UNIVERSE, THAT’S JUST ABOUT HOW
EVERYONE IS DESCRIBING GEORGIA
RIGHT NOW.
TODAY REALLY UNDERSCORES WHY.
FORMER PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA IS
TAKING PART IN A VIRTUAL RALLY
THIS AFTERNOON WITH DEMOCRATIC
SENATE CANDIDATES JON OSSOFF AND
RAPHAEL WARNOCK.
VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE WILL
BE IN THE STATE WITH REPUBLICAN
SENATORS KELLY LOEFFLER AND
DAVID PERDUE.
PRESIDENT TRUMP HEADS THERE
TOMORROW.
NBC’S BLAYNE ALEXANDER IS
FOLLOWING ALL OF IT FOR US IN
ATLANTA.
BLAYNE, IT’S GREAT TO SEE YOU.
WE’VE GOT A LOT OF COMPETING
CAMPAIGNING GOING ON HERE, ALL
OVERSHADOWED BY PRESIDENT TRUMP
AND SOME OF HIS ALLIES, OR AT
LEAST OUTSIDE SUPPORTERS, WHO
HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGING REPUBLICAN
VOTERS NOT TO VOTE IN THIS
PRIMARY, WHICH IS REALLY
CREATING A PROBLEM FOR
REPUBLICAN LEADERS IN
WASHINGTON.
WHAT’S THE LATEST ON THE GROUND?
>> Reporter: WELL, KASIE, IT
PUTS AN ADDED BURDEN ON
REPUBLICANS SENLSLY.
IN A TIME WHEN THEY’D REALLY
RATHER BE FOCUSING ALL THEIR
EFFORTS, ALL THEIR ENERGY ON
SAYING, COME OUT AND VOTE,
SUPPORT SENATORS DAVID PERDUE
AND KELLY LOEFFLER.
THEY’RE NOW ADD LD WITH THIS
ADDITIONAL BURDEN OF REASSURING
VOTERS THAT THE ELECTION PROCESS
IS SECURE AND THEIR VOTE WILL BE
COUNTED.
ALL OF THIS UNDERSCORES THE
ISSUE THAT REPUBLICANS ARE
DEALING WITH.
THEY’RE HAVING TO THREAD THIS
KIND OF LINE OR WALK THIS KIND
OF LINE RATHER OF, YES, GETTING
PEOPLE OUT TO VOTE BUT ALSO
MANAGING THE PRESIDENT’S
REPEATED AND UNFOUNDED CLAIMS OF
ELECTION FRAUD IN THE STATE OF
GEORGIA.
AS FOR THE PRESIDENT’S VISIT
TOMORROW, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF
DIFFERENT CAMPS AS TO WHETHER
THIS IS GOING TO HURT OR HELP
REPUBLICANS.
CERTAINLY THE INCUMBENT SENATORS
ARE WELCOMING HIS RALLY TOMORROW
DOWN IN VALDOSTA.
THAT’S DOWN IN SOUTH GEORGIA.
THEY’LL BE APPEARING WITH THE
PRESIDENT.
A NUMBER OF OTHER REPUBLICANS
WILL BE SPEAKING AS WELL.
E EXPECT THERE WILL BE A GOOD
TURNOUT.
CERTAINLY THERE’S THAT SCHOOL OF
THOUGHT.
SOME REPUBLICANS I’VE SPOKEN TO
ARE CONCERNED THAT, WELL, IT
COULD HURT OR IT COULD HELP.
I SPOKE WITH GABRIEL STARLING,
THE OFFICIAL WE’VE HEARD A LOT
FROM THIS WEEK, THE ELECTIONS
OFFICIAL WHO HAD STRONG WORDS
FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP.
I ASKED HIM POINT-BLANK, DO YOU
THINK THIS IS GOOD OR BAD FOR
REPUBLICANS?
HE TOLD ME WHO THE HECK KNOWS AT
THIS POINT.
