A campaign ad released this week by Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock (D) against his GOP opponent, Herschel Walker, is generating lots of attention and may wind up being a turning point in the upcoming runoff election scheduled for December 6 in the Peach State.
CNN reports that the ad masterfully uses former president Trump’s praise of Walker against the Republican candidate.
The ad opens on Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential announcement earlier this week – and specifically his support for Warnock’s Republican opponent in the Georgia Senate runoff, Herschel Walker.
“We must all work very hard for a gentleman and a great person named Herschel Walker, a fabulous human being who loves our country and will be a great United States senator,” Trump says.
As Trump continues to speak, six words appear on screen to close the ad: “Stop Donald Trump. Stop Herschel Walker.”
And that’s it. That’s the whole ad.
Simple, to the point, and incredibly effective, CNN’s Chris Wallace noted.
“It is just playing Trump’s endorsement of Walker and clearly, the Warnock campaign feels this is, as you say, an albatross. This is a liability for Walker, not a plus.”
Why is the ad such a problem for Walker’s campaign? Because Trump isn’t exactly the most popular person in the country. Matter of fact, his endorsement in close races has been shown to increase Democratic turnout and suppress the number of Republicans who decide to cast a ballot. So tying Walker to Trump is meant to make it clear the two are joined at the hip, CNN’s Chris Cillizza explains.
Warnock’s decision to nationalize this race around Trump tells you that he believes the former president is a net negative in the state, and will function as an anchor on Walker’s attempt to get a majority of the vote.
Trump may wind up destroying the Republican Party completely. It would be the first positive thing he’s ever done in his life.
