>>> WELCOME BACK TO "HARDBALL." WITH LESS THAN A WEEK NOW, IN
FACT, JUST FIVE DAYS NOW, BOTH
CANDIDATES IN THEIR CLOSE
GUBERNATORIAL RACE DOWN IN
GEORGIA CALLED UP THEIR HEAVY
HITTERS TO HELP MAKE THEIR
CLOSING ARGUMENTS TODAY.
OPRAH WINFREY LENT HER STAR
POWER TO DEMOCRAT STACY ABRAMS,
WITH A PASSIONATE APPEAL TO JUST
GET OUT AND VOTE.
LET’S WATCH.
LET’S WATCH. >> I’M HERE TODAY BECAUSE OF
STACEY ABRAMS!
STACEY ABRAMS! [ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
AND I’M HERE TODAY -- AND I’M
HERE TODAY BECAUSE OF THE MEN
AND BECAUSE OF THE WOMEN WHO
WERE LYNCHED, WHO WERE
HUMILIATED, WHO WERE
DISCRIMINATED AGAINST, WHO WERE
SUPPRESSED, WHO WERE REPRESSED,
AND OPPRESSED FOR THE RIGHT, FOR
THE EQUALITY AT THE POLLS AND I
WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THEIR
BLOOD HAS SEEPED INTO MY DNA AND
I REFUSE TO LET THEIR SACRIFICES
BE IN VAIN.
>> WELL, SHE ALSO HELPED GET OUT
THE VOTE, GOING DOOR TO DOOR,
WHICH MUST HAVE BEEN PRETTY
IMPRESSIVE TO PEOPLE.
LET’S WATCH OPRAH WINFREY
KNOCKING ON DOORS.
>> HOPE SHE’S HOME.
>> OH!
>> OH! >> OH, MY GOD!
>> HI, DENISE.
>> HI, OPRAH!
>> HOW ARE YOU?
>> I’M WONDERFUL, HOW ARE YOU.
>> SURPRISE, SURPRISE.
>> SURPRISE.
>> SURPRISE. >> I AM SHOCKED.
>> SURPRISE.
>> SURPRISE. SO, I’M CANVASSING FOR STACY
ABRAMS.
ABRAMS. YES, YES.
YES, YES. ARE YOU VOTING FOR HER?
>> I ABSOLUTELY AM.
>> IT’S LIKE ED McMAHON COMING
AROUND WITH MILLION-DOLLAR
CHECKS.
CHECKS. REPUBLICAN BRIAN KEMP, HE’S THE
ALTERNATIVE, WELCOMED VICE
PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE AHEAD OF A
SUNDAY NIGHT RALLY WITH THE
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. HERE’S AN ALTERNATIVE VIEW.
>> I HEARD OPRAH’S IN TOWN
TODAY.
TODAY. AND I HEARD WILL FARRELL WAS
GOING DOOR-TO-DOOR THE OTHER
DAY.
DAY. WELL, I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND
STACEY AND OPRAH AND WILL
FARRELL, I’M KIND OF A BIG DEAL,
TOO.
TOO. I GOT A MESSAGE FOR ALL OF
STACEY ABRAMS’ LIBERAL HOLLYWOOD
FRIENDS, THIS AIN’T HOLLYWOOD.
THIS IS GEORGIA!
>> WELL, THE RACE HAS A REAL
CLEAR POLITICS POLLING AVERAGE
NOW OF KEMP AHEAD BY JUST A
POINT, REALLY CLOSE.
IF NEITHER ABRAMS OR KEMP, WHO
ALSO HAS A LIBERTARIAN CHALLENGE
OUT THERE, GET OVER 50% THIS
TUESDAY, THE RACE HEADS TO A
RUNOFF COME DECEMBER.
WE’LL SEE WHO SHOWS UP FOR THAT
WHEN IT COMES.
ABRAMS IN AN ATTEMPT TO EXPAND
HER REACH, HAS VISITED ALL 159
COUNTIES IN GEORGIA.
