Forty-three years ago when I first began writing a weekly political column, several focused on the new Republicanism emerging in Mississippi as portrayed by party leaders. They described a surging party intent on building a strong two-party system in Mississippi.
A strong two-party system was the goal of long-time party builder Clarke Reed. “From now on the best man will win no matter which party he belongs to,” he said.
He had just turned the party chairmanship over to “young, handsome Laurel attorney Charles Pickering,” the lone Republican in the Mississippi state senate. Pickering was seen as “a young, aggressive force for good government in Mississippi.”
“No tunnel-vision reactionary,” I wrote, “Pickering speaks of Republicanism that retains its commitment to fiscal responsibility but which addresses itself to the needs for charity and opportunity for the poor.”
“Two Thursdays ago, State Republican Chairman Charles Pickering and GOP leader Gil Carmichael spoke to an NAACP gathering in Jackson,” I wrote later. “Their visit typifies the GOP commitment to include blacks in the Mississippi party.”
At that time I was the young editor of a weekly paper in Tallahatchie County, but also the GOP county chairman. I was among many young Mississippians tired of the stagnant, prejudiced, one-party domination of Big Jim Eastland’s Democratic Party.
Zip ahead 43 years and what do we find?
One party domination sticks out the most. The concept of a strong two-party system has faded from Republican rhetoric. Reed’s “best man” wins concept is far less important than party label, as it was back then. Indeed, the dominant GOP base of voters today much resembles that of Big Jim’s Democratic Party.
Back then, too, Speaker Buddie Newman, a staunch Eastland ally, wielded autocratic control over the Mississippi House of Representatives. Today, Speaker Philip Gunn does much the same. He controls major legislation with an iron fist and similar lack of transparency to Newman’s.
The concepts of “good government” with “fiscal responsibility” that addressed “the needs for charity and opportunity for the poor” seem gone with the wind. That focus has given way to the old ways of “political government” and “fiscal favors” with token crumbs for those in need. Nothing, perhaps, depicts this better than Gov. Tate Reeves’ call last week for more tax cuts in the face of huge needs in health care and schools in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, growing crises in our prisons and hospitals, continued critical needs for road and bridge repairs, and so on.
The fervor for a strong-two party system among early Republicans 43 years ago was tangible. One of those early Republicans from east Mississippi contended that one-party domination of Mississippi government was similar to communist party domination in Russia.
Those leaders, today, would chime in with cartoonist Walt Kelly’s swamp character Pogo, who quipped in 1970, “We have met the enemy and he is us.”
“Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring” – Proverbs 27:1.
Crawford is a syndicated columnist from Jackson.
26 comments:
I was also around when Clarke Reed and Pickering attacked the Closed Society of Big Jim Eastland and his cronies. Bill nails this. We are so divided today along racial and economic lines (Always Vote Democrat) And keep cutting taxes while the poor and almost poor struggle. Our Republican government has scandal after scandal. Our Dept. of Revenue is struggling to get car titles out, our Unemployment office is a wreck, our health department is a shell of its former self, restaurant inspections are a joke, our capital city is a third-world. This is not working, folks. I have a grandson who is a United States Marine and recently came home on leave. I offered him a house site for when he leaves the Corps. He said: "Thanks, but no thanks. I am never coming back to Mississippi." Pogo was right -- we have met the enemy and he is us."
So true!
To compare Buddy Newman and Phillip Gunn is idiocy and can only come from someone who wasn’t around when Newman was in power. Newman was iron fisted and my way or the highway. Gunn is fair to all including Dems. Crawford undercuts his own legitimacy by making this argument.
BRB- Need to put on my Members Only jacket and get my popcorn!
Blah, Blah, Blah- Is it surprising that people are as selfish, self centered and power hungry today as they were in Eastland's time?
Many things change but politicians are not one of those things. Fair, honest, transparent don't get you far in politics.
9:07
Agree 100%
I have worked with Gunn numerous times and in no way does he act with an iron fist. Now he is certainly not scared to call a spade a spade and has made some political enemies doing so , but he has balls.
