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Herschel Walker Shocks His Critics at Debate With Raphael Warnock, Resets the Race in Georgia
Townhall ^ | 14 Oct, 2022 | Bonchie

Posted on 10/15/2022 6:22:34 AM PDT by MtnClimber

I’ve got a confession to make. When I saw that Republican Herschel Walker had accepted a debate with Democrat incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock, I wasn’t exactly enthused. Yes, to some extent, Walker’s communication issues have been overstated, but no one was ever going to confuse him for a charismatic speaker, and certainly, no one thought he would be a good debater.

The running assumption for the month leading up to the event has been simple: Walker would be lucky to get out alive, and absolutely no one was entertaining the possibility that he could excel.

In a shocking twist, though, that’s exactly what Walker did. It wasn’t a perfect performance, but far from bombing, people are actually suggesting that the Republican candidate may have won the debate. That’s a far cry from the predictions of total meltdown being made just prior to showtime.

We’ll go through some of the highlights and then I’ll give my thoughts on where I think this leaves the race. But first, if you want to know how well Walker did, here’s a columnist from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, a leftwing outlet, giving her thoughts.

You know he did what he needed to do when someone who writes for the AJC and The Daily Beast (an outlet currently producing non-stop stories trying to take Walker out) can only muster up that “some of those answers won’t play well, but no catastrophes.”

Anyway, let’s dive into it.

With a story breaking recently that Walker paid for a girlfriend’s abortion back in 2009 (a story he denies), it’s actually surprising that he was willing to go that hard on the topic. Having seen him do it, though, I’m convinced it was the right move. Walker did not need to give up on the chief way to paint Warnock as an extremist, especially when the Democrat is limited in how he can respond because he has his own skeletons in the closet he doesn’t want to be brought up. All in all, it was a good strategy.

On the economy and other policy questions, Walker pressed Warnock on his support for Joe Biden and his inability to make positive change for Georgians. It was another good segment for the Republican candidate.

The common theme with Walker’s approach tonight was aggression. He did not show up to play defense, and I think that played to his advantage. Instead of sitting back and waiting for the moderator and Warnock to hit him on his scandals, he kept pressing Democrat policy failures at every turn. It completely shifted the debate in Walker’s favor, again, something almost no one thought was possible.


TOPICS: Society
KEYWORDS: midterms; walker; warnock
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To: MtnClimber

Thanks for the post. But in another post after yours, the much honorable huffpo simply focused on Walker telling diabetics to “just eat right”. Yup, their in full war paint. Can I say that? 😎👍


41 posted on 10/15/2022 7:22:25 AM PDT by rktman (Destroy America from within? Check! WTH? Enlisted USN 1967 to end up with this? 😕)
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To: MtnClimber

On Monday night, Hannity will have Herschel Walker on for the entire hour. Presumably, he’ll show some highlights from the debate.


42 posted on 10/15/2022 7:23:52 AM PDT by GreenHornet
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To: suthener; bitt; little jeremiah; generally; Melian; WildHighlander57; numberonepal

I read about a very good exchange, and I’m paraphrasing:

Warnock (regarding abortion): There’s not enough space in the hospital room for the mother, doctor, and the government.
Walker: There’s a baby in there, too.

I bet Warnock thought he was going to hit a home run while rehearsing that statement. Walker’s response was pretty darn good.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

that was a mike drop moment for walker


43 posted on 10/15/2022 7:25:01 AM PDT by thinden (buckle up....)
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To: Dan in Wichita

I thought the moderators leaned more toward Warnock. They gave Warnock more overt unity to respond than Walker.


44 posted on 10/15/2022 7:25:18 AM PDT by carcraft (Pray for our Countr)
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To: pfflier
A lot of us remember algore's plastic mannequin makeup and his heavy sighing costing him.

That's not what cost him the race. Respectfully disagree.

AlGore was a horrible candidate to begin with.

45 posted on 10/15/2022 7:27:28 AM PDT by usconservative (When The Ballot Box No Longer Counts, The Ammunition Box Does. (What's In Your Ammo Box?))
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To: pfflier
We also remember Reagan's "There you go again" helping him.

Reagan beat Mondale in a 49 - 1 rout, never before seen in history.

"There you go again" was hardly responsible for that. Reagan was already immensely popular and Mondale telling an entire country he'd raise their federal income taxes by a lot is what doomed his campaign.

The Reagan Recovery was well under way, Reagan's popularity and likeability is what won the day, not "there you go again."

46 posted on 10/15/2022 7:29:06 AM PDT by usconservative (When The Ballot Box No Longer Counts, The Ammunition Box Does. (What's In Your Ammo Box?))
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To: Right_Wing_Madman
I thought Trump's awful debate against Biden cost him re-election.

