Where’s Walker? Hint: Still Not Campaigning in Georgia

Herschel Walker has been in Georgia’s U.S. Senate race for 45 days, and he still isn’t talking to voters, holding public events, or speaking on the issues that matter most to Georgians. Walker’s strategy to “stay out of sight and severely limit his exposure to voters and the media” and “pattern of staying mum on most key issues” has created a “largely behind closed doors” campaign that is causing frustration among Georgia Republicans. 

• The Georgia Senate candidate began the week in Baldwin County…Florida. As the AJC reports, Walker started his second month in Georgia’s Senate race speaking in “Baldwin County, Fla. on Florida’s Gulf Coast — not Baldwin County, Ga.” Walker’s campaign says he’ll be back doing “Georgia-based campaign events” next week, but it remains to be seen whether these will be public events or just another private fundraiser with high-dollar conservative donors — the only event Walker’s “whole lot of nothing” campaign held before Trump’s Perry rally. 

• Walker is going national and dodging Georgians. Over the past 45 days, Herschel Walker has done 19 interviews — and 16 of those were national interviews with right-wing media outlets and conservative hosts. Walker has made a habit of only interviewing with “friendly media outlets” and attending “tightly controlled events” while his campaign tries to keep him away from “voters who may have questions” about his stances and policy positions in Georgia.

• Walker is preparing to “campaign all over the country” for…Georgia? Two days ago, Herschel Walker told a conservative radio host that he’ll be conducting “listening sessions around the country,” after telling Lara Trump three weeks ago that he’s preparing to “campaign all over the country,” for Georgia’s U.S. Senate seat — calling into question the true motivations behind Walker’s run.

• Georgia Republicans and conservative commentators are expressing frustrations with Walker’s absentee campaign as internal divisions grow. On Saturday, conservative commentator Todd Starnes compared Herschel Walker to failed Senate candidate Kelly Loeffler, noting that it “bothers me” he is “not out there” campaigning and was “not out there talking about the issues like Gary [Black] is” — referring to the three-time Agriculture Commissioner vying against Walker in the GOP primary. “How long can Herschel continue to operate without doing many public events or answering questions?” asked Eric Tanenblatt, a veteran Georgia GOP strategist. “You can’t hide forever,” said another Georgia Republican strategist. “Everybody I talk to in the Republican universe who isn’t being paid by [Walker] is terrified,” said yet another GOP strategist in Georgia.

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