SAVANNAH — U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock sketched out how he thinks Vice President Kamala Harris can capture Georgia in November. He said it was “silly” to suggest President Joe Biden resign early.
And the Georgia Democrat didn’t rule out whether he would accept a hypothetical offer to serve as Harris’ running mate.
Warnock was the featured guest Monday at a “Politically Georgia” live event in Savannah, just hours after Biden announced he would end his campaign and back Harris in November.
Here are some of the Warnock’s remarks:
On Biden quitting the race:
“He made a hard decision. That’s a hard decision for any politician to make. But if it’s any comfort to him, Joe Biden has achieved more in four years than most presidents achieve in eight. He’s a one-term president who has achieved two terms of work. His decision was about putting the people first, and we’ve watched him do that over and over again over a half-century of work. So the nation owes a debt of gratitude and thanks to this man.”
On whether he could serve as Harris’ running mate:
“I’ve seen all those lists, but she hasn’t asked me. I’m very focused over the next four months with making sure America makes the right choice. That’s what matters. She’s smart, she’s wise, she will choose the right person. And you just can’t overstate how consequential this election is. I know we’ve been saying over the last five elections that ‘This is the most important election of our lifetime.’ But this really is the most important election of our lifetime. And we’ve got to get it right.”
On GOP calls for Biden to resign before his term ends:
“The suggestion is silly. I think I know why Republicans wish he were not president. Maybe because they want to pass a federal ban on abortion and they know that Joe Biden is not going to let that happen. Maybe it’s because he has centered the concerns of ordinary people. The president made a decision about whether he would run for a second term. The second term has nothing to do with the first. They know this. And I think that they are putting forward empty talking points while they try to figure out how they’re going to run a criminal against a prosecutor.”
On why he flipped from Biden to Harris so quickly after the president withdrew:
“Well, the short answer is she was standing alongside him while he was achieving all of these things. ... The decision was his to make all along. I was with Joe as long as he was running. And when he made a different decision, I respected that decision as well. I’ve gotten to know Kamala Harris over the years. She’s an extraordinary human being. And I think she’s going to be a great president.”
On Harris’ chances in November:
“I don’t know. A Black boy who grew up in Kayton Homes got elected the first (Black) United States senator from the state of Georgia, alongside the first Jewish senator from the state of Georgia. This is the magic of America. I believe that she can win, and I believe that she will win. …
“I think as you look at the contrast between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, it really is a moral question, too. Will America choose the criminal? Or the person who’s spent much of her career prosecuting criminals? And, ironically, the party that put up the criminal is claiming to be the law-and-order party.”
About the Author
