Georgia gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms has recently been officially endorsed by former U.S. President Barack Obama. The endorsement sparked negative reactions on social media, however, as many voters apparently did not like seeing the former president connected to the Georgia candidate.
In a post on X, Bottoms announced the endorsement, saying that she intends to lower costs and expand Medicaid for Georgians while strengthening rural hospitals. In the video endorsing her, Obama says that Bottoms is “invested in young people” and has balanced budgets without raising taxes.
The endorsement comes in the final stages of the campaign. Bottoms is competing for the governorship of Georgia against Republican Rick Jackson. Polls show a tight race between the candidates, with different pollsters disagreeing on who is leading.
Endorsement From Obama Sparks Criticism
While seemingly exciting a few liberal-leaning voters, Obama’s endorsement sparked outrage on X. One person said: “Georgia rejected Obama twice and Georgia will reject Keisha Rock Bottom.” Another one argued: “An endorsement from him is actually a Curse.”
Many other users who identified more with conservative policies agreed with the backlash: “If Obama endorses, we automatically vote opposite. Vote Red.” Someone else added: “Just one more reason not to vote for Keisha. Throw it in with the other 1000 reasons.”
One user believed that despite being elected to the most important office in the country, Obama was not a very efficient politician: “Obama’s 8 years of mediocre rule the GDP never exceeded 1.3%! Small businesses were going bankrupt and there was a Socialist creep taking hold around the country.”
The endorsement also received a warm reception from some voters, who welcomed Obama’s support for Bottoms: “This is what I like to see! Barack Obama is the most popular politician alive and a history maker. Him supporting Keisha Lance Bottoms, who looks to make history herself as the first Black woman governor and the first HBCU graduate to be governor, is not a small thing.”
Despite the tight numbers in the race, Georgia has not elected a Democratic governor since Roy Barnes in 1998, so Keisha Lance Bottoms will likely need all the support she can get to remain competitive.