Oh boy, where to begin taking this statement apart. How about the 2am CST election vote rigging that happened across multiple states, costing Trump the election?

And that's just for starters.

47 posted on 10/15/2022 7:30:54 AM PDT by usconservative (When The Ballot Box No Longer Counts, The Ammunition Box Does. (What's In Your Ammo Box?))
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To: carcraft
I thought the moderators leaned more toward Warnock. They gave Warnock more overt unity to respond than Walker.

Yeah, a little bit. There was one occasion when the moderator told Warnock he could have 15 seconds to respond, but then he went on for about 30-60 seconds.

We conservatives are so used to having utterly biased debate moderators that when there is even a semblance of fairness many of us are surprised and happy.
48 posted on 10/15/2022 7:31:05 AM PDT by Dan in Wichita
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To: EEGator

PA Dems are in full panic-mode over Fetterman. I think Oz will end up beating him by 3 - 5 pts.

There’s even talk of Mastriano defeating Shapiro because Oz has been making so much of the Crime wave in the state and that reflects on AG Shapiro.


49 posted on 10/15/2022 7:31:50 AM PDT by Tallguy
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To: MtnClimber

I saw part of this on television. Walker isn’t nearly the stupid man some people make him out to be.

He’s certainly more on-the-ball than Biden is. Not to mention Fetterman, even when Fetterman was healthy.


50 posted on 10/15/2022 7:32:57 AM PDT by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it.")
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To: euram

I just came from the Iron Range of MN, lots of Jensen/Birk signs, in the traditionally DFL territory. It was encouraging.


51 posted on 10/15/2022 7:38:02 AM PDT by Fireone (When they pry them from my cold, dead, unvaccinated hands.)
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To: MtnClimber

The “he’s got a low IQ myth” stuff was all just Democrat Hype hiding and terribly flawed, ineffective leftist Democrat who got into office during a period of Georgia RINO (SoS) incompetence and allowing out of staters to vote.

Warnock has done NOTHING for Georgia - only voted with Biden. In addition, he’s been continually bribed by his own former church with a salary and housing allowance - all to push leftist principles. He’s NOT for Georgia. He’s for Atlanta and leftists, period.

Vote Walker - my wife and I are. Send Warnock back to pimpin’ the lady parishioners at EBC.


52 posted on 10/15/2022 7:38:57 AM PDT by Gaffer
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To: MtnClimber

Herschel carried the ball over the line...


53 posted on 10/15/2022 7:39:25 AM PDT by Gaffer
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To: srmanuel

I agree. The hype that Warnock is ahead is just that - hype from AJC et al.


54 posted on 10/15/2022 7:41:49 AM PDT by Gaffer
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To: Fireone

That’s good to here. I don’t see many here in Dakota county, but I see several Jensen ads on FOX every night, and a few ads blasting Walz for his mishandling of the riots and the increase in crime.


55 posted on 10/15/2022 7:44:00 AM PDT by euram
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To: PghBaldy; MtnClimber

thanx a lot for posting this article on the debate & the you tube link

from what I’ve seen, walker did a great job


56 posted on 10/15/2022 7:45:59 AM PDT by thinden (buckle up....)
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To: Roadrunner383
Walker strikes me as a man with a fund of good common sense who likes people and wants to do the right thing. Much rather have a plain-spoken man than one of your flowery preachers with an evil heart.

I listened to the debate and thought he did very well. Warlock is a snake. Why sit out and let the snake back in the room?

57 posted on 10/15/2022 7:51:13 AM PDT by AnAmericanMother (Ecce Crucem Domini, fugite partes adversae. Vicit Leo de Tribu Iuda, Radix David, Alleluia!)
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To: Jamestown1630

Paraphrasing Walker when asked if he was going to support Trump in 2024, Walker said,”Trump is my friend and an ally and I won’t abandon my ally like Biden abandoned his allies in Afghanistan.” Great comeback!


58 posted on 10/15/2022 8:00:04 AM PDT by lone star annie ( )
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To: Bruce Campbells Chin

Horse crap. The biggest issue with elected politicians is that 90+ % are lawyers.


59 posted on 10/15/2022 8:01:25 AM PDT by clee1 (We use 43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, and 2 to pull a trigger. I'm lazy and don't wish to smile.)
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To: lone star annie

Walker kicked ass last night. Warnock couldn’t even answer most of the tough questions and Walker rightfully pushed him.


60 posted on 10/15/2022 8:02:14 AM PDT by GAHeel
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