( OK, while this is a bit ridiculous, again this is not a general election for the entire country, it's for Georgia. And people in the audience laughed. I laughed. Other people laughed. Some will hold that against Walker, but what I see is a pure IDGAF personality. I mean, this guy did ballet long before that kind of stuff was more socially acceptable. For all his faults, Walker doesn't care what you think or I think. He might have some real issues, but if it is perceived as geniune, that's going to carry more weight with lots of voters than someone seen as another smooth talking grifter like Warnock. )

On election fraud/security - "We'd like to hear your thoughts. In 60 seconds, did President Biden defeat former President Donald Trump in 2020? Again, sir, you have 60 seconds."

Walker - "President Biden won-- President Biden won and Senator Warnock won. That's the reason I decided to run."

"This is for both of you. Senator Warnock, yes or no, regardless of who wins in November, will you accept the outcome?...And Mr. Walker, regardless of who wins in November, will you accept the outcome?"

Walker - "Yes."

( So there's no controversy, at least in this specific debate, about election integrity for the 2020 cycle from Walker. )


On mental health , "First of all, I've been very transparent. And I'm not ashamed to admit it. And I said I had a mental problem. And I'll be a champion for mental health. Because so many people suffer from mental health."


On accusations of Warnock's "apartments" evicting tenants for small amounts past due, some fewer than 30 dollars - Warnock deflects and says it's all a GOP attempt to "sully the name of Martin Luther King Jr's church and John Lewis' church....We have not evicted those folks..."

Walker deadpans - "I didn't write the article...."

 

[GordonGekko]

6) Walker made it impossible to discuss his "scandals" OK, let's just be plain. Walker never served in the military. He never "ran/supervised" six hospitals. He lied to his own staffers about the actual number of biological children he had. It's unclear what his role is, if any, in paying for and advocating for a former partner's abortion. He was never a sworn member of a law enforcement agency. But his answers were simple, and sometimes garbled. It's called a "soup sandwich" How do you make a sandwich with the center being soup? You can't. It's very hard to corner someone with a "pin down question" when you don't understand completely what they are saying and it's clear they don't understand completely what they are saying. For example, Walker on healthcare "If you have an able-bodied job you're gonna have healthcare but everyone else have healthcare is the type of healthcare you're going to get...." How do you corner someone who says that? I have decades in practical high level media optics experience and even I can't unwind something like that. Peter Hitchens often says "you can't debate someone who despises you." Well I'm saying you can't debate someone who probably has no idea what they are saying themselves when it comes to complex public policy and public administration.

Let's be honest. There is a stereotype of a "dumb jock" and the modern understanding of the NFL and CTE is not a state secret. In many ways, Walker doesn't need to debate at a high level, he only needs to exceed relatively "low expectations" for performance. People can make fun of Walker, but he has a ready made excuse in place, and it can be written off as no fault of his own ( He played in the NFL in an entirely different era and he's a local "make good story" for Georgians. ) Outsiders might mock Walker, but he doesn't need the approval of outsiders, he needs the approval of those entrenched in his home state, where he is seen as a sports hero.

While Walker is being battered in the activist complicit left leaning MSM over the debate, honestly, he didn't do too bad for someone with no political experience at all. And limited practical media optics experience. Being a long time "celebrity" certainly and likely made being in the public eye and in front of a camera easier, but politics is an entirely different kind of animal.

I'll leave this here for others to discuss.

 

[Lehigh98]

I don't read any of your stuff, just came in to say the lead up to the debate reminded me of Bartlet v Ritchie:

C.J.
Toby, I'm absolutely terrified we're going to lose the expectations game. I can't believe how many times I get asked what would be a win in the debates. At this point I feel like if -- and only if -- Ritchie accidentally lights his podium on fire does the President have a fighting chance.

TOBY
I disagree.

C.J.
Disagree all you want, but I'm right.

TOBY
These two men are going to be side by side on the stage, answering questions. That's the ball game.

C.J.
If the whole thing is, he can't tie his shoelaces and it turns out he can, then that is the ball game.

