On October 28th, Georgia Democrat Jon Ossoff faced off with Republican incumbent Senator David Perdue in what was supposed to be the second of three debates of the general election race. But then the now famous “It’s not just that you’re a crook, Senator” line happened. You should check it out (again), it is (still) great:
The very next day, Perdue pulled out of the final debate, coming up with the excuse of joining one of Trump’s superspreader rallies. This was widely shrugged off then, but the times are changing: The Atlanta Press Club (ACP) is not only the most important journalism association in Georgia, but also the leading organizer of election debates. They have invited both Ossoff and Perdue for a runoff debate. Ossoff accepted, but Perdue declined. However, the ACP is having none of that and released the following statement (emphasis mine):
The Atlanta Press Club’s Loudermilk-Young Debate Series is disappointed that Sen. David Perdue has decided to not participate in his debate. Jon Ossoff has confirmed his participation, so according to our rules, we will proceed with the debate and Sen. Perdue will be represented by an empty podium.
That is not our preference. The Atlanta Press Club works hard to provide a platform for all candidates running for public office. We believe it is an essential part of the democratic process for voters to have an opportunity to hear an exchange of ideas from the candidates so they can be better informed when they cast their ballots.
In that spirit, we hope Sen. Perdue will change his mind. We will leave the door open for him to participate in our Dec. 6 debate.
Yes, Perdue will be represented by an empty podium. Yes, the leading journalism association in Georgia accused Perdue of skipping an “essential part of the democratic process”. Yes, Georgia Republicans are no longer getting away with everything.
Yes, I love it!
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