The man overseeing Georgia’s senate runoffs.
 | By Nayeema Raza Senior Editor, Opinion |
|
There are a lot of people who have infuriated President Trump. Brad Raffensperger is a recent addition to the list. According to the president, he’s “an enemy of the people.” But Mr. Raffensperger’s actual title is secretary of state of Georgia. He’s a staunch Republican and an early Trump supporter whose crime of sedition was to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in Georgia. |
Though Mr. Raffensperger has stayed relatively calm in the face of outrage and pressure from his own party, last week he did something I didn’t expect. He wrote an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal with the headline “Trump Runs the Stacey Abrams Playbook.” It argued that the president’s resistance to democracy was not unprecedented, but had roots in Ms. Abrams’s reaction to the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election. |
The argument was specious. It mischaracterized Ms. Abrams’s actions (although she did not use the word “concede,” she did accept and acknowledge the 2018 election result). It equated Mr. Trump’s efforts to throw out votes in this election to Abrams’s efforts to broaden voter registration and turnout in future ones. And it ignored critical facts — for example, that Ms. Abrams’s opponent presided over his own election (which is technically legal, but ethically … complex). |
My colleague and “Sway” podcast host Kara Swisher called it “a total false equivalency.” She thought it was an attempt by Mr. Raffensperger to “throw red meat” at his party’s base. |
So, we asked Mr. Raffensperger to come on “Sway,” where Kara could press him on his claims. We wanted to get to know him — especially as he is now overseeing another election that may shift the balance of power in Washington. Georgia has already started early voting for two runoff races. Their outcome will determine whether the U.S. Senate will be split 50-50 (with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris acting as a tiebreaker) or 52-48 (with Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell continuing his reign). |
And if you want more, listen to a bonus episode where Kara debriefs on Mr. Raffensperger, Republicans and more with Maggie Haberman, a Times White House correspondent. Few people know Mr. Trump — and what gets under his skin — as well as Maggie does. |
Forward this newsletter to friends … |
Here’s what we’re focusing on today: |
|
No comments:
Post a Comment