Walker’s “Closed-Door,” “Curated,” “Curiously Quiet” Campaign Dodges Issues, Voters, and Press as GOP Rivals Take Aim

Following Walker’s defense of a swastika and anti-vaccine efforts as well as recent attacks by GOP rivals over his past immigration comments, Herschel Walker’s “closed-door” and “curated” campaign continues to disappoint Georgians, who have no clue what “Walker actually believes and would do if elected,” and worry that his “campaign for public office conducted largely in private” cannot continue ignoring policy issues and questions on the minds of Georgians. In case you missed it:

Herschel Walker’s Senate run is heavy on Fox News spots and curated, closed-door campaign stops

Georgia Public Broadcasting, 10/20/21

• Herschel Walker has been no stranger to the limelight over the years, but his bid to become a U.S. senator so far has been a quieter, closed-door affair.

• A GPB News analysis finds Walker has done about two dozen interviews in the eight weeks since launching his campaign, almost exclusively with Fox News personalities like Sean Hannity.

• For some conservatives, Trump’s endorsement of Walker is secondary to questions about what Walker actually believes and would do if elected.

• Former U.S. Rep. Doug Collins, who endorsed Black, said on his radio show late August that Walker’s campaign was “heavy on coming from Wrightsville, Georgia, and very low on policies and beliefs.” 

• One anonymous party insider supporting Walker’s campaign vented days later to the Washington Examiner that the former University of Georgia standout “appears to have gone back to the comfort of his war room” instead of blanketing the state with campaign appearances.

• Democrats and Republicans alike have questioned Walker’s campaign strategy, arguing he is hiding from voters, the media and potentially hard questions about policy positions.

• The campaign has often deflected on questions of the day on topics ranging from vaccines to Mitch McConnell to abortion, and according to Facebook’s Ad Library, the Walker campaign has spent nearly $280,000 on ads that feature Trump and fundraising pleas with no mention specific issues or stances. 

• Even the best-laid plans to stay under the radar can go awry, like last week when the campaign had to cancel a fundraiser in Texas following a report in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the sponsor had a swastika made of vaccine needles as a profile picture on social media. A campaign spokeswoman initially defended the image as “clearly an anti-mandatory vaccination graphic” before backtracking and saying “the symbol used is very offensive and does not reflect the values of Herschel Walker or his campaign” — one of the few instances the campaign has shed light on Walker’s values.

• As Walker is the most visible candidate in Trump’s slate of GOP challengers seeking to remake Georgia politics, it’s unclear how long a campaign for public office conducted largely in private will continue. But with more than six months until the Senate primary, the playbook seems to be settled for now.

No details, no problem for Trump voters and Herschel Walker

Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 10/20/21

• Since his announcement in August, [Walker] has avoided getting into details on issues and policy. He has not yet spoken with Atlanta media, including The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and his website is a bare-bones landing page, with a copy of his announcement video and a three-paragraph biography. As for policy positions, there are none.

• But it won’t be enough for a general election. U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock has already proved himself to be a strategic campaigner, a prolific fundraiser and a high-profile liberal who can still strike a deal with Ted Cruz if he wants to.

• Georgia voters will want more answers — and they’ll deserve more answers, too. Where does Walker stand on the details of immigration? What about abortion? How would he cover Georgia’s uninsured population? Who won the last election?

• The work in Washington is too important, and the stakes for voters are too high, not to say exactly where you stand on issues you know you’ll be voting on in the future. It’s the very least we should be able to ask from a person who wants to lead the state into the future.

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