HER PITCH, JOBS, PUBLIC
TRANSPORTATION, INFRASTRUCTURE,
TRANSPORTATION, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND BETTER ACCESS TO RURAL
HEALTH CARE.
HEALTH CARE. BRIAN KEMP OFFERS HIMSELF AS A
TRUMPIAN CANDIDATE, PROUD TO BE
POLITICALLY INCORRECT.
POLITICALLY INCORRECT. AS SECRETARY OF STATE, KEMP IS
TASKED WITH ENSURING THAT THE
ELECTION IS FAIR.
HE’S ALSO THE REFEREE IN THIS
RACE, BUT THE PROCESS HAS BEEN
PLAGUED BY ACCUSATIONS OF VOTER
SUPPRESSION.
SUPPRESSION. FOR THE LATEST, I’M JOINED BY
GEORGE F. WILL, "WASHINGTON
POST" COLLUMS, AND JAMAL
SIMMONS, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST
AND HOST OF HILL TV.
GEORGE, YOU’VE BEEN COVERING
THIS PRETTY WELL.
FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMAN
WITH A REAL SHOT.
>> A NUMBER OF UNDECIDED VOTERS
IN GEORGIA IS PROBABLY EQUAL TO
OR SLIGHTLY SMALLER THAN THE
NUMBER OF PEOPLE AT THIS TABLE
RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT NOW. EVERYONE KNOWS WHAT THEY THINK.
STACEY ABRAMS’ PROBLEM IS SHE,
LIKE A LOT OF DEMOCRATS, DEPENDS
ON LOW-PROPENSITY VOTERS, SO
THEY HAVE TO GET THEM EXCITED.
DO CELEBRITIES DO THIS?
I DON’T KNOW.
IF CELEBRITIES ARE THAT
POWERFUL, REPUBLICANS WHO HAVE
NO CELEBRITIES WOULD NEVER WIN
ON ELECTION DAY.
>> WELL, THEY DID HAVE MARTHA
RAY, THE LAST TIME I LOOKED.
>> WOW, YOU GUYS ARE GOING BACK.
>> I KNOW I’M GOING BACK.
>> FOR A WHILE WITH A HUG.
JAMAL, EVERYBODY’S GOT THEIR
HEART AROUND THIS RACE.
EVERYBODY AROUND HERE, ALL OF MY
PRODUCERS, HAVE GOT THEIR HEART
AROUND THIS RACE.
THEY FEEL, MORE THAN EVEN THE
ANDREW GILLUM RACE DOWN IN
FLORIDA.
FLORIDA. THEY HAVE REAL HOPES ABOUT AN
AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMAN FINALLY
GRABBING THE BIG EXECUTIVE JOB.
GOVERNOR.
GOVERNOR. >> YEAH, IT’S A BIG DEAL.
I WAS DOWN THERE A COUPLE OF
WEEKS AGO, I WORKED IN GEORGIA
IN 2002.
IN 2002. I WAS THE COMMUNICATIONS
DIRECTOR WHEN THE REPUBLICANS
TOOK THAT STATE OVER.
AND I GOT TO TELL YOU, WHEN I
WAS DOWN THERE A COUPLE OF WEEKS
AGO, I TALKED TO JASON CARTER
WHO WAS THE NOMINEE THE LAST
TIME.
TIME. >> JIMMY CARTER’S GRANDSON.
>> AND JASON TOLD ME HE LOST BY
200,000 VOTES IN THAT ELECTION.
SO STACEY’S GOT TO FIND 200,000
VOTES.
VOTES. HERE’S A GOOD NUMBER.
IN THE PRIMARY, JASON CARTER
ONLY GOT 300,000 VOTES IN THE
PRIMARY.
PRIMARY. THE TWO DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES
THIS YEAR, GOT 500,000.
SO THEY ALREADY HAVE RAISED A
NUMBER OF VOTES WHO HAVE TURNED
OUT.
OUT. THEY’VE GOT TO KEEP THAT
MOMENTUM UP AND GET THEM TO TURN
UP.
