Jon Ossoff Debates Empty Podium After David Perdue Refuses To Show Up

The Georgia Senate runoff election is on January 5. If you live in the state you need to be at the polls. Period.

Source: Jessica McGowan / Getty

Last night, The Atlanta Press Club hosted the first and only Georgia Senate runoff debate between Rev. Raphael Warnock and Kelly Loeffler. Also, scheduled to appear was a debate between Jon Ossoff and incumbent senator David Perdue. Thing is, Ossoff RSVP’d to the senatorial soirée soon as the invites went out. Perdue was invited but refused to come party.

If The Wizard of OZ was based on the political landscape of 2020, David Perdue would most certainly be cast as the cowardly lion. Except in this fable, he never gets his heart, he remains a coward and eventually goes to prison for insider stock trading during a pandemic.

Sounds like an Oscar-worthy script to us.

One of the most powerful moments of the one-man show was when Ossoff sounded off on the deficiencies and injustices that take place in the criminal justice system as it is presently constituted. He spoke forcefully and empathetically about the murder of Ahmaud Arbery and the subsequent moral and professional failing of the local police department.

Ossoff not only read the riot act to the empty podium, but he also made a very convincing case about why he should represent the state of Georgia in the United States Senate alongside Rev. Warnock. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will need voices like Ossoff and Warnock if they want to accomplish any of the things that they campaigned on. If you voted for Biden-Harris then it is imperative that you vote for Ossoff and Warnock.

Back in November, Perdue said that he was not going to participate in last night’s runoff debate. Ossoff has repeatedly slammed his weak competitor over his lack of attendance.

“The reason that we are losing thousands of people per day to this virus is because of the arrogance of politicians like David Perdue. So arrogant that he disregarded public health expertise and so arrogant that he’s not with us here today to answer questions,” the Democrat said after he was questioned about the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic in Georgia and across the country.

“It shows an astonishing arrogance and sense of entitlement for Georgia’s senior U.S. senator to believe he shouldn’t have to debate at a moment like this in our history,” he added.

Make a plan to vote on January 5.