Herschel Walker’s no-show looms large over Senate GOP debate

He is an embarrassment to the entire political process and he is the anointed one by the Donald.
Rich

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"ATLANTA — Former football great Herschel Walker skipped the first major Republican U.S. Senate debate, but his absence at the event in Gainesville on Saturday helped shape the back-and-forth among the five candidates who showed up.

Each of Walker's top rivals criticized the GOP front-runner for skipping the event and predicted that his strategy, which involves a regimen of mostly tightly scripted events and private gatherings, would leave him vulnerable against Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock.

And several at the 9th District GOP debate compared Walker's approach to President Joe Biden's "basement strategy" during the 2020 election campaign against Republican Donald Trump.

"I'm also certain that every coach that he had in the past instructed him that you'll not play in the game if you don't show up for practice," said Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black, Walker's best-known GOP rival. "But his coaches now have him locked in the basement of the locker room. I think it's a shame."

Since entering the race last year with Trump's support, Walker has ignored his rivals and bypassed many large GOP gatherings, even if it meant alienating key activists and officials. He's also indicated he won't participate in debates until the general election.

In this instance, Walker cited the Horatio Alger award ceremony as a scheduling conflict. The event ended Saturday morning, hours before the evening debate.

Walker's held wide leads in public polls, including an Emerson College/The Hill poll that pegged him near 60%. His opponents contend they have an opening to force him into a runoff, noting earlier polls had Walker hovering around 80%.

"Mr. Walker not showing up and not making himself available to the people of Georgia is not serving the people of Georgia," said Kelvin King, a contractor and military veteran. "This is an interview process and if you don't show up for the interview process you don't get the job."

Former Navy SEAL Latham Saddler noted his deep roots at the University of Georgia, where Walker starred in the early 1980s.

"He was my childhood football hero. I thought he was a competitor," said Saddler. "But he's moved over here from Texas after several decades and he's hiding out. He's doing the Biden basement strategy. We saw what that got us."

It was Black, however, who offered perhaps the most scathing attack. The agriculture commissioner brought up instances of violence against women and past policy stances that he's long said would "disqualify" him in November.

"Anyone who has put their hands on a woman, who has stalked, has threatened police with shootouts does not deserve to be in the U.S. Senate," said Black.

"Any Republican whose position would be that they support a pathway to citizenship and amnesty for people who are in this country illegally does not deserve our vote."

Here are some other takeaways:

Each of the five candidates indicated support for repealing the Affordable Care Act.

Former state Rep. Josh Clark talked of developing "market-based, patient-centered health care." And Jon McColumn, a retired U.S. Army brigadier general, promised to allow insurers to expand into new markets to increase competition."