UP. AS GEORGE SAYS, THEY’VE GOT TO
CONVINCE PEOPLE TO GO OUT AND
VOTE AND --
>> WHAT ARE PEOPLE DOING WHEN
THEY DON’T VOTE?
I KNOW THIS SOUNDS TERRIBLE,
BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE HAVE TWO
JOBS AND SOME PEOPLE HAVE DAY
CARE CHALLENGES AND SOME PEOPLE
HAVE TO GET TO WORK AT 7:00 IN
THE MORNING AND THERE’S NO TIME
BEFORE, THEY COME HOME AND
THEY’RE EXHAUSTED.
THEY’RE EXHAUSTED. BUT I WONDER IF YOU JUST WENT TO
ALL THE STARBUCKS LINES AND SAY,
WHAT ARE YOU IN LINE FOR?
A COFFEE.
A COFFEE. HOW ABOUT GETTING IN LINE TO
VOTE?
VOTE? ANYWAY, TO THAT POINT, WHILE
MAKING HER PITCH TO ABRAMS,
OPRAH WINFREY HAD A MESSAGE TO
ALL WOMEN.
ALL WOMEN. LET’S WATCH.
LET’S WATCH. >> WE AS WOMEN, PEOPLE, NEED TO
STAND UNITEDED AND EDAND VOTE OU
VALUES.
VALUES. VOTE YOUR VALUES.
VOTE YOUR CONSCIENCE.
ALL OF THIS NOISE, ALL THE
NOISE, YOU JUST CAN’T GET AWAY
FROM IT.
FROM IT. YOU TURN ON THE TV, ON THE --
IT’S SO MUCH NOISE AND CRAZY
TALK.
TALK. ALL OF THE VITRIOL AND THE ADS.
YOU KNOW WHAT?
THEY ARE DESIGNED TO CONFUSE AND
CONFOUND YOU WITH FEAR.
>> GEORGE, GOVERNOR, LIKE MAYOR,
IS AN EXECUTIVE JOB.
AND IT DOESN’T HAVE MUCH TO DO
WITH IDEOLOGY.
WITH IDEOLOGY. IN LaGUARDIA OF NEW YORK CITY,
THERE’S NO REPUBLICAN WAY TO
COLLECT GARBAGE.
COLLECT GARBAGE. SHE SEEMS TO HAVE EXECUTIVE
ABILITY, THE DEMOCRATIC
CANDIDATE.
CANDIDATE. >> AND SHE HAS A PARTICULAR PLAN
THAT WAS GOING TO REQUIRE THE
GEORGIA LEGISLATURE TO DO IT FOR
HER, WHICH HAS BEEN RELUCTANT.
AND THAT IS EXPAND MEDICAID.
SHE SAYS IT’S COSTING THEM $8
MILLION A DAY, NOT TO EXPAND
MEDICAID.
MEDICAID. AND IT’S THE REASON WHY EIGHT
RURAL HOSPITALS HAVE CLOSED, 21
ARE IN PERILOUS CONDITION.
AND THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE,
THIS IS WHY SHE GOES ON
CHRISTIAN RADIO STATIONS,
SERVING BASICALLY WHITE
AUDIENCES, AND CAMPAIGN SAYING,
YOUR RURAL HOSPITALS ARE AT
STAKE IN THIS ELECTION.
>> BECAUSE PEOPLE THAT MAKE MORE
THAN THE POVERTY LEVEL BY A BIT,
BUT BARELY GET BY AND CAN’T
AFFORD TO GET REGULAR MEDICAL
CARE NEED TO GET IT.
IT’S REALLY ABOUT PEOPLE WHO
SHOW UP FOR WORK IN THE MORNING,
EXPANDING MEDICARE.
EXPANDING MEDICARE. IT’S NOT ABOUT BUMS OR LOAFERS.
IT’S ABOUT PEOPLE THAT GO TO
WORK, BUT NEED TO GET MEDICAL
CARE.
CARE. I WOULD THINK THAT WOULD APPEAL
ACROSS THE BOARD.
