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Stacey Abrams finally apologizes for mask rumpus, vows to ‘set the right example’… by wearing a mask

February 9, 2022 | | Print Article

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If the amount of effort put toward cleaning up a disaster is any indication of how damaging its impact was, then Stacey Abrams has experienced a major stumble in her second attempt to be elected governor of Georgia.

The Democrat continues to mire in the rumpus of posing mask-less before an entire room of school children required to wear face masks, which resulted in serious backlash. And while her allies in the media did their best to deflect and otherwise run interference for Abrams, and her campaign accused her critics of racism, the story would just not go away. As the old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, and the photo of Abrams sitting cross-legged in front of the masked children quickly became meme gold.

It certainly didn’t help when it was discovered that there were other incriminating photos supporting the charge that Democrats like Abrams place themselves above the rules they establish for other folks — the photos also countered her claim that she had taken her mask off for the photo only.

So what’s a politician to do when cornered on all fronts? Offer a contrite apology, of course, and this is the stage of crisis management Abrams now finds herself. Predictably, the candidate turned to CNN to present her mea culpa. Abrams told CNN that she took her face mask off to read with the children and was so excited that she took the photo while the mask was still off.

“I will say this when I went to read to the kids for an African-American read-in day. I approached the podium with my mask on. I followed the protocol. I told the kids I’m taking my mask off because I’m reading to kids listening remotely as well,” she explained. “The kids were socially distanced from me. I told them that’s what I was doing. The excitement after I was finished — because it was so much fun working with those kids — I took a picture.”

“That was a mistake,” Abrams continued. “Protecting our kids is the most important thing and anything perceived as undermining that is a mistake and I apologize.”

Never mind the other photos of a bare-faced Abrams posing with teachers and students shared by Outkick that suggest she was mask-less throughout her visit Friday to Glennwood Elementary School in Atlanta :

Somewhat comically, Abrams then spoke about protecting children and not making the fiasco “about politics.”

“My responsibility was to explain to those kids why I was doing something they weren’t doing and as soon as possible to put that mask back on. I took it off because I was speaking remotely and wanted all of them to hear me,” she said. “The larger point I want everyone to take from this, this is complicated. We cannot make this about politics or scoring political points. This has to be about how do we protect our families.”

Her campaign released the following statement early on: “It is shameful that our opponents are using a Black History Month reading event for Georgia children as the impetus for a false political attack. And it is pitiful and predictable that our opponents continue to look for opportunities to distract from their failed records when it comes to protecting public health during the pandemic.”

While Abrams is revered by the liberal media, it appears the politician ignored the golden rule that when you find yourself in a hole stop digging.

It was along that line that Republican communicator Matt Whitlock tweeted: “Incredible that it took two days and multiple waves of maskless photos for her to come out and do this. Stacey Abrams is one of the most overrated politicians of the modern era.”

Here’s a sampling of other responses to the story from Twitter:

Tom Tillison
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