Former President Barack Obama campaigned in suburban Atlanta on Wednesday to support Democratic candidates including Senator Jon Ossoff and former Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms ahead of next week’s midterm elections. The event drew between 3,500 and 4,000 attendees at the Discovery Center of Clayton County.
Obama delivered pointed criticism of Donald Trump and the Republican Party, characterizing them as lacking seriousness and saying Americans were “paying the price” for that approach. He referenced his recent joke comparing Trump’s White House renovations to Saddam Hussein decorating a Cheesecake Factory, noting that while Trump was not bothered by that comparison, the administration responded to the Cheesecake Factory reference by mobilizing what Obama described as a government response, including a call to the Treasury Secretary to hold a press conference at the restaurant. Obama also addressed Republican accusations of elitism by noting his familiarity with the popular chain restaurant as a father of two daughters.
Ossoff and other Democratic speakers at the rally focused on corruption allegations, with Ossoff characterizing Trump’s administration as “the most corrupt of all time” and suggesting that impeachment proceedings would follow if Democrats gained congressional control. Bottoms, running for governor against Republican Rick Jackson, cast the race as a choice between Democratic values and Republican billionaires, invoking the legacies of civil rights figures. Senator Raphael Warnock warned of what he called “spiritual wickedness” and expressed concern about the nation’s character amid discussions of cuts to social programs.
Polling showed Ossoff maintaining an eight- to 10-point lead over Republican Mike Collins, while Bottoms remained statistically tied with Jackson. Meanwhile, Trump was conducting his own national campaign tour, holding a rally in Ohio and making multiple appearances in Georgia during the final stretch of the midterm campaign.
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