If there is anything that my childhood taught me, it’s that there is no fooling Georgia voters. From eight years old until the day I left home for the Army, I volunteered on several statewide and local campaigns in my home state of Georgia. I naively thought that just by nature of my youth and my identity as a black conservative—somehow voters would answer their doors and immediately warm up to the campaign I represented. I was wrong.
Georgia voters do their homework. I had to know why I was supporting my candidate of choice, the policy distinctions from their opponent, and what the candidate intends to do to improve the state. If the candidate was an incumbent, it required twice the amount of work. I had to prepare specific answers for any policy decisions the elected official made during their time in office. Basic political talking points rarely ever did the trick.
Yet, President Biden has the audacity to travel to Georgia this week to celebrate his disastrous first 100 days in office. After robbing Georgians of over $100 million in revenue, I hope he comes equipped with an apology. Otherwise, drivers might honk him off the stage during his car rally on Thursday.
Just weeks ago, Biden declared that he would “strongly support” moving the Major League Baseball All-Star Game out of Georgia. Two days later, the MLB capitulated—completely reneging on its commitment and thus losing the state millions in much-needed revenue. Without any regard for the impact of his statement on Georgia’s economy, Biden chose politics over the people who elected him to office.
Regardless of one’s views towards the Georgia election law, since when did it become appropriate to punish everyday citizens due to disagreements with their elected leaders? Joe Biden is a politician who has worked in the D.C. swamp for nearly 50 years. I would expect him to at least avoid alienating the people who helped put him in the White House and gave him control of the U.S. Senate.
The President should also know that Georgians keep track of their receipts. He campaigned for Senators Warnock and Ossoff during the runoff election with a promise of $2,000 COVID-19 stimulus checks. He swore that $2,000 checks would “go out the door” if Georgia handed Democrats control of the Senate. Yet weeks after the runoff victory, he intentionally drafted a plan for $1,400 stimulus check—seemingly in hopes that Georgia voters wouldn’t notice the $600 difference. I can assure him that they did.
While President Biden might be distracted by all the mainstream media puff pieces comparing him to FDR, everyday Americans are reminded of his betrayals on a daily basis. He certainly doesn’t help his case by flaunting a series of contradictions in the faces of voters. He says that unifying the country is a top priority but has made policy decisions that divide us even more. He called the Georgia election law “Jim Crow 2.0,” while completely ignoring far harsher election laws in several other states like New York. My personal favorite is his plan to host a celebratory rally full of running car engines, while sharing his new plan to bring “climate justice.”
I’m not sure that President Biden thinks very highly of voters in my home state. In fact, his actions seem to indicate that he assumes Georgians are ignorant of his failings. Consider this as a free piece of advice for Democrats who take our voters for granted: show up to Georgia with an apology or don’t show up at all. And if you think your actions go unnoticed, well, bless your heart.
Jeremy C. Hunt is a West Point graduate, U.S. Army veteran and a student at Yale Law School. Follow him on Twitter: @TheJeremyHunt.