Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock is running for re-election which also means he has a book to promote and to do that he joined NPR’s Michel Martin on Thursday’s edition of Amanpour and Company on PBS. During the interview, Martin would ask Warnock to explain pro-life Christians and wonder why President Biden’s approval ratings are so low despite all his alleged accomplishments.
Martin opened up the floor for Warnock to go after pro-lifers by wondering, “How do you understand the fact that, at this juncture in our history, there are people who—who-- say they are animated by the same faith. The same love of the same God and the same Savior who say that it is taking them in the direction of wanting to outlaw abortion, perhaps reconsider same-sex marriage. How do you understand that?”
Warnock responded by pointing out “There were Christians on both sides of the struggle around abolition. There were Christians on both sides of the Civil Rights Movement.”
Presumably in this analogy Warnock meant to compare pro-lifers to slavers and segregationists, “And so, it is this basic commitment to humanity in all of its variations, in all of its expressions that guides the work that I do around reproductive justice, around the dignity of members of the LGBTQ+ community. It is the recognition that Dr. King said, that we are tied in the single garment of destiny. That what happens to one directly affects all indirectly. And so, I think that's—that’s-- the work and that's the vision that inspires what I do every single day.”
Naturally Martin glossed over that absurd comparison and shifted gears to Biden’s approval ratings, “How do you understand the fact that, for example, his polling numbers are as low as they are when he's managed to do things that his predecessor long promised and didn't accomplish? Do you see my point? I mean, you're making the case around values, but if the public doesn't understand or agree that your values would be -- or their lives are getting better, what do you do?”
Warnock dodged the subject of Biden’s poll numbers and despite just painting his pro-abortion views as the heir to King and the Civil Rights Movement, informed viewers that politics isn’t about him, “Here's what I refuse to do, and that is to make the politics about me. And I really do mean that.”
He would continue to portray himself as a selfless public servant while anyone who disagrees with him is just focused on re-election and Martin would go on to talk about the book which just happened to be released the year he was running for re-election, but for all the talk on moral values, never asked Warnock about allegations he used campaign funds to fight lawsuits.
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Here is a transcript for the July 14 show:
PBS Amanpour and Company
7/14/2022
11:31 PM ET
MICHEL MARTIN: How do you understand the fact that, at this juncture in our history, there are people who—who-- say they are animated by the same faith. The same love of the same God and the same Savior who say that it is taking them in the direction of wanting to outlaw abortion, perhaps reconsider same-sex marriage. How do you understand that?
RAPHAEL WARNOCK: It's nothing new. There were Christians on both sides of the struggle around abolition. There were Christians on both sides of the Civil Rights Movement. And, in this moment, I can only tell you that my faith is for me a bridge. It's not a cudgel. It's not a weapon that I used to weaponize against others. And what informs me is, I think, the basic values that are in all the grand religious traditions, who, in some way or another say, love your neighbor as yourself.And so, it is this basic commitment to humanity in all of its variations, in all of its expressions that guides the work that I do around reproductive justice, around the dignity of members of the LGBTQ+ community. It is the recognition that Dr. King said, that we are tied in the single garment of destiny. That what happens to one directly affects all indirectly. And so, I think that's—that’s-- the work and that's the vision that inspires what I do every single day.
MARTIN: But I guess what I'm trying to understand here is you've made the argument that your work in politics and government is your faith in action, right? It is faith-made manifest, okay. So, I don't think anybody would argue that Joe Biden—Joe Biden-- is a deeply moral man. I think that he has tried to live his faith. He's been very open about how he's tried to live his faith throughout his, sort of, career in public life.
How do you understand the fact that, for example, his polling numbers are as low as they are when he's managed to do things that his predecessor long promised and didn't accomplish? Do you see my point? I mean, you're making the case around values, but if the public doesn't understand or agree that your values would be -- or their lives are getting better, what do you do?
WARNOCK: Here's what I refuse to do, and that is to make the politics about me. And I really do mean that. Because I think that that danger is inherent in politics because after all, as you point out, we do have to run for re-election. And do I want to serve six more years in the Senate? Absolutely, because I've got some things I want to do for the people of Georgia.
But I think inherent in the requirement which is—which is-- good of having to run for reelection. The danger is—is-- that a—a-- person who serves in politics will become his or her own highest cause. That, that becomes the thing. And I think we have a whole crop of politicians who are so focused on the next election that they're not thinking about the next generation. And as a consequence, even in the places where the American people are in agreement around, for example, the need for universal background checks, as we were having that discussion.
I'm glad we got something—something-- done after 19 kids were slaughtered in a classroom. Around the need to have realistic and common sense responses to the very real threat of climate change. We can't get movement on things too often that even the American people agree on because the politicians are focused on themselves. And maybe it's because I've spent my whole life in ministry. I'm not about to, all of a sudden, reverse and spend my life and my time focused on me. I'm going to do this work.
