Former President Clinton visits Georgia to mobilize rural black voters

Former President Clinton urged churchgoers in Albany, Georgia, on Sunday to rally behind Vice President Kamala Harris' optimistic campaign for the office he once held.

“Uniting people and building them up, bridging the gap, as Isaiah says, those are the things that work,” Clinton said. “Blame, division, humiliation – they get you a lot of votes in an election campaign, but they don’t work.”

While Mt. Zion Baptist Church wasn't completely full, a large crowd greeted Clinton with a standing ovation. Many participants were older, and some younger people were scattered in the pews.

“I think it was a great step forward for Southwest Georgia to have the former president come to us today during the service to honor us and spread the right to vote, especially to our young people,” said Takisha Campbell.

Georgia is one of seven states considered crucial in this year's presidential race, and black voter turnout could be key for Democrats to win the state's 16 electoral votes. Harris and former President Trump are neck and neck in the state polls, and President Biden won Georgia in 2020 by just 11,779 votes out of more than 5 million cast. It was the first time a Democratic president won the state since Clinton's victory in 1992. Four years later, Clinton lost the state to Senator Bob Dole, the Republican candidate, but won re-election.

In 1992, Clinton and then-Sen. Al Gore drove a campaign bus through southwest Georgia to woo rural voters. Harris and Gov. Tim Walz revived the approach this year, visiting Savannah and Liberty County in the southeastern part of the state, but they did not travel west.

At Mt. Zion, Clinton recalled a time when politics was less polarized and lamented a political climate poisoned by misinformation. He pointed to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's post on “Yes Man” to Trump.

He also praised Harris' achievements and promises, including her involvement in Biden's work to lower insulin costs and revive the economy. He said it will pave the way for greater economic opportunities and mentioned its plan to provide financial assistance to first-time homeowners.

Regina Whearry, who attended the service, said she wished more people knew the former president was coming. But she appreciated how Clinton touched on both politics and scripture.

“It was desperately needed because we have very low voter turnout in this area, especially among our black men,” Whearry said.

Democrats see Clinton as someone who can mobilize rural and black voters. But while Clinton was known for his popularity in black communities in the South, it remains to be seen whether he can still excite black voters as the population familiar with his presidency ages. But he didn't hold back when describing what's at stake in this year's race.

“This whole election and the future of the country will be determined over the next three and a half weeks by what people who were still on the fence about voting will do,” Clinton said. “This is the craziest thing I’ve ever seen.”

According to a recent poll from the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, black registered voters have overwhelmingly positive views of Harris and negative views of Trump, despite his attempts to appeal to nonwhite voters. But the poll also shows that many black voters are unsure whether Harris would improve the country as a whole or their lives.

Albany was an early battleground in the fight for civil rights. The city gained national attention when hundreds of protesters, including the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., were arrested and imprisoned in 1961 and 1962.

Clinton, who was governor of Arkansas before becoming president, also spoke at the campaign's office in Albany, where he told attendees he had asked the campaign to send him to rural areas where he felt most comfortable.

Kramon writes for the Associated Press.