Can big shots make big difference in race?

Former President Barack Obama questions how much impact big- name politicians from outside the state can have on Georgia’s U. S. Senate runoffs.

That doesn’t mean he won’t be coming to the state to campaign for Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock. He’s just awaiting his instructions before packing his bags.

A number of other political luminaries have either already traveled to the state or signed up to help their candidate( s) of choice.

The star power has mostly come from the Republican side, including Vice President Mike Pence, U. S. Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, U. S. Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, former U. N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, U. S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, U. S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida and U. S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina.

Joe Biden’s new chief of staff said the president- elect is likely to visit Georgia to help Ossoff and Warnock, although nothing is final.

Others will ride a pixel wave to the state, such as Democratic U. S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth and Democratic Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who are participating in a fundraiser on Zoom. But are these visits a deciding factor? Obama says they aren’t as important as the people working in Georgia every day to advance their candidates’ campaigns.

“That’s the reason that Georgia went for Joe Biden, and that’s what I think it’s going to take for us to be able to sustain this down the road,” Obama said during a video chat with The Washington Post to promote his new memoir, “A Promised Land.”

“If I’m doing some robocalls or some guest appearances, it gets people excited. But, ultimately, it’s the people in Georgia recognizing their own power that makes all the difference.”