Jackson Jambalaya

Amen. I have been on the fence about voting for Cindy just because of how the whole process has played out. Her refusal to debate makes it even worse. Think I will hold my nose and vote for McDaniel - at least he ain't skeered.

My personal opinion is they should debate.

I want to see Espy/McDaniel/Hyde-Smith discuss the issues.

I hated that Michael Guest wet his pants when Whit Hughes even mentioned a debate.

As a voter, I think they should discuss the issues. Republican or Democrat doesn't matter. The voters should hear from the candidates.

CHS is going to try to quietly squeak through the election on Trump's endorsement. She doesn't want to have to debate/campaign/appear, and she'd like everyone to forget she was appointed and was never elected by the people of Mississippi.

Voting McDaniel in the General and for the surviving Republican in the runoff.

Like Harper, once Guest gets elected that is the last time you'll see him taking unscripted questions from the general public. Guest will also never debate again unless some very formidable well funded opponent emerges.

Honestly, this doesn't bother me one bit. The Congressional District 3 "debates" were a joke. The poor candidates debated about 15 times in the course of one month... Also, can you imagine the circus that McDaniel would create? ugh just the thought makes me shiver.

Cindy won’t debate because she knows it will show just how incompetent she is. There’s still a few fools who believe she can do the job.

Chris McDaniel wants to pretend he does important things, while people like CHS are doing important things #ConfirmKavanaughNOW

Guest had no incentive to debate Hughes because he was ahead and this is Mississippi, where you only lose a lead if the GOP runs ads on black radio stations telling people who have never supported a Republican to vote in the GOP runoff or slavery will be reinstituted.

Of course, Guest had no real retort to, "Vote for me because I was riding the pine when MSU went to the Final Four twenty years ago."

And before I get accused of being a McDaniel supporter, I'd sooner vote for Shawn O'Hara than that numbskull, but I still find what Barbour/Lott et. al. did to the GOP voters of Mississippi reprehensible.

Unfortunately, in this 10-second sound-bite world we live in debates have become merely a propaganda tool - not a source of meaningful information. Candidates are already scrutinized 24/7 - they are tightly scripted and if they veer off-course they risk being lampooned by the late-night comics, or press, or opposition, or a blog or a PAC infomercial. The 2016 election cycle was when debates officially ceased to exist as an credible exchange of political ideas. Think about it - a debate would reveal nothing new to change your mind about the MS Senate races; you just want to watch how badly the others perform...

What would be the purpose of a debate at this late date? Frankly, I would doubt anyone who claims they're still unsure how they will vote. If someone is still truly undecided between Espy, McDaniel and Hyde-Smith, just stay home on election day, 'cause you ain't right in the head.

Nobody cares and nobody is going to change their mind. This is just a ploy for McD to sing to his tea party crowd and get them excited. It doesn't matter what the question is, his answer will be hootchie mamas, immigrants and welfare queens.

A debate - which is really nothing but a forum decorated as a debate by the mainstream media who feel they should be in charge of determining what issues are important and ask questions, regardless of getting an answer - is a non-starter for this election.

McDaniel wants it so he can team up with Espy on Hyde-Smith; his fight is to beat out CHS hoping to make a runoff with Espy. His attacks would be solely at the Republican in the race, not the Dem Espy.

Espy's only benefit would be to attack CHS because he realizes that is who he has to eventually beat the week after Thanksgiving.

Such an event would be beneficial to those two, while putting CHS as the attackee from both sides. Besides the fact that it would not provide any information to voters that they don't have already, except for the opportunity to put CHS in between the two and take their shots.

Once we get past the first election, wouldn't at all be surprised to see a debate between CHS and Espy; the Senate will be out of session and the field will be narrowed to the two of them - giving a fair shot to each rather than a two-on-one tag team match.

I don't want to vote for either Espy, McD, or CHS. Considering writing my dog in or sitting back and wait for the run off. At which time I might enjoy a good ole fashion debate between those who remain standing. It might be eye opening and entertaining. Really I'm waiting on the 2020 election and what surprises it might bring with this Senate seat.

I'm floored that Kingfish has posted this thread. So far, my assessment has been that he's been in the tank for Cindy-Hyde-Bryant-Smith and Feel since day one. There have been numerous uncomplimentary posts about McDaniel on various threads but it's been rare for one to get through the radar if the subject is the five-generation farmer who picked peas in a family garden prior to marrying a cattle raiser.

Of course, as usual, he'll call me a liar and ask for proof. But, how does one prove that posts have been trapped by the mystery radar and never saw the light of day?

For starters, let's acknowledge that she was a democrat and while so oriented, was a paid lobbyist for Obamacare and that she voted for Hillary although she can't remember.

Then let's acknowledge that she and her handlers have stated untruths (otherwise known as lies) about her background, claiming she's a five-generation farmer which she is NOT.

Then let's put daylight on the fact that the only reason she is considered the incumbent is because of a slipshod, shady, pitiful arrange by the governor and certain players in Washington to put somebody up there who can't think for herself but will dance to the music of the puppet-master.

Lastly, let's acknowledge the fact that her handlers are behind all the BS commercials and posts about McDaniel being a rascal, having been behind untoward activity regarding Cochran and not being qualified. We all know who ought to be in that seat, and it ain't Miss Cindy 'Yee Haw' Hyde.

Is it too late for Bill Billingsley to announce?

