What's going to happen in Georgia on the 5th of January,
will actually determine the future direction of the United States.
America's Covid response, its stimulus relief effort,
its efforts to tackle racism and racial justice,
its position on climate change, who Biden picks for his cabinet.
Everything from the political power plays within Washington,
to the policies which are going to affect and shape people's everyday lives,
both in the United States and across the world.
There are wild conspiracy theories and misinformation floating around this race.
Donald Trump is still claiming that he won the state of Georgia even though he
demonstrably lost and many republicans now agree with the fact that he lost:
Regardless of which way this race goes there's been real damage done
to the idea that voting matters that your vote counts:
President trump's continued refusal to accept the results of the presidential election,
and the ways in which republicans in states across the country
are still denying the reality of the Democratic victory.
And that's something we should all be concerned about,
because yes there are plenty of things wrong with the system,
there are plenty of injustices there are plenty of imperfections.
But the idea that voting doesn't matter or that votes are somehow being stolen.
is deeply corrosive and dangerous in the longer term.
Over the past few months I've been traveling across the United States,
speaking to people from all walks of life.
People who believe Q Anon conspiracy theories,
progressive activists who are fighting the cause for Black Lives Matter.
The picture that has emerged is of a country that is deeply divided and polarised
where people don't operate with a shared set of facts or reality,
that they operate in completely different information ecosystems.
And we thought that the November election would be one of the most
decisive elections ever in American history.
What actually has happened is that because neither candidate
in the Georgia senate race in November managed to get more than 50% of the vote.
George's two senate seats are up for re-election on the 5th of January
and the race is neck and neck.
There are two republicans vying to be Georgia's senators and if that happens
then the Republicans will still control the balance of power in the U.S Senate
which means they can block any legislation that Biden brings forward.
"The voters of Georgia will determine which party runs every committee,
writes every piece of legislation,
and that really means control of this country."
If the Democrats win it means that Biden and the Democrats can work together
to pass laws on the platform that Biden was elected on;
Coronavirus, racial justice, climate change, economic stimulus.
So the future of the United States for the next few years,
really hangs in the balance in this key senate race.
Republicans typically win these types of run-off races and in Georgia
they would certainly be expected to but this is an unusual situation.
There's an unprecedented amount of money piling on both sides of the race,
and there has been a long-term mobilisation effort in Georgia to get people of Colour,
people from racial minorities people with less socio-economic advantage,
to come out and vote and we saw this in November,
Georgia voted for the first democratic president it's voted for since 1992.
Bill Clinton was the last Democratic president to win this state.
The fact that Biden won it narrowly suggests that things are really changing
on the ground in Georgia the demographics are shifting,
and the political organisation is shifting.
So whichever way this race goes it's really activated inspired and mobilised
a new generation of organisers and activists and political leaders.
And so it's going to be fascinating to see what effect that has on turnout,
but also what happens next where Georgia goes from here.
And whether this can become a template for political organising across the south.
Another thing is that one of the democratic candidates is a guy called Raphael Warnock
who is a pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church which is Martin Luther King's church.
He would be the first ever black senator to be elected by Georgians so there is,
something very, very special and different about this race,
and it really is hanging on a knife edge the poles are neck and neck.
So anyone who tells you they know what's going to happen
don't listen to them it's going to be incredibly close.
I'm going to be reporting from the ground follow me @maryftz on Twitter
and I'll be bringing you up to the minute voices, noises, perspectives, insights,
from the ground during the final critical weeks of this race.
Please support independent media we need alternative voices in this debate,
openDemocracy is one of them and so is Double Down News.
Please support: Double Down News on Patreon.