This is the best article I’ve read by this guy. Totally agree. I’m a Republican but one party domination is never good. Not enough accountability
I remember the day when Con Maloney and Farmer Jim Neal were about the only Republicans in the Mississippi Legislature. They fought the good fight. Today the Woke would be boycotting Cowboy Maloney's and Farmer Jim's radio show.
No surprise that some commenters want to put this in the context of personality.
HELLO! This is about total control by ONE political party of EVERY branch of government.
Blame the Republicans for the inability of Democrats in Mississippi to get elected. That's rich.
The Democratic party has no one to blame but themselves. They dug this hole with their extremism and seem to be trying dig it deeper.
I was a Republican 43 years ago also. That Ms is essentially a dominant one-party state may be true. But, the cause is the total failure of the national democrats to recruit/woo the southern voter. The Southern Dem was abandoned (or neglected, if that is too harsh for some) by their national party. The Southern Dem has had little choice but to remain with a dwindling state party, become silent or move to the GOP. I wish it were not so but it is. A stronger MS Dem party would make the MS GOP work harder at recruiting candidates.
If the media wants to write an interesting twist, write about the state GOP becoming like the 70's Dems when any Dem with a pulse could be elected. The GOP has a couple of really poor candidates elected these days for much the same reason.
Both Ds and Rs have moved to the extreme left/right respectively, and those Ds/Rs that were in the middle (aka statesmen) are mostly extinct. Hopefully, Biden will avoid senility long enough to create a centrist political agenda that embraces America's best interests over partisan politics.
The national Dims have insane policies. No one forced them to do that. In fact by pushing to the right, Trump left an opening in the middle ground. Instead of taking it, the Dims doubled down on stupid.
Hey Billy, come talk to us when Republicans have been in control for about 60-70 years.
I don't think I would have liked Big Jim even without the cigar. He loved his cigar. The smell of it announced his presence long before he entered the room. You could hear him coming down the hall, his voice legendary. He was an arrogant, fat man, almost a cartoon character, not unlike Bilbo. He thought he was Churchill. Was the white robe imaginary or real? Today the pompous don't smoke cigars in meeting rooms and wear their britches up under their arm-pits. Now they have their teeth whitened and wear cowboy hats. But the lust for power is no different.
Amen 12:13.
Bill would seem to suggest that his disaffection with the GOP stems from the Bryant/Reeves/Trump eras. That seems to be his implication. But, in reality, Bill resigned (in writing) from the Republican Party in 1987 claiming a “change in his philosophy.” He did this to support Ray Mabus for governor over Jack Reed. This was remembered when he ran for Congress in a race Chip Pickering eventually won, defeating Crawford in a primary runoff. Bill’s history re: the GOP is anything but a principled consistency.
9:07 and 11:37
You two must be early samplers of the new legal weed.....you are speaking of Gunn of old who was top notch. Now that he has been shot down for at least 4 higher positions, he has become bitter and an ass
he does operate now "my way or the Highway" ask any House member except for his pups-the lapdogs
\'
What some of you missed is that the Eastland people were not stupid when it came to Mississippi politics.
They knew race and religion played a big role.They also knew the "new Republicans" making headway were by and large educated and successful in businesses and professions.
While they knew the most public faces and names of the Democratic party at the State level 40 years ago would have to be sacrificed, there were loyalists in existing groups and families who were available as were their older children to switch parties and become Republicans.
Those who weren't in the upper social echelons of the new Mississippi Republican party wouldn't notice as they hadn't been visibly involved, just benefitted from contracts,etc.
They also knew African Americans who had been Republicans would leave the party. It was the " party of Mr. Lincoln" no more as the Dixiecrats proved.
As a younger Republican in those days, spotting the surprises among my peers wasn't hard. And, who knows another's heart and mind...perhaps they weren't like their daddies?
Oh, the philosophical Republicans of those days are the RINOs of today. Some still clinging to a different kind of lost cause.
12:13 - your comparison leaves a lot at the door.