THAT ECHOES WHAT WE’RE HEARING
FROM OTHER REPUBLICANS, HOPING
THE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE WILL BE
FOCUSED ON SENATORS LEFFLER OR
PERDUE AND LESS OF AIRING HIS
GRIEVANCES HERE IN GEORGIA,
KASIE.
>> A REALLY TOUGH SPOT FOR
REPUBLICANS TO BE IN IN GEORGIA
WITH THE SENATE MAJORITY ON THE
LINE.
BLAYNE ALEXANDER, THANK YOU FOR
THAT UPDATE.
LET’S TALK MORE ABOUT THIS WITH
TIFFANY CROSS, MSNBC’S NEWEST
ANCHOR AND, OF COURSE, THE
AUTHOR OF THE BOOK "SAY IT
LOUDER: BLACK VOTERS, WHITE
NARRATIVES AND SAVING OUR
DEMOCRACY."
I JUST WANT TO SAY
CONGRATULATIONS.
THRILLED TO HAVE YOU A
COLLEAGUE.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, KASIE.
I’VE APPEARED ON THE SCREEN WITH
YOU SO MANY TIMES.
THRILLED TO BE ABLE TO CALL YOU
A COLLEAGUE.
APPRECIATE THAT.
>> WE CAN’T WAIT TO SEE WHAT
YOU’RE GOING TO DO ON SATURDAY
MORNINGS.
TIFFANY, LET’S TALK ABOUT STACEY
ABRAMS.
SHE TWEETED IN THE LAST 24 HOURS
A MILLION VOTERS HAVE REQUESTED
THEIR BALLOTS -- A MILLION
PEOPLE ASKING FOR BALLOTS.
THAT SEEMS TO SAY A LOT ABOUT
THE ENTHUSIASM.
WE ALSO KNOW THAT DEMOCRATS HAVE
BEEN MUCH MORE LIKELY TO VOTE BY
MAIL.
WHAT’S YOUR TAKE ON WHAT THIS
MEANS FOR THIS UPCOMING RUNOFF?
>> I THINK STACEY ABRAMS HAS
DONE SO MUCH WORK ON THE GROUND.
I WOULD ALSO SAY THERE ARE FOLKS
LIKE LATASHAOSHA BROWN AND THESE
CONFINED DIGITAL SPACES WHERE
PEOPLE ARE ENCOURAGING THE
VOTERS OF GEORGIA TO EXERCISE
THEIR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT THIS WAY.
I DO WANT TO SAY AS WELL, THE
ASIAN-AMERICAN PACIFIC ISLANDERS
VOTE IN GEORGIA IS QUITE
SIGNIFICANT, ALSO.
THERE ARE 300,000 PEOPLE OF API
DESCENT IN GEORGIA.
I THINK THAT’S WHERE YOU’RE
GOING TO HAVE TO RELY ON
COALITION BUILDING AND GOTV
EFFORTS.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PEOPLE
DOING THE WORK ON THE GROUND
THROUGH THAT LENS, I THINK
VICTORY IS POSSIBLE.
YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER THE
DISINFORMATION CAMPAIGNS BEING
RUN BY REPUBLICANS, THAT’S ONLY
HURTING THEMSELVES WHEN YOU HAVE
SYDNEY POWELL AT A GOP EVENT
SAYING DON’T VOTE BECAUSE IT’S A
RIGGED ELECTION.
SHE’S SAYING THIS TO THE
REPUBLICAN SENATE BASE.
THERE’S ALSO DISCORD WITHIN THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY IN GEORGIA.
KELLY LOEFFLER WAS BY ALL
EVIDENCE A CARPET BAGGER.
SHE PRETTY MUCH BOUGHT THIS SEAT
BY FLOODING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
INTO THE GOP POCKETS THERE.
THAT’S WHY THE REPUBLICAN
GOVERNOR BRIAN KEMP FOUGHT THE
SYSTEM BY TAPPING HER OVER DOUG
COLLINS, BY ALL MEANS A TRUMP AK
LIGHT ON CAPITOL HILL.
