1 month ago
Last Updated: October 14, 2024, 10:14 IST
Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
The moment came while Bill was in Georgia to campaign for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. (Screengrab)
Blill Clinton urged churchgoers in Albany, Georgia, on Sunday to rally behind Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign for the office he once held
A McDonald’s worker was left red-faced when she met Bill Clinton in the US state of Georgia but did not recognise him until the former US President introduced himself. The moment came while Bill was in Peach State to campaign for Democratic Presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
Dressed in blue jeans and a jacket, the 42nd president of the United States, faced an unexpected situation when the McDonald’s employee at the counter initially failed to identify him. As the ex-US commander-in-chief approached the counter, the puzzled worker stared at the 78-year-old Democrat until he greeted him. Subsequently, the African-American woman behind the counter beamed, exclaiming, “Oh my god!” before enthusiastically hugging the ex-president.
On Sunday, Clinton urged churchgoers in Albany, Georgia, to rally behind Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign for the office he once held. “Uniting people and building, being repairers of the breach, as Isaiah says, those are the things that work,” Clinton said. “Blaming, dividing, demeaning — they get you a bunch of votes at election time, but they don’t work.”
NEW: McDonalds worker has no clue she is talking to Bill Clinton until he tells her his name.The moment came while Bill Clinton was in Georgia to campaign for Kamala Harris who is struggling in the polls.pic.twitter.com/sVPC0XTfTB
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) October 14, 2024
Georgia
Georgia is one of seven states seen as pivotal in this year’s presidential race, and turnout among Black voters could hold the key for Democrats to winning the state’s 16 electoral votes. Democrat Joe Biden won Georgia against then-President Donald Trump in 2020 by 11,779 votes out of more than 5 million cast. That was the first time a Democrat carried the state since Clinton in 1992.
Four years later, Clinton lost the state to Republican Bob Dole but won reelection. In 1992, Clinton and then-Sen. Al Gore rode a campaign bus through southwest Georgia to court rural voters. Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz revived the approach earlier this year by visiting Savannah and Liberty County in the southeastern part of the state, but they did not travel west.
At the Black church, Clinton played up Harris’ accomplishments and promises, including her involvement in Biden’s work to reduce insulin costs and revive the economy. He said she would pave the way for greater economic opportunity, mentioning her plan to provide financial support for first-time homeowners. Regina Whearry, who attended the service, said she wished more people knew the former president was coming. “It was well needed because in this area, we have very low turnout, especially among our Black males,” Whearry said.
Black voters
Democrats see Clinton as someone who can mobilize both rural voters and Black voters. But while Clinton was recognized for his popularity in southern Black communities, it remains to be seen whether he can still inspire Black voters as the population familiar with his presidency grows older. But he didn’t hold back in describing the stakes in this year’s race.
Black registered voters have overwhelmingly favorable views of Harris and negative views of Trump despite his attempts to appeal to nonwhite voters, according to a recent poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. But the poll also shows that many Black voters aren’t sure whether Harris would improve the country overall or better their own lives.
(With agency inputs)
