Mississippi politics will be a happening thing through the next two Novembers.
Senate candidate Chris McDaniel didn’t seem to help himself on his national Morning Joe appearance when he said “I’m gonna ask them after 100 years, after 100 years of relying on big government to save you, where are you today? After 100 years of begging for federal government scraps, where are you today? We’ve been dead last for 100 years.” This was in response to a question about how he could convince black voters not to fear him. Gov. Phil Bryant condemned McDaniel’s “characterization of African-Americans as beggars. This does not reflect the beliefs of the Mississippi Republican Party or the average Mississippian.”
Sid Salter called McDaniel’s comment “stunning – even for him.” And the Morning Joe audience in Oxford booed it. But McDaniel’s disparaging sentiment is no stranger across the length and breadth of Mississippi. Will this be a big thing or a little thing come November?
Democratic candidates Mike Espy and David Baria also appeared on Morning Joe. But Republican Senators Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith did not. It appears both will also dodge appearances in statewide televised debates. Will this cagey behavior become a big thing or a little thing by November?
If prognosticators are right, former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Espy and former Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Hyde-Smith will face each other in a late November run-off in. In that scenario Mississippi agriculture may become a really big thing if farmers side with one ally over the other.
President Trump’s growing trade war with China and resulting tariffs on Mississippi ag exports to China, particularly soybeans, have already become worrisome things to farmers. To ward off McDaniel and get Trump’s endorsement, Hyde-Smith is 110% behind everything Trump, including his tariffs. The general GOP line is that Trump will cut a great deal and everything will work out. That may be less likely now that Trump has doubled down on tariffs to force China President Xi Jinping to accept a deal. However, Xi Jinping will not kowtow to Trump. Losing face like that would jeopardize his newly won “president for life” status. So, will Trump’s trade war with China be a big thing or little thing in November? Espy’s chances may hinge on the answer.
Attorney General Jim Hood surely didn’t get a boost to his gubernatorial aspirations when his prosecutors failed for the third time in two years to convict Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith of a crime. Will this be a big thing or a little thing for black voters in Hinds County next year if Hood is on the ballot for governor?
Then there is Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and the controversial $2 million frontage road project MDOT Executive Director Melinda McGrath said was to be built only because of political pressure from Reeves' office. The now-in-limbo road would primarily serve the subdivision in which Reeves lives. Reeves said he knew nothing and did nothing. Hood announced his office is investigating. Will this be a little thing or big thing for either in next year's governor's race?
Some happenings may seem little, some big. But voters get to decide which, thereby determining if they are helpful or hurtful to our ambitious politicians.
Crawford is a syndicate columnist from Meridian.
14 comments:
I am going to get $1.68 a bushel for my soybeans and 1cent for my corn from the tariff bailout. On a total of 1500 arces I stand to lose roughly $50k this year. Who do you think I should vote for Senator?
Vote for Espy. He's the only one who can guarantee you that EBT cards will still be around for five more years. None of the candidates, however, can make your dream of a new Chevy pickup become a reality in February.
12:13, Why not think about what is best for your country instead of thinking only about yourself? You may have some hard times temporarily but the U.S. and the people will come out much better in the end. Even you.
12:13 PM I will be voting for Mike Espy. Strange as it may sound my second choice would be Chris McDaniel. Mississippi needs an independent Senator like we had with Thad Cochran. Cindy Hyde-Smith is NOT representing the interests of farmers or anyone else she is just 100% for what Trump says to do with no consideration what effect it has on people in this state.
Just wait until you have to buy that $100 bike that now cost $130.
12:13, what's the matter? You can't farm for a loss anymore and get your FmHA loans - which Espy got written off for you while in Congress and as Sec? Or your ASCS payments for not growing which Espy bought your votes, err, I'm sorry, bought your new trucks and mortgage payments with for years?
The issue is not today's price, with or without tarrifs, for your crops, or the peanuts in GA or the wheat and corn in the midwest. Its what is the economy of farming and all other endeavors are doing today and will be doing in the future.
