Former President Bill Clinton campaigns in Fort Valley for Kamala Harris. See what he said.
Former President Bill Clinton made a stop in Fort Valley Sunday as part of a tour across Georgia to support Vice President Kamala Harris’ bid for president in the final weeks of the election.
Beneath a grove of pecan trees nestled among Peach County’s rolling farm fields, Clinton spoke to a crowd of a couple hundred, hitting on issues of civil liberties and the economy that Democrats have emphasized frequently on the campaign trail. He also rebuked former President Donald Trump’s rhetoric, saying it “divided” Americans.
“Somebody who is really good at dividing, promoting resentment and anger, can do pretty well for a while,” Clinton said. “Sooner or later, for democracy to survive, you’ve got to figure it out.”
Clinton’s appearance in Middle Georgia marks yet another stop by a major political figure amid a tense race between Democrats and Republicans to win the state. Georgia’s 16 electoral votes could be key to securing the White House, as they were in 2020.
What policies did Clinton talk about?
Clinton focused heavily on housing, immigration and inflation, which have been hot topics for both parties this election cycle.
“(Kamala’s) the only person who has offered a real solution to a problem all of us have faced: inflation,” Clinton said during his remarks.
Trump has proposed increasing drilling in the U.S. to bring down energy costs. However, some economists say it may not be effective because of the president’s limited power over locally regulated utilities and the price of oil, which is an internationally traded commodity.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, inflation increased in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it peaked in 2022 and has since fallen. In January 2024, the inflation rate was about 4%.
Still, a May 2024 survey from the Pew Research Center found about 62% of respondents feel that inflation is “a very big problem.”
Clinton reiterated Harris’ proposed policy of banning price gouging, which is when large corporations dramatically increase the price of goods and services.
Democrats have pointed to the practice as being responsible for increases in grocery prices. However, journalists and economists have said the cause of rising grocery prices may be more complicated.
Further touching on the cost of living, Clinton emphasized Harris’ promise to lower housing costs. Harris has emphasized increasing the supply of affordable housing, promising to build three million new homes and apartments in four years. She has also proposed giving first-time home-buyers $25,000 to help cover costs.
Housing experts have supported the notion that rising housing costs are a result of a lack of supply of affordable homes.
Clinton on Georgia’s importance
Georgia has taken on a new significance in national politics, and Clinton was eager to acknowledge that.
After the state sent two Democratic senators to Congress in 2022 and helped to elect Biden during the 2020 election — the first time a Democratic candidate had won the state since Clinton himself was running in 1992 — it became one of a handful of states politicians and experts alike believe could decide the election.
“There are seven states that can go either way in this election,” Clinton said. “It’s going to come down to whether (Georgians) are willing to do one more time what you did when you elected not only Joe Biden and Kamala Harris four years ago, but Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff.”
Polls currently show Georgia in a dead heat. Early voting opens Oct. 15 and runs until the end of the month, and in-person voting will be available on Nov. 5. The window to request an absentee ballot is also open, and will close on Oct. 25.