Today is one party control, but not domination. Back in the times Crawford is mentioning - 1975 - there were less than five Republicans in the House and Senate combined and very few local cities/counties. Today, the Democrats still control a third of both houses and many local governments. And today, the Democrats are at least recognized as a political organization, something that had to be fought for every day back in the 70's by the Republicans.
Yes, I was one of those from East Mississippi that argued the goal was to get a two party system in the state as being the reason I was a Republican. (Don't know that I am the one Crawford is referring to, but of little matter). And today we do have a two party system - one that is winning today and one that wants to be winning in the future.
The difference today is the demographics of the parties - back in the 70's, black Mississippians were willing to support Republican candidates, recognizing that they were both treated the same by the election officials. But today, the black voters have largely consolidated in the Democratic party and are not willing to consider a Republican candidate despite the fact that on many issues (particularly social) their opinion jive. And the fact that the Democratic Party has learned how to 'control' their block of voters for their own personal benefit.
Would a competitive two party system be good for the state? Absolutely. But also, it would be good if the two parties were not divided demographically as they are today. It would be good for the parties, and for the races if both sides had to compete for the voters on an issue other than who had an "R" or a "D" by their name on the ballot.
But the reason that is not happening is due to the Democratic Party's plantation mentality - that "you aren't black is you don't vote Democrat".
Two things
1st - Hey Billy, come talk to us when Republicans have been in control for about 60-70 years.
Hey Bubba - those same people in control switched parties. How the hell does Mississippi go from Confederate flag-waving Democrats to Confederate Flag waving Republicans - real easy - the base of the party's changed during the civil rights era. Facts
2nd - The difference today is the demographics of the parties - back in the 70's, black Mississippians were willing to support Republican candidates, recognizing that they were both treated the same by the election officials. But today, the black voters have largely consolidated in the Democratic party and are not willing to consider a Republican candidate despite the fact that on many issues (particularly social) their opinion jive. And the fact that the Democratic Party has learned how to 'control' their block of voters for their own personal benefit.
Oh, so we are going to ignore the fact that white Mississippians consolidated their vote with the Republican party and how the Republican Party has learned how to 'control' their block of voters for their own personal benefit? Listen to Tate Reeves, Chris McDaniel, Steven Palazzo's political rhetoric? It's all red meat for the base.
The saddest part of it all is that Mississippians passed overwhelmingly two Democrat initiatives with Medical Marijuana and the State Flag.
Mississippi has a long way to go.
4:11 - Mississippi doesn't have nearly as 'far to go' as most northern states. You wouldn't know that since you've never been further north than Memphis.
8:27: you must work for the current Governor or perhaps worked for the former Gov Phil Bryant. Tate has been at odds with Gunn and Delbert since Tate was Lt Gov, but especially since he ascended to the Gov office. I’m sure his line of thinking about Gunn matches yours. Former Gov Bryant resented that Gunn was not a rubber stamp and refused his wanting to be named US Senator and went with CHS instead. Looking at how Bryant’s appointments have fared in the last years (Epps, Dowdy, DHS, many others), it may have been better for Gunn to be passed over. Gunn seems to have the backing of the Republican House members who elected and re-elected him Speaker and that’s what matters. I’m 100 % sure they would get rid of him if they thought he was an ass...
8:22 - Don't be surprised when your Marine (thanks for his service) brings a Filipino or Korean girl home for Christmas and tells you he's going to live with 'her people' (or worse, California).
The irony here is when you compare apples to apples the democratic party rule was more conservative than the republican party rule, even though the republican candidates love to wear their conservativism on their sleeves.
Republicans have spent so much more money; that even Ray Mabus would blush.
The taxes are so much higher during republican rule than democratic rule.
The democratic rule allowed the people to decide issues through popular elections, whereas the republicans try to snuff out public petitions and confuse people with conflicting initiatives such as 65 and 65a in this past election. Lastly the republicans have been caught in many more greedy scandals' and massive corruption coverups, than the democratic party rule. The sad part about it is the democratic party rule was four times the modern republican rule.
Post a Comment