Herschel Walker’s GOP primary opponents are sounding off on his campaign for U.S. Senate, but they’re far from the only Georgia conservatives worrying aloud. Republican voices all across the state are expressing concerns with the Trump-tapped candidate for his problematic past, avoiding Georgia voters, stumbling over basic policy issues in “a string of gaffes, even with conservative interviewers,” and showing he isn’t up for the job.
See what Georgia conservative activists, commentators, operatives, officeholders, and former candidates are saying about Walker:
Walker Isn’t Up for The Job
- DeKalb GOP Chair Marci McCarthy said of watching Walker speak in person, it was “truly a struggle for [Walker] to really articulate any of the issues.”
- Former U.S. Rep. Doug Collins, said Walker’s campaign was “heavy on coming from Wrightsville, Georgia, and very low on policies and beliefs.”
- Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan penned a recent op-ed asserting that Walker “has yet to articulate a political vision or make the case to voters why he is best-suited to be their senator,” and that Walker has “not outlined [for Georgians] a clear rationale or reason to run.”
- Perdue For Governor Muscogee County Chair Patrick Steed called Walker’s campaign substanceless, saying he believes “an empty podium is going to argue better for Herschel than Herschel would himself,” predicting Walker’s opponents will “absolutely eat him apart.”
- Conservative commentator Martha Zoller noted that “the more [Walker] talks, the more his numbers go down.”
- “Herschel’s not working for this,” said conservative radio personality Scott Rheinhold, lamenting how Walker getting “caught…in a few more lies” about his business failures is a “huge problem.”
Walker Is Avoiding Georgia Voters
- For the “first [time] in Georgia,” the Rabun County GOP passed a no-confidence resolution that slammed Walker for refusing to debate his GOP opponents. The resolutions stated, “No coach would send an untested football player into the state championship who refused to practice, has no record of performance in debates.”
- “I’m telling everybody that if that is their strategy, to just insulate the candidate from the public, they are going to lose this race,” said conservative commentator John Fredericks.
- Conservative radio host Beth Beskin challenged Walker to “come out of his hidey hole” and answer to comments that have “raised a lot of Republican eyebrows.”
- Conservative radio host Todd Starnes said Walker’s refusal to debate should “disqualify [him] from running as a Republican.”
- “Traditionally, people announce, then barnstorm the state. [Walker] appears to have gone back to the comfort of his war room,” said a frustrated Georgia GOP insider.
Walker Can’t Win
- Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan recently told ABC News that Walker needs to address issues raised about his past before next Tuesday’s primary and “if he doesn’t, then I think it’s going to be a tough day in Georgia when we get to the November election, and we’re going to send, unfortunately, another Democrat to represent us as a U.S. senator.”
- “I don’t know a single significant GOP operative who thinks Walker will win the general,” said Georgia conservative commentator Erick Erickson, before publicly announcing he voted for Latham Saddler in the primary.
- “I just think it’s going to backfire and we’re going to end up losing the Senate seat if you guys go out there and just vote for him,” said conservative commentator Scott Rheinhold.
- DeKalb GOP Chair Marci McCarthy said “I just don’t think [Walker] can beat Warnock…. there’s just too little there.”
- Fulton County conservative Courtney Kramer called Walker’s candidacy “very unfair to the Republican Party” and proclaimed that President Trump should have “waited to endorse a candidate.”
- “Everybody I talk to in the Republican universe who isn’t being paid by [Walker] is terrified,” said a GOP strategist in Georgia, who requested anonymity to speak candidly about private conversations.
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