Herschel Walker is a newcomer to the political “October surprise.” However, like his past challenges, he is moving forward in his Senate race unaffected by recent media attacks.
Walker spoke to Breitbart News on Saturday. This was just two hours after a week-long flurry of reports about Walker’s personal life, and before his alma mater was scheduled to play a rivalry game in Atlanta.
Walker, a former University of Georgia football player and NFL player was the victim of a series of negative media stories that began last Monday with a Daily Beast article about a woman who claimed Walker paid for her 2009 abortion.
Walker, who is staunchly pro-life, called it a “flat out lie” but it still caused a storm. His 23-year old son launched an online tirade demonizing his candidacy. The abortion accuser, also the mother to another Walker’s son, provided more ammunition in the form text messages and other documentation to left wing outlets, which would help Walker to talk about his past.
Walker’s football fans are unaffected by his political views. Walker, who left the game 25-years ago, seems to have generated widespread enthusiasm among Georgia football fans. The Bulldogs are the dominant team in Georgia and Walker graduated just shy of graduation. A scholarship was established by Walker later that year and is still active and will go towards one football player each year, according to a school official.
Many Athens students and alumni wore jerseys bearing the number 34 (Walker’s retired number) as they walked through the college town to get ready for the game against Auburn.
Chance, a University of Georgia senior was one of them. Chance, a University of Georgia senior, replied that he had already voted for Walker.
Nick, 18, stated that he reads a lot and has some issues. However, as long as Nick knows how to vote, it’s okay.
Walker is a long-standing advocate for mental health and freely speaks out about his struggles to overcome his diagnosis of dissociative identity disorder, which he was diagnosed with after his football career.
A 34-year-old man from Athens, wearing a jersey of the same color, stated that he was a registered Democrat from Atlanta and liked Walker as an athlete, but not as a politician.
Walker stated that he was confident that the most recent news about him wouldn’t deter voters who, he said, have lost faith in the media.
According to polls, Walker is currently tied with incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia (D-GA), in one the nation’s most prestigious midterm races. Walker stated that the “left is kind of scared” of Warnock’s seat-turning.
Walker, who grew up in Wrightsville where about 2,100 people live and has a resume that is not typical of a politician’s, said he is confused by some of the things that are out there.
