Oprah to Stacey: You Get a Campaign Visit!
According to the Washington Post, Oprah Winfrey is coming to campaign in Georgia for Stacey Abrams. If you’re in the Marietta or Decatur area tomorrow, you may have a shot of seeing Lady O. The pair of events will be conversations “on the critical value of women in leadership and what is at stake for our communities in the election,” according to Abrams’ campaign website, which coincidentally, is also where folks can obtain the free tickets to the events.
As The Jolt points out, these two locations – Cobb and DeKalb Counties – have large numbers of the demographics Abrams is counting on to turnout for her, suburban women and African Americans. The most recent poll (conducted by Opinion Saavy for FOX 5) shows the race in a statistical dead heat, which is in line with other recent polling. As of two days ago, early voting numbers had surpassed 1 million, indicating the turnout is going to be much higher this year than in most statewide election years. It’s no wonder, then, that we’re seeing President Trump and Vice President Pence come in the final days to stump for Brian Kemp, while former President Obama campaigns this weekend for Abrams.
Oprah is a bit of a surprise, however, because she rarely stumps for candidates. In fact, the last time she campaigned for anyone, it was for then-Senator Obama. Can her magic put Abrams over the top? Depends on whether her visit encourages the attendees (and her fans) to the polls.
About Author
Holly Croft
Holly is an archivist at one of Georgia's institutions of higher learning. In a past life, she was a legislative assistant on Capitol Hill. She cares a lot about records management, open records laws, and privacy laws. Political persuasion? It's complicated. What's not complicated is that she's proudly equal parts Bulldog and Tar Heel.
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Is this going to benefit Stacey Abrams? The election is in Georgia, not Chicago or New York City.
Oprah is a national figure, well-loved amongst many Republicans, Democrats, and all other array of political affiliations, so it will benefit Stacey Abrams. How much? I don’t know. These last minute, get-out-the-vote events are always hard to gauge, but they’re a campaign standard because they’re effective.
Don’t know when the info first came out, but no more tix available per the site. She’ll get some folks fired up. There’s at least one early voting polling place nearby that will likely be packed tmrrw.
Is Trump going to help Kemp?
Her show was no. 1 in her time slot in all national markets (including Atlanta, Macon, Augusta, Albany and Savannah) before she closed it down. Oprah is a major producer and finical backer of Georgia based films and television programs thru Perry’s studios her work with Marvel, and SCAD. She has pull with most women over the age of 30 with her struggles of weight lost, teaching women to be the boss, and just being generally hopeful, spiritual and uplifting. Her being here will benefit the mainly democratic “pink wave” in general.
Just anecdotal evidence in my little circle of mostly white suburban female friends and acquaintances finds that Trump’s endorsement of Kemp is more influential than Oprah’s of Abrams, but this is far from good news for Kemp…
PInewood Studios much?
The big guns—Oprah, Pence, Trump and Obama— in the state less than a week before the election. The clear bipartisan consensus is that the Georgia Governorship is in play. 538 has Kemp a slim favorite: https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/governors-update-new-polls-in-georgia-and-ohio-show-really-tight-races/
Glad to see more of the liberal hollywood types trying to get Abrams elected. I think the more this happens the more the fence sitters go republican.
Who the heck is fence-sitting at this point?
I would think an Oprah endorsement would be more meaningful to someone who hasn’t made up their mind by now.
Trump’s appearance I think is more about getting people motivated enough to make sure they go actually vote.