Jackson Jambalaya

What a downer.

Damn. I really thought he would run. I really thought he could win. I'm bummed.

If I had to guess, I'd say Marsha tipped the balance to the negative. I just don't think she was up for it.

Damn, what a bummer.

Oh, and Judge Hannan dismissed the bogus case against Jerry Lousteau today.

Haley is much more terrifying to the left raising money, organizing and slicing and dicing on the news talk shows. It's such fun to see Haley hand them their heads.....

I wish it had worked out for him to run, but can certainly understand the reasons why. I think his explanation is very honest and fair, and very "Haley".

I agree with 3:38; Haley can cut quite a swath out on the media circuit. The party still needs him more than ever in whatever capacity he may or can undertake.

My secret fantastical presidential ticket....Trump+Barbour=White House 2012.

Haley could now be the most important person short of the President. He has the skills, connections and savvy to be the key person for someone who would become the nominee. Like Obi Wan (Stars Wars reference) he may be more powerful now that he is out.

Yea. Kinda like P.L. Blake was to Dickie.

Greatest Governor in the history of our state.

I smell Chief of Staff.

Honestly I am relieved. Haley has been a great governor, but I was not looking forward to the Mississippi stereotypes being scrutinized by the media. Between the weight and his diction/accent (casina!) I was worried about him being dragged through the mud over and over again.

I'm guessing his decision not to run for president will be backed with a decision to run with somebody on down the road.

"You can't win, Darth. If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine."

Happy Confederate Memorial Day from Haley!

... Very sensible decision. My pet theory is that he'll either run for Thad's seat, or else Cochran will step down a year or two early & allow Haley to be appointed in his place. (Maybe someone who actually knows something about Miss. politics, unlike me, can evaluate whether that's a silly idea or not.)

6:15 - yours is a silly, no correct that, very silly idea. (1) Thad is not going to step down, now or any time soon. (2) HRB has been an Executive - someone that makes decisions and takes action, while a Senator discusses and legislates. After having been "in charge" to go to Congress as a 64 year old freshman would not appeal to someone that has 'been in charge' and run something. First off, I expect Cochran to run for re-election in 2014. (why not, particularly if the Repubs take over the Senate in 2012 and he resumes his chairmanship of appropriations). And if he doesn't, if HRB chose not to make a 10 year commitment to run for President, why would he want to go to the Senate where it would take 20 years to have any influence?

6:15 - yours is a silly, no correct that, very silly idea.

Silly? Really? Very Silly? According to you?

You are an ANONYMOUS NOBODY and you expect someone to take your poo-poo seriously?

Well ... that's SILLY.

How old is Thad? I thought he expressed misgivings about running again before the last race. It would be good for Mississippi if he was chair of Appropraitions when the budget shrinks, which is inevitable.

Haley is not politically stupid. He just had to get out of isolation to face reality.
25% of the voters elect nobody in a national race.
He'll be an effective party politician as he's always been and can do Senator for our state whenever the opportunity arises.

5:12--Can I ask you why you think Haley has been the greatest governor in Mississippi history?

I realize that the competition for that title isn't exactly stout, and Haley is certainly effective as a politician.

But is there really anything about Mississippi that's going to be fundamentally different because he ran it for eight years? I don't see it.

6:15, you asked for the evaluation, and even suggested that the idea might be silly. Don't seem so shocked when someone agrees with you. I don't think Haley is interested in the Senate, unless it's as presiding officer. He's much more effective behind the scenes, and if the Republicans get the White House AND the Senate back in 2012, watch for Haley to be back on top at the national level without having to campaign for anything. Bill Billingsley

possible vp with Trump...just sayin...

I would vote for that combo

I've heard Haley will be a contestant on the debut of America's Biggest Celebrity Loser.

Let's Go Walking!

6:15, you asked for the evaluation, and even suggested that the idea might be silly. Don't seem so shocked when someone agrees with you.

Uh, Bill, try reading again -- "Anderson" is not the same word as "Anonymous." I haven't commented again until now.

I did recall the question whether Cochran would run again, and while he is very senior indeed, he may also be tired of the job -- I dunno.

If Barbour did want to join the Senate, it wouldn't be for the power -- was power why he ran for governor? Apparently prestige also matters to him. He might like there to be a senator in his family. And it would be a good position to do some favors.