TOBY
And I believe he'll have to do more than tie his shoelaces.

C.J.
Not much more.

 

[GordonGekko]

VIDEO: BREAKING: Herschel Walker Visits Apt Owned By Raphael Warnock's Church Reportedly Evicting Tenants Oct 18, 2022

Georgia GOP Senate candidate Herschel Walker holds a press briefing outside the Columbia Towers, an apartment complex owned by Sen. Raphael Warnock's (D-GA) church that has allegedly attempted to evict tenants for very low past-due rent sums; Walker has offered to pay the rents and has slammed Warnock's alleged $7,000+ housing stipend from the church.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dINUK65gK0k



Direct Headline: Warnock Denies His Church Evicts Tenants. Three Eviction Notices Were Filed Last Week.

Alana Goodman and Andrew Kerr October 18, 2022

....Georgia Democratic senator Raphael Warnock forcefully denied the charge that his church is trying to evict chronically homeless tenants, telling Georgia voters on Friday that those are "false charges" and an attempt to "sully Ebenezer Baptist Church." But just two days earlier, the apartment complex owned by his church filed eviction proceedings against three additional residents, with the goal of ousting tenants who owed as little as $115 in past-due rent....

....Residents told the Free Beacon that Columbia Residential, the building’s administrators, has become more aggressive in its rent collection policies, and sent out a notice in September saying it would no longer accept late fees and would start removal proceedings after five days of non-payment.....The records conflict with Warnock’s statements over the past week denying that Columbia Tower—which is 99-percent-owned by the Ebenezer Baptist Church, where he serves as senior pastor—has tried to oust anyone. Fulton County marshals carried out two court-ordered evictions on residents at the property, one in August 2020 and the other in February 2022....

"There have been no evictions, full stop," Warnock said when asked about the Free Beacon report during a debate on Sunday. Warnock claimed the news was "one more example of Herschel Walker and his allies lying" and "trying to sully the name of Dr. King's church, John Lewis's church, for short term-political gain."

....One was carried out on Aug. 17, 2020, against a woman who was sued in March 2020 for just $28.55 in past-due rent, court records show. ...Another resident, Phillip White, a 69-year-old African-American Vietnam veteran, said he had to pay $325 in court fees after Columbia Tower tried to evict him in September 2021 for $179 in past-due rent.....The church ended 2021 with cash and "cash equivalents" exceeding $1.2 million, according to audited financial statements obtained by the Free Beacon. It also paid Warnock a $7,417-per-month tax-free housing allowance in 2021 in an arrangement that allowed him to circumvent outside income limitations for U.S. senators....

....The Georgia Secretary of State Office's Securities and Charities Division launched an investigation into Ebenezer Building Foundation last Wednesday to determine why the charity is operating in the state without an active registration. The charity has until Nov. 2 to bring forward evidence showing why it is exempt from registering with the secretary of state and is "therefore not in violation of the Act and Rules."...

https://freebeacon.com/democrats/wa...-three-eviction-notices-were-filed-last-week/



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The Walker/Warnock debate served to highlight the clear ongoing problem with Warnock's church and the "evictions" going on.

( This situation is incredibly bizarre for the Democratic Party. Warnock's office and campaign wants to scrub out any association with Joe Biden, because Biden's horrible record will drag Warnock down. But at the same time, Biden's camp wants all association with Warnock removed as well, because Biden can't be seen as warming up to someone who is evicting aging black Vietnam veterans to be homeless on the streets)

You can't take 7500 dollars a month tax free in a housing stipend while booting a nearly 70 year old elderly black Vietnam veteran out onto the street. Then you have Walker offering to pay the old man's rent for him. There is no media counter narrative to survive that.

Add this into Warnock voting for the Women's Health Protection Act ( removing parental abortion notification for minors and using tax dollars for abortion potentially up until the moment of birth) and this is pure political poison.

If Walker prevails here, I'm not sure I can cleanly say "Walker Won" because it looks more like Team Blue's failures more likely handed that old Bull Dog a Senate seat for free.