The subsidizing of your crops over the years is what leads up to the overseas tarrifs on the crops. You didn't mind all those years of subsidy, or free loans (while I'll bet you decried those receiving food stamps, or getting the student loans forgiven, or their free cell phones.) Yes, agriculture has been so highly subsidized that there should be no surprise that China pops on their tarrifs while we put them on products they have been subsidizing. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.
If you want Espy, because you want to protect your soybean field, you had better think about all the other great benefits that Majority Leader Schumer will 'give' you.
6:43...Tell us where to get more information on forgiven student loans. Please.
Mississippi needs an independent Senator like we had with Thad Cochran.
Funny that you seriously wrote that and absolutely hilarious that you remotely believe it. You must freak in anticipation of Salter's and Crawford's columns each week.
I'd just like a Senator that does due diligence on issues and doesn't walk in goose step with party hacks or their moneybags.
I want a Senator who thinks of the good of the Country first, the State second. He and his party should be dead bottom priorities and even then to think how to improve his/her/the party's performance and success in creating and implementing laws and policy.
I'd like one of the parties to stop telling me why the lies, unethical behaviors, and corruption by other parties' candidates are worse than the lies, unethical behaviors and corruption of their parties' candidates.
I don't want the choice to be the fire or the frying pan but the recipe for what we need to cook.
I'd like to hear specific ideas for problems and for reform and deregulation to be thoughtful and specific and not a broad sweep that legalizes corruption and stealing and gouging and advantage special interests at the expense of the rest of us.
I want candidates who will reduce problems, not make them worse by giving no thought to implementation or why some laws and regulations were created in the first place.
And, unlike 7:54 am, I read what all views are as I think I can make my own after informing myself as best I can. Those of you who don't have given over your duty as a citizen to someone else or a party have chosen to be deliberately ignorant and naïve.
And, for those of you who are partisan loyalists or loyal to a candidate, all you do in hurling your insults and inflammatory rhetoric is convince me you are ill informed and overly emotional. If you can't specifically point to actual actions by the candidate that had beneficial results and were carelessly implemented as to create a worse set of problems. I pity public loyalists if you can't defend your positions on issues and gullibly fall for party propaganda. I lose respect for those who attack others, are angry and hateful. And, I think those who lie for partisan purpose and know they are lying are little better than traitors.
In short, I want competence, honor and clear priorities, I can hear and see.
The rest is just noise to try to get the "base" extremists out to vote. And, I hate to break the news to you idiots, each party has the same number of die hards and it's those of us who are loyal to the USA more than to a party whose vote you need.
You are either preaching to your choir or you are alienating more people than you persuade. It's WHY only 11% of Americans approve of Congress and WHY more and more Americans are identifying as Independents.
754 am I read Salter and Crawford not because I am a fan of either but to consider the issues they raise and test the validity of my positions.
Unlike you, I believe it's possible that I've overlooked a flaw in my positions and I don't believe ANY human commentator is perfect or that anyone has perfect judgement on every issue all the time.
I also understand that my self interests are not the same as ever other American's.I even know that what is good for me could not only be not good for others, but destructive to our Nation as a whole.
Clearly, you are so insecure, you can only tolerate the opinions and ideas of those who reinforce what you want to believe.
@11:37AM, such a clear, and concise post. Thank you.
When a group of people are given the right to make laws that all have to obey except the ones who make the law we have a problem. Democrats or republicans, they are all politicians. When we decide the politicians have to obey the laws they make for the common people we might see a change. When the benefits for politicians are equal to the benefits of the people who elected then we might see fewer crooks.
We have given politicians too much power. They no longer work for the people. The people work for them. Want to have better quality politicians? Demand better quality politicians and stop electing crooks just because they say they belong to the same party as you do.
I'd just like a Senator
I want a Senator who thinks
I'd like one of the parties to stop telling me why
I don't want the choice to be
I'd like to hear specific ideas
I want candidates who will
I read what all views are
Those of you who don't have given over
And, for those of you who are
you are ill
If you can't specifically point
I pity public loyalists if you can't
I lose respect for those
I think those who lie
I want
I can hear and see.
The rest is just noise
I hate to break the news to you idiots
11:46 - Please come back just long enough to tell us how reading Salter allows you to 'test the validity of your positions'. Do you feel that your position is more valid if you agree with Salter or if you disagree with him?
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