Regardless, if you can't engage in baseless, silly speculation on a blog thread, then what's this world coming to?

Oops. Sorry about the misidentification. You're right. A blog is a great place for speculation, silly or not. I don't think Haley's interested in being in the Senate, though. I think he would see that as a step down from where he is right now, and I'm not sure he wouldn't be right. He's an executive, not someone who will be comfortable or effective having to be a the mercy of a leader, a whip, a committee chair, etc. I think he's going for a back room position where he can exert influence without necessarily being in the limelight. Bill

Bill, I don't disagree with you, but Senator is a pretty nice title to have for the history books. Seems to appeal to many to be called "General" or "Judge" or "Senator" forever. In time, the behind the scenes guys recognition fades away .

But, what is disturbing to me is that in our state, there is the belief that Haley ( and now Trump) could be viable national candidates. That they could carry this state is a given, but blinders to the fact that in a national election you have to appeal to independents seems lost. Worse,it's so lost that good potential candidates like Haley are actually hurt by the demands of their base.

Why on earth did Haley get burdened with Nathan Bedford Forrest, for example? Forrest had business dealings in Mississippi but he was a Tennessean. Great general but Mississippian honoring the first Grand Wizard of the KKK is supposed to be good state politics when your governor is considering national office?

Why give the Democrats clubs all the time?

I think he's going for a back room position where he can exert influence without necessarily being in the limelight.

Quite possible, but there's the fact that he served as governor for 8 years. Anyway, I dunno what Haley wants to do; possibly "whatever Marsha wants." Seems to work that way at *my* house.

9:29, Haley got burdened with Forrest, rightly or wrongly, because he (Forrest) lived in Hernando for awhile. It's stupid for anyone to think that there's some kind of racial connection between Haley and NBF, but no one ever lost money underestimating the intelligence of the electorate.

I think whether Trump could carry Mississippi is an academic question because he'll never get the nomination. However, in one way the election of President Obama has been very good for conservatives, because lots of people will line up just to vote against him next year. In another way it's not so good, because it just signifies how partisan we've become when one party lines up to vote against the other party no matter what either one of them is saying, and I honestly think that whoever makes it through the Republican primary races will be the next President because of the anti-Obama movement. The liberals won with an anti-Bush message in 2008, and there's no reason the conservatives can't do it in 2012. I still wish that people would dig a little deeper into politics at all levels, but I don't see that happening anytime soon. BB

This is a shocker. As in a "he was set to announce his intentions to run for President today" shocker. He had the fire in his belly. He thought he could win. Something or someone "happened" over the Easter weekend.

As to whether Senator Barbour is silly...crazier things have happened. I know this, it would be an interesting full circle given his first race was a challenge to Senator Stennis.

You make good points, BB and may well have accessed the political climate correctly.
Forrest spent alot of time in Vicksburg as well, but I think we agree on the basic point that, fair or not, the license plate " idea" simply made playing the race card easier for those who would unfairly characterize Barbour as a redneck racist lobbyist.
I'd be certain you were spot on if there weren't so many extremists in the GOP making "bad" look like a good alternative to "crazy". Worse,we agree they are getting the attention and distracting from important distinctions.
But, we may disagree that it is appearing the mainline of the Party is being held hostage by these extremists and is afraid to stand up to their more excessive demands.
You don't think Phil seriously thinks re-instituting the UnAmerican Activities committee, a good idea that would go unnoticed on the national stage? Yet he respectfully listened to that proposal.
But, I hope you are right and I am wrong about the GOP's future.

I could be wrong, but I don't think Haley would agree to run with Trump if Trump were to run for and win the Republican nomination. Trump is an egotist who is saying the right things at present because he enjoys the media attention and fanfare. If people will really start looking at Trump's political affiliations and his business failures (the man is perhaps the single greatest exploiter of bankruptcy law in U.S. history), I think he will lose much of his appeal. Then again, we are a sound bite, largely substance free, society these days. In any event, Haley and the Donald are two extremely different men and I don't think Haley suffers fools well. -Russ Latino

5:36, most people spend Easter weekend with family, and the Governor did as well. I believe his family simply did not want to go through a presidential campaign for a variety of reasons and, after really hearing them out on that, it was the deciding factor in his choice to say no.