There was a prominent Atlanta resident missing on Tuesday when President Joe Biden swung through the city to press for voting rights protections: Stacey Abrams.
During a day that was shrouded in the city’s legacy as the cradle of the Civil Rights Movement, the absence of one of the nation’s most prominent voting rights activists created something of an awkward moment.
For Biden, it was an unexpected snub at a time when he faces mounting vulnerabilities, including skepticism from Black voters who elected him and now question his dedication to their priorities. And for Abrams, who once openly lobbied Biden to pick her as his vice president, her absence left the impression that she was now distancing from the leader of her party as she campaigns for Georgia governor.
