Barack Obama told a crowd of up to 4,000 near Atlanta that Republicans 'are not serious people', as he campaigned for Jon Ossoff and Keisha Lance Bottoms before the Nov. 3 midterms.
Former US President Barack Obama spoke at a Wednesday campaign rally in suburban Atlanta, offering what The Guardian described as a closing argument for Democrats in the final week before the Nov. 3 midterm elections. The event, held at the Discovery Center of Clayton County just south of the city, drew an estimated 3,500 to 4,000 people, according to the Guardian's report. Obama came to Georgia to support Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff, former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who is running for governor, and other Democrats on the ballot, as part of a cross-country campaign tour.
In his remarks, Obama criticised President Donald Trump and the Republican Party, saying: "These are not serious people. And we're all paying the price for their lack of seriousness." He also joked about the administration's reaction to his earlier comparison of White House renovations to a famous restaurant chain, and argued that voters should focus on affordability and what he called a president intent on selling favours. Ossoff accused the administration of corruption, while Bottoms contrasted herself with her Republican opponent, Rick Jackson. Senator Raphael Warnock also spoke, warning about cuts to Medicaid and nutrition support. These are the speakers' own claims and characterisations, not findings verified by Reporix.
The Guardian reported that Ossoff holds an eight- to 10-point polling lead over Republican Rep. Mike Collins, while Bottoms is statistically tied with Jackson in the governor's race. President Trump was campaigning in Ohio at the same time. The video attached to this article is the Associated Press's official live stream of the rally, which shows the actual event rather than archival or promotional footage; it is a livestream recording, and the quotations above come from the Guardian's written report of the speech.
