An absent Herschel Walker was more articulate than the real candidate at Sunday night's debate.
Incumbent U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock and Libertarian Chase Oliver answered questions for the Republican Walker, who refused to show up for the Loudermilk debate on public TV, a Georgia political tradition. Warnock and Oliver spoke with the basic coherence that eludes Walker.
Walker did participate in a debate against Warnock Friday night in Savannah, broadcast over a network of local news stations. Fox 5 carried the contest in Atlanta. Oliver was excluded because of low poll numbers.
While Walker displayed his unique incomprehensibility and drew ridicule for whipping out a dubious police badge, he did well enough to ease concerns of Republicans and independents. He wasn't pressed over reports he paid for a girlfriend's abortion and accusations he threatened to kill his former wife.
Warnock was unimpressive in refusing to answer whether he'd support a Biden re-election campaign and increase the number of Supreme Court justices. He did little to counter Walker's shameless breaking of the debate rules, and constant drumbeat about his 96 percent support of Biden's policies. Ineffectively defending his backing of Biden, Warnock instead kept emphasizing his working with Republican senators, a turnoff for black voters.
The debate drew national attention. On Monday, New York Times columnist Frank Bruni expressed the prevailing Democratic angst after the debate that Walker, despite his lack of any qualifications for the U.S. Senate, stands a good chance of winning.
On the same page, Charles Blow cited Walker's incoherence, following in the tradition of Ronald Reagan, Sarah Palin and other Republicans. Yet, Blow too fears that the addled Walker might beat Warnock.
Early voting starts today, with Democratic optimism waning.
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