With Trump's backing, Walker freezes Senate GOP field in Georgia

[DonViejo]

By Alex Rogers and Manu Raju, CNN

Updated 12:50 PM ET, Thu April 22, 2021

(CNN)Former President Donald Trump's backing of football great Herschel Walker to run for the Georgia Senate seat has been enough to effectively freeze the GOP field in place -- even though some Republicans privately worry the political neophyte might fizzle against Sen. Raphael Warnock in a high-stakes general election.

Warnock, who is running for a full six-year term next year after narrowly winning his seat in a special election in January, is a top target for Republicans. And with the backing of Trump and his closest allies, who believe that Walker is uniquely able to unite a party torn apart by their 2020 losses, prospective Republican candidates are signaling they are willing to sit out until the legendary athlete makes a decision.

But the prospect that Walker could have the field to himself is causing anxiety among some Republicans in Georgia and Washington, who privately are uncertain whether the first-time candidate and Texas resident could handle the enormous challenges ahead. And they're worried that Trump is propping up a candidate simply because he has been a loyal friend, rather than assessing the former NFL running back's electoral viability in a pivotal battleground that could again determine the next Senate majority.

Trump's involvement in the Georgia primary underscores both his enduring influence among the conservative base and concerns among senior Republicans that his meddling in the 2022 midterms could turn off more moderate voters whose support the GOP needs to win back power on Capitol Hill.

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https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/22/politics/georgia-senate-race-2022-herschel-walker-donald-trump/index.html

[PortTack]

1. tuberville 2.0... unlike tuberville who won, Warnock is loved in GA and will be re-elected

[East-A-Squared]

2. Pass the popcorn.

[snowybirdie]

3. Trumpism

won't die until he pisses off enough actual Republicans. This is a good start.

[CrispyQ]

4. Geez, what the fuck would make them think this?

And they're worried that Trump is propping up a candidate simply because he has been a loyal friend, rather than assessing the former NFL running back's electoral viability...

[WarGamer]

7. I think he's quite electable. Look at Congress. Hell, he's probably smarter than 10-12 R Senators.

[CrispyQ]

8. Oh I'm sure he's quite electable.

The next Congress is bound to have more racists, zealots, & loons. The GOP got in bed with this crew decades ago & now they've lost control of their party. It would be funny if it weren't so damaging.

[tanyev]

15. LOL, one of these days they might just figure out that Trump doesn't really care about them.

It's ALLLLL about him.

[WarGamer]

5. It's a good choice for the R's

AA, name recognition, Georgian...

Of course he's aligned with a Party that hates his own community but he has a better chance than Collins or any of those clowns.

[wryter2000]

6. Texas resident?

Anyone see a problem there?

[WarGamer]

9. I imagine he has/or will legally established residency in GA

The Constitution sets three qualifications for service in the U.S. Senate: age (at least thirty years of age); U.S. citizenship (at least nine years); and residency in the state a senator represents at time of election. The details of these qualifications were hammered out by the Constitution's framers during the Constitutional Convention in 1787.

It's a Federal election so I think that's all

[wryter2000]

12. I guess that would work

Bobby Kennedy did it in New York.

[JHB]

14. So did Hillary.

[Johonny]

10. Trump's name has really been winning big in Georgia lately.

Walker should sink like a rock...

[Bleacher Creature]

11. Trump's meddling could be key to holding the Senate.

Similar to how the Tea Party helped to do the same in 2010 (i.e., "I am not a witch!&quot .

[wryter2000]

13. Yup

Trump hindered them in 2020. I'm pretty sure he won't be a winner for them in 2022.