>> IT DOES APPEAL ACROSS THE
BOARD.
BOARD. JUST REMEMBER THIS, OPRAH
WINFREY WAS DOWN THERE
CAMPAIGNING.
CAMPAIGNING. OPRAH WINFREY IS NOT JUST A
BILLIONAIRE BECAUSE BLACK PEOPLE
LIKE HER.
LIKE HER. OPRAH WINFREY MADE A LOT OF
MONEY BECAUSE SHE’S GOT APPEAL
ACROSS THE BOARD.
SHE APPEALS TO EVERYBODY.
AND HILLARY CLINTON IN SOME
COUNTIES, GWINNETT IS ONE,
HILLARY CLINTON DID BETTER THAN
DONALD TRUMP IN GWINNETT COUNTY.
STACEY ABRAMS HAS GOT TO GO OUT
AND FIND THOSE DEMOCRATS THAT
VOTED IN 2016 AND GET THEM TO
VOTE IN 2018.
>> GEORGIA HAS THE SMALLEST
PROPORTION OF WHITES IN ITS
POPULATION, THE SECOND SMALLEST
OF ANY STATE EAST OF THE
MISSISSIPPI, SECOND ONLY TO
MARYLAND.
MARYLAND. SO DEMOGRAPHICALLY, IT’S RIPE.
>> ANYWAY, ABRAMS’ CAMP AND THE
DEPENDENT CANDIDATE WERE SENT TO
HAVE THEIR FINAL DEBATE THIS
COMING SUNDAY.
COMING SUNDAY. HOWEVER, THE DEBATE THAT WAS
SCHEDULED SIX WEEKS AGO IS
BECAUSE KEMP, THE REPUBLICAN
CANDIDATE, IS ATTENDING A RALLY
WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP IN MACON,
GEORGIA, 100 MILES SOUTH OF THE
DEBATE SITE.
DEBATE SITE. THE KEMP CAMPAIGN BLAMED ABRAMS
FOR THE CANCELLATION, BECAUSE
SHE COULDN’T COMMIT TO A NEW
DATE AND TIME AFTER THEY HAD
AGREED ON THIS TIME FOR SUNDAY.
HER CAMPAIGN MANAGER ISSUED A
LENGTHY RESPONSE, QUOTE,
UNFORTUNATELY, DESPITE HIS OWN
ADVICE ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF
HONORING PROMISES, MR. KEMP HAS
DECIDED HE WILL NOT BE
PARTICIPATING IN THE
LONG-SCHEDULED DEBATE AT THE
AGREED UPON TIME.
JUST BECAUSE BRIAN KEMP BREAKS
HIS PROMISES DOESN’T MEAN ANYONE
ELSE SHOULD.
ELSE SHOULD. ON OPRAH, WHEN I -- WHAT I
ALWAYS THOUGHT WAS OPRAH’S
APPEAL, THERE’S SOMETHING
GENUINE THERE.
GENUINE THERE. PEOPLE WATCHED HER, GEORGE, FOR
A LONG TIME.
THEY KNEW WHO SHE IS.
SHE HONESTLY SEEMS TO HAVE
EMPATHY THAT CROSSES OVER
GENDER, OVER ETHNICITY, SHE
SEEMS TO CARE.
I WATCHED HER SO MANY TIMES, I
BELIEVE HER.
BELIEVE HER. AND I THINK PEOPLE BELIEVE HER.
THAT’S HER STRENGTH.
>> AND SHE’S -- AS YOU SAY,
SHE’S A VERY TALENTED
BUSINESSPERSON.
BUSINESSPERSON. SHE ACTUALLY MADE HER MONEY.
>> THAT’S SUCH A GEORGISM.
I THINK YOU’D FALL FOR SOME
SENTIMENT, BUT YOU’VE HELD BACK.
THANK YOU, GEORGE --
>> LET’S NOT GIVE UP ONNETTE
ONNETTENICITYONNETTE
ONNETTENICITYONNETTE TENNIS --