Remember all the teeth gnashing and political demagoguing by Democrats over the passage of election integrity reform in states like Georgia? Joe Biden told us it was Jim Crow 2.0. State legislatures in some primarily red states passed laws to strengthen election laws in their states and provide confidence in election integrity to its citizens. Despite the best efforts by Democrats to scare voters, it turns out that voters are turning out in droves for early voting in Georgia.

Stacey Abrams has made a cottage industry out of claiming that massive voter suppression efforts are present in Georgia. Democrats fall in line and make the same nonsensical claims in Georgia and other states, like Texas, too. The coronavirus pandemic provided opportunities for election laws to be eased to the point that, for example, some places put 24 hour voting in place and unmonitored drop boxes were placed throughout communities. Obviously voting laws needed to be reformed to clear up any alleged loopholes or misunderstandings. All along early voting has been an option in states like Georgia and voters apparently didn’t get the doom and gloom messaging from Democrats because they are coming out for early voting and casting their votes.

I’m focusing on Georgia because it is one of five states considered essential wins for both parties. In Georgia, if GOP candidate Herschel Walker beats Democrat incumbent Senator Raphael Warnock, the Senate will flip from Democrat control to Republican control. Republican incumbent Governor Brian Kemp is on track to win re-election against a repeat challenge from Democrat Stacey Abrams. I don’t think it’s going too far out on a limb to predict that Kemp will win by at least five points and there will not be a need for a run-off. The Senate race is more dicey. As of today, Real Clear Politics aggregate averaging has Warnock up by 2.4 points and the race remains a toss-up.

Both parties are pulling out all the stops in the remaining time before November 8. Yesterday I wrote about Hispanic voters coming out in favor of Walker over Warnock. Today I read in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Warnock brought Lin-Manuel Miranda of “Hamilton” fame to campaign with him in Atlanta on Wednesday. Not Joe Biden or even Kamala Harris but an entertainment industry celebrity to get out the vote with Hispanic voters. Miranda’s message was “History has its eyes on you.” You know, like the song from Hamilton.

Warnock is working hard to distance himself from Joe Biden. He won’t even say if he thinks Biden should run for a second term in 2024.

U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock has faced criticism from the left since he refused to say whether he wants President Joe Biden to run for a second term during his debate against Republican Herschel Walker.

Warnock brought it up Wednesday at an event pitching Latino voters with Lin-Manuel Miranda near downtown Atlanta, noting that journalists “keep asking me about 2024.”

“I think they don’t believe me … I mean it when I say, ‘Why are you asking me about 2024?’ We got folks who need help right now in 2022. And I’m honored to represent them right now. I mean it when I say that is part of the problem in American politics right now.”

Herschel Walker is continuing with his message of strong support for law enforcement. Thursday his campaign schedule shows a “Unite Georgia” event in Macon with the RNC chairwoman and Republican senators.

Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel and GOP U.S. Sens. Rick Scott of Florida, Steve Daines of Montana, and Roger Marshall of Kansas will join Herschel Walker for a “Unite Georgia” bus tour stop in Macon that will also have a theme of supporting law enforcement.

Back in September, Governor Kemp acknowledged that Republican activists have to work harder on the grassroots level to get out the vote. Democrats were outworking Republicans in the past and races are too tight now to ease up on the Republican side.

“We’ve got to outwork them. And I’ll be honest with you: They’ve been outworking us the last four or five cycles,” Kemp said at a recent campaign stop in Calhoun, warning of another resurgence in Democratic enthusiasm. “We can’t let them do that this year. We have got to have your help.”

Data shows that a higher proportion of black voters are casting ballots in recent election cycles in Georgia. Wait. We’ve been told that black voters are being discriminated against and there’s voter suppression going on. Oh, never mind. A strong gound game is still essential in elections. Democrats are working hard in Georgia right up to election day.

One reason behind the rising totals is a coalition of grassroots organizations that styles itself as the “closers” of election cycles.

The coalition, under the umbrella of the left-leaning America Votes Georgia, has knocked more than 1.3 million doors in key districts. They and their allies are what Gov. Brian Kemp refers to when he says Republicans are playing catch-up to the Democrats’ robust pre-election ground game.

“We will continue to knock on the doors of women of color and working families to turn out again and usher in the future we want to see,” said Hillary Holley, executive director of Care in Action, one of the groups.

Deborah Scott of “We Vote, We Win” spoke of “why the ground game matters, and why canvassing and door-knocking work.

“When stakes are the highest, face-to-face, eye-to-eye solicitation can make the difference. When people are canvassed, they vote. When they vote, we win.”

Let’s hope Republicans keep up the good work. I’ll end with a new ad from the Kemp campaign touting his response to the pandemic mandates and how he made his own decisions in the best interests of Georgians.