@12:47 I understand and agree that Guest had no incentive. But it shouldn't be about the candidate. It should be about the voters. The voters deserve to hear candidates discuss the issues.

@3:39pm did the voters not hear from him and hughes about 15 times during the primary? What more was there to say?

@4:25 I honestly never heard Guest's stance on anything. Seriously. Hughes didn't have much to say either. I would have loved a debate or Q&A session with them together.

Just have a moderator ask them 20 questions and let them answer. It's really not hard, and if they can't handle that, then they can't handle being in Congress. How hard is it to answer simple questions. My 6-year-old can do it. But then again, my 6-year-old is more qualified than 90% of the elected folks in Washington.

Here we are, bamboozled by the political parties, again. You peons, will take what you are given, and you'll like it. At least, that's what history tell us.

Debates, for all the drama, are generally pretty worthless. The candidates positions are pretty well known and are what matters most. Debates rarely have impact, especially at the state or local level. Amy educated voter is unlikely to depend on a debate to make a decision. I won’t vote for Espy because I don’t want Chuck Schumer controlling how my senator votes. I don’t want to risk losing the opportunity to have another conservative on the Supreme Court. McDaniel would be a bigger embarrassment than Hyde-Smith would ever be. I don’t need a debate to know these things. The information is already available.

The only reason Epsy wants a Debate is to show folks how dumb McD and CHS are.

I will be voting for Mike Espy. My second choice will be Chris McDaniel. Whether left or right Mississippi needs a Senator who actually represents the people of the state and has some independent thoughts. Cindy Hyde-Smith is nothing but a rubber stamp at this point nothing at all like Thad Cochran was.

5:53. Well said, and inclusive. Agree as well with your assessment. But - didn't need to read the various commentary on a social media site as well; McDaniel's apologist at 2:25 didn't change my mind any more than a debate would.

At this point, and for the past month, most every voter in the state already knows how they are going to vote in November. Nothing said is going to change their minds, especially in what is sold to us as a "debate" in today's world. Anybody that goes are either wanting to watch the circus that would ensue, or to support their favorite candidate.

If someone doesn't already know about these three individuals and what their position is on anything important (or unimportant, for that matter) they probably don't need to be voting. And probably they aren't active voters anyway.

McDaniel wants the debate because he needs an opportunity to throw slime on CHS; he doesn't care at this point about Espy. In fact, for the longest he was asking for a debate against CHS only, as if that made any sense in a special election such as this.

Espy is sitting back waiting for November 7th to get here; in the meantime he is willing for McDaniel to do all he can to slime Hyde-Smith. Certainly nothing in it for him to debate McDaniel, who has said nothing about Espy since day one and won't since he's not taking any votes away from him.

I'm with you. Hyde-Smith might not be the most dynamic Senator this state has seen, just as Harper has not been the most beneficial representative. But unlike McDaniel, she won't embarrass us during her term - which he would do before he ever arrived. Hell, he's doing it now, and he's nothing but a has been candidate.

And not only do I want Schumer to be running the US Senate which could result from sending Espy to this seat, I don't want his corrupt approach to government to embarrass us either. Yes, he wasn't convicted of taking a bribe, but a half dozen people were convicted of giving him bribes - including millions of dollars in fines and some prison sentences. Hard for me to understand, but don't want to give him (or his brother) a chance to profit off his position in DC.

@6:05, who is Espy? How smart do you have to be to take orders from the higher ups?

They are going to pay for Kavanaugh. CHS is relatively safe but Marsha, Ted and others better watch out their folks are getting a Judge they wanted so they will be less enthusiastic to get to the polls.

Epsy could pull an upset in the primary, neither one of them can challenge Epsy on name reconition. Democrats are voting much more than Tepublican

6:18 - Sounds to me like you are afraid of 'the slime' that you think might come out about Hyde-Bryant-Smith. That's all you yacked about. Which facts would you prefer not be brought to light?

Or are you talking about the type of 'slime' the current Smith radio ads are slinging around about McDaniel. Now THAT is SLIME!

10:17 - Your post is about name recognition of one candidate, yet we can't recognize it since you misspelled his name twice.

You might also want to know that democrat voters in this state will not for at least the next ten years outnumber Republican voters. By the way, this is not a primary. Man...you got it ALL wrong.

A debate is not necessary and would only be a playground for Chris McCrybaby. It would be an hour of McD making baseless allegations, such as Hyde-Smith voting for Clinton, which has not been proven. And soundbites would follow after. Who wants to debate these days, you might ask? It's the losing candidate so it's no shit that McCrybaby wants all the spotlight. Candidates are already targeted and watched nowadays w/ our better technology and communication. Debates are not as necessary and the public only wants them to see how badly an opposition party candidate will do

8:30: You obviously do not, but I want to see her on a stage defending the fact that she voted for Clinton, commenting on the fact that she was a lobbyist for Obamacare and addressing her lie that she is a fifth generation farmer. Why do you assume only a McCrybaby would like to hear her address those things? Why do we not deserve to hear her either defend, support or deny those allegations?

Funny how many people want to stick their heads in the sand. "I don't need to know nothing" they proclaim and then wonder why this state is the least educated, most corrupt, and dead last.

Yup, all those other states have it wrong and Mississippi has it right.

Smith and Wicker are Trump puppets, and both need to go.

Also, when I say debate, I don't mean what AFP had during the congressional race.

Ask some real questions, ask followups so they can't get away with the sound bites, and then let the candidates go at it.

You know, British style.