THERE’S NOT UNIT ON THAT SIDE.
SO I DO THINK YOU CAN SEE
VICTORY HAPPEN ON THE DEMOCRATIC
SIDE AND SENATE.
IT SAYS SOMETHING, THAT THE
POWER OF THE SENATE WILL BE
DETERMINED BY THE RISING
MAJORITY OF AMERICA, THE NEW
AMERICAN ELECTORATE, PEOPLE OF
COLOR.
>> CERTAINLY I KNOW THAT’S HOW
KELLY LOEFFLER’S CRITICS
CERTAINLY TAGGED HER IN GEORGIA.
THERE’S ALSO BEEN FRUSTRATION
AMONG GEORGIA OFFICIALS AT DOUG
COLLINS IN THE WAKE OF THIS AS
THEY TRY TO FOCUS ON GETTING
THESE TWO REPUBLICANS ELECTED
AND HE CONTINUES TO SIDE WITH
PRESIDENT TRUMP.
TIFFANY, LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT
RAPHAEL WARNOCK SPECIFICALLY.
IT’S REALLY UNIQUE THAT WE HAVE
A BLACK CANDIDATE WHO IS FACING
THIS RUNOFF WITH AN ELECTORATE,
AS YOU SAY, THAT IS MORE AND
MORE ENGAGED.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IT MEANS TO
THEM TO HAVE WARNOCK ON THE
TICKET?
IS HE GOING TO BE THE ONE WHO IS
HELPING OUT JON OSSOFF HERE AS
THE TWO OF THEM CAMPAIGN
TOGETHER?
>> I THINK THEY’RE BOTH GOING TO
HELP EACH OTHER.
JON OSSOFF RAN FOR THE GEORGIA
CONGRESSIONAL 60sth DISTRICT, A
DISTRICT WHERE I GREW UP
ACTUALLY.
I THINK THE VOTERS GOT TO KNOW
HIM DURING THAT PROCESS.
RAPHAEL WARNOCK, BEING SOMEONE
WHO WENT TO MOREHOUSE AND STILL
PASSED THROUGH THE MARTIN LUTHER
KING CHURCH THERE, DEEP ROOTS IN
THE ATLANTA COMMUNITY AND I
THINK STATEWIDE PEOPLE HAVE
GOTTEN TO KNOW HIM.
I THINK THESE TWO CANDIDATES
CERTAINLY HELP EACH OTHER.
THEY CERTAINLY CAMPAIGN WELL.
I HAD THEM ON THE SHOW WHEN I
WAS GUEST HOSTING FOR JOY REID
ON "AM JOY" AND THEY DID A GREAT
JOB COMPLEMENTING EACH OTHER.
I THINK WARNOCK HAS DONE A GREAT
JOB IN COMBATING SOME OF THE
KELLY LOEFFLER ADS.
HE HAD THE GREAT AD WHERE HE WAS
WALKING THE DOG, GOT AHEAD OF
THE AS NINE ATTACKS THAT WE’VE
SEEN COME OUT OF THE REPUBLICAN
CAMPAIGNING.
TIME WILL TELL IF THIS IS GOING
TO BECOME EFFECTIVE.
GIVEN ALL EVIDENCE WE’VE SEEN SO
FAR THE RACE IS CERTAINLY TIGHT
AND NOBODY SHOULD OPERATE AS
THOUGH THE WIND IS AT THEIR
BACK.
I WONDER IF THIS WILL BE LIKE
THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
WILL WE MOW THE RESULTS ON
JANUARY 5th OR WILL WE HAVE TO
WAIT A FEW DAYS TO FIND OUT.
I THINK THAT REMAINS TO BE SEEN.
>> INDEED.
WE HAVE JUST ABOUT A MONTH LEFT
OF THIS RACE.
TIFFANY CROSS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR
INSIGHTS TODAY.
AND CONGRATULATIONS ON THE NEW
SHOW AGAIN.