The Daily Show: Ears Edition - Stacey Abrams - Solving Georgia's Voting Access Problem

Episode Date: November 7, 2022

"Voting rights, voting access, is about who gets to show up. Election outcomes – that's up to the voters. But access is the responsibility of government." Democratic nominee for Georgia governor Stacey Abrams discusses her candidacy, how she distinguishes herself from her opponent Brian Kemp, and the reason she fights for all eligible Georgians' right to vote.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to Comedy Central. Stacey Abrams. Welcome back. Welcome back. Thank you. I mean, this is strange because it's the fourth time that we're chatting. This is the first time I'm chatting in your neck of the woods. Yes.

You know? It's the final stage of the race. Yes. It's been a particularly interesting race. So let's start with this. I know what your profile and your image is in most parts of America. Coming to Georgia has been really interesting because every ad that I watch makes it seem like you are a very evil person. Well my parents were surprised to learn that I was responsible for the kidnapping of the Lindberg baby.

I know where Hoffa's body is buried. My parents were surprised to learn that I was responsible for the kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby. I I know where Hoffa's body is buried and I may have stolen something backstage So That wasn't an ad but okay. I'm gonna check that um, you know it feels it feels like people don't believe it. It feels, but it really feels like the campaign against you has been particularly personal. It's been particularly vile. Part of standing for office is you know people are going to attack you. You can either internalize the attacks, or you can use it as fuel to remind you

of why you're doing this every single day. And these are real people with real lives. And yeah, if Brian Kemp wants to say vile, to say, to say, to say, and yeah, to say, and yeah, if to say, if to say, if to say, if to say, if to say, to say, if to say, to say, to say, to say, to say, to say, to say, to say, to say, to, th thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the, the the the, the, the the the the the the, the the the the, the the the the the the, the the the, the the the the the, the the thi, thi, to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to tooooo, to, to, to thi, thi, thi, thi, Kemp wants to say vile things about me, my daddy's watching and I'm going to tell. You're in this race, you're trying to position yourself as somebody who can move Georgia forward. One thing that has particularly overshadowed your campaign though is how national politics has started to infect, you know, state-level politics. So I'd love to know how do you distinguish yourself as Stacey Abrams and, and how, and how, and how, and how to, and how to, and how to, and how to to to to to to to to speak, and how do you to speak, and how do you to speak, and how do you to speak,, and, and, and, to speak, to speak, to speak, to speak, to speak to speak to speak to speak to speak to speak to speak to infect, you know, state-level politics. So I'd love to know, how do you distinguish yourself as Stacey Abrams, and how do you speak to people from under the shadow of them saying, Joe Biden?

Because again, half of the ads are not about you, fun enough. It's Joe Biden's economy, Joe Biden's inflation. Stacey Abrams is Joe Biden. And so when you speak to people, that's literally what one of the ads says. It says, they see Abrams, is Joe Biden. How do you get out from under that? And what do you think people need to understand that does separate you funny enough from Joe Biden slash the national agenda? Well, first of all, people remember who was in the office before Joe Biden. And they're very happy he's gone.

Number two, the money that has come come that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that is that is that is that is that is the money that has come to Georgia, the resources that have come to Georgia, the billions of dollars that have kept the state afloat came because of federal Democrats, not because of the current governor. Hard-working Georgians did this and I remind them of that. But it's also, Brian Kemp banned abortion, he banned background checks, he banned children, he banned books, he banned the truth and he intends to go to go to go to go to go to go to go to go to go to go to go to go to go to go to go to go the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the books, he banned the truth, and he intends to go further if he gets re-elected, reminding women that you do not have the right to control your bodies. Herschel Walker can do whatever he wants. Brian Kim's good with that, but if you're a woman he believes he should

control who you are. He made, he flooded our streets with guns and there is a story about gun violence every day in Georgia. And so part of it is it is it is it is it is it is it is it is it is it is it is it is it is it is it is it is it is it is it is it is it is it is it is it is thiii. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. th. thi. th. th. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi thi to to to thi th. thi th. thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. to theee an to to toee an toean. toean. toean. toeean. toean. toean. tean. tea. tea. tea. about gun violence every day in Georgia. Right. And so part of it is just reminding people of his record well he's been governor for four years. I haven't. He made sure that. So if you're the governor you don't get to take credit but not take responsibility. And that's that's how we think. It is going to be a hotly contested race. Oh yes. There are going to be stories coming out about poll stations that closed when they shouldn't have and people who are kicked out of lines and purging, etc. What it creates is a really paradoxical world where on the one hand, you want to call out, you know, election processes that aren't fair and make it as easy as possible for people to vote. On the other hand, people will be quick to turn that on you and say, oh, but if Trump doesn't accept the election, then he's bad,

but you also don't accept the election, so you're bad. How do you navigate that and how do you speak to the issues around voting in Georgia without making it seem like you don't accept the democratic process? You have actually done a great. been very easily duped into conflation. There is one thing to be used to winning everything you want and being told no and whining about it and citing insurrection. That's what Brian, that's what Donald Trump did. Donald Trump denied the outcome of an election.

I know I'm not governor. I haven't been governor for four whole years. I've been very clear about that. That's how I got to go on Star Trek. But what I have always fought for, and it's, I mean you can go back, I was on the March on Washington when I was 19, so this is, I've got a pretty clear track record on this. Voting rights, voting access is about who gets to show up. Election outcomes, that's up to the voters, but access is the responsibility of government. And Brian Kemp's greatest hits, Brian Kemp is the architect of voter suppression, and

the reality is they try to stop us from talking about the access so they can gin up the outcome they want. And what I will never stop talking about is the fact that no American, no Georgian, should be denied access if they are legally eligible. And there is no amount of conveching and blaming and conflation and false equivalents that will ever make me say that it is okay to tell a Georgian you don't have the right to be heard. That is not right and it will not happen as long as I've got breath. As you say, the website is known, your answers are pretty conclusive and I see why you have the support that you do. Stacey Abrams.

Thank you so much for joining me on the show again. Thank you. Thank you. Stacey Averies, everybody. The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Ears Edition. Subscribe to the Daily Show on YouTube for exclusive content and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount Plus.