Get ready. Confrontational Sen. Chris McDaniel, the perennial might run candidate, has announced he may announce his candidacy for Lt. Governor.
Mississippi Today wrote that McDaniel “is pondering” a race against incumbent Republican Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann. He won’t get to ponder long. The Legislature moved the qualifying date up to Feb. 1st.
Meanwhile as he ping pongs between running for re-election and taking on Hosemann, McDaniel captured headlines (his goal) by claiming Hosemann is “not one of us”, “not conservative enough” and “a Republican in name only” (RINO).
That rhetoric should sound familiar. He said virtually the same thing in the 2014 primary for U.S. Senate when fired salvos at long time Republican Sen. Thad Cochran. Indeed, RINO has become the appellation of choice for tea partiers and political wingnuts for lifelong Republicans who don’t fully align with them. Nowadays they don’t even see pragmatic conservatives like Ronald Reagan and Haley Barbour as conservative enough.
McDaniel made that clear saying Mississippi needs leaders “in the mold of (Florida Gov. Ron) DeSantis and in the mold of (former President Donald) Trump.”
Hosemann has been an active Republican since before McDaniel was born, ran for Congress as a Republican in 1998, was elected Secretary of State as a Republican in 2007 and 2011, and was elected Lt. Governor as a Republican in 2019. Unlike McDaniel, he seldom makes headlines with his rhetoric. His focus has been more on governing effectively than trumpeting far right slogans.
An interesting twist in this almost campaign appeared when McDaniel said he now counts Gov. Tate Reeves as a friend. He and Reeves clashed often when Reeves served as Lt. Governor. “Our differences were primarily at the time based on personalities,” he told the Clarion-Ledger.” However, back then McDaniel also claimed Reeves was not conservative enough. And Reeves demoted McDaniel in 2016 from chairman of the important Senate Elections Committee to chairman of the lightly regarded Senate Constitution Committee. Hosemann promoted him to chairman of the Senate Environmental Protection, Conservation and Water Resources Committee.
McDaniel also criticized Hosemann for naming 13 Democrats to committee chairmanships. As reported in Mississippi Today, that was the same number Reeves had his last four years as Lt. Governor. Reeves had 17 during his first term. McDaniel also claimed Hosemann has used his power to keep McDaniel’s bills from being passed. His bills didn’t fare well under Reeves either.
But Reeves, according to McDaniel, is now conservative enough while Hosemann is not.
Unless Reeves gets a last minute challenge for the Republican nomination for governor, a Hosemann vs. McDaniel primary would dominate headlines next year. That alone may entice McDaniel to run. That enticement may evaporate if Secretary of State Michael Watson decides to challenge Reeves. That rumor circulated recently.
What a dull (and welcome to many) political primary season we may have if neither McDaniel nor Watson take on strong incumbents.
“Fools are headstrong and do what they like” – Proverbs 12:15.
Crawford is a syndicated columnist from Jackson.
23 comments:
Stay ready.
If you stay ready then you never have to get ready
Let's see, a well liked Notre Dame grad versus a bomb throwing product of his parent's taxpayer salary parents at Jones County JuCo. That college he's steered state tax dollars to for a lot of things benefiting his circle of friends.
A "cut GubMint" zealot, except when they and he collected GubMint salaries and benefits. Everything he grew up with was paid for by the GubMint, but NOW, well, he's been hanging out with rich lawyers and says, Cut Gubmint (but not MY salary).
A Tea Party hypocrite facing a Notre Dame grad but named his son Cambridge.
A lot going on down there is Ellisville.
I think Chrissy is only exceeded in hypocrisy by "Cut GubMint" Cecil McCrory, the partner of Chris Epps in stealing from the GubMint. Close. I always love rich guys who "don't wear suits" (only to public meetings) and preach about cutting GubMint until you find out they ARE rich off GubMint.
At least if he does he abandons the district he hasn't lived in, nor aided. Get your popcorn ready for all the Facebook videos streamed from his Mom’s basement if he does throw his name in the race.
"Indeed, RINO has become the appellation of choice for tea partiers and political wingnuts for lifelong Republicans who don’t fully align with them." Splendid.
Don’t be surprised if Watson challenges Lynn Fitch. He knows he needs to bide his time for 4 more years.
Must be a lot of people scared of McDaniel for the hit pieces and comments to start so early…. 😝
Let’s say Watson throws his name in for Lt Guv instead ? It would be the 3 Bears and I think Watson walks off with it .
And you goobers who criticize a conservative are satisfied with Hoseman? As with residents of Jacktown, you deserve what you elect.
Just when Mississippi produces a political leader with some reasonable vision for ALL Mississippians, our past becomes our present. Mississippi can't buy a break!
So...You clowns prefer Delbert who is a known Democrat?
The pine belters and those couple of crazy ladies who are always posting on Facebook are going to get hot and bothered over this one.
10:58, are you the incumbent or just a C-L or MS Today "journalist? Whine some more.
Conservatives are satisfied by Hosemann because he is not a rich guy pretending to be a poor guy, when McDaniel rides in Mercedes but takes every tax dodge known to mankind while pretending to be "for the little guy."
IOW, Chrissy is a Two Faced Teahadist blurting drivel. And the Bubbas lap it up like JSU rubes lapping up PrIME's regurgitation. Folks are done with the Big Mouth Brigade of the Tax Dodgers.
3:20 No...we clowns prefer McDaniel who is a known Dixiecrat.
I would love to see McDaniel run. We need more folks like him in office.
Watson? Please. We have Fitch, who has rarely, if ever been in a courtroom. When was the last time Watson was in a courtroom, if ever? Having graduated from a law school and (reportedly) having passed the bar should not be the resume for someone seeking the position of Attorney General.
Other than appearing on Super-Squawk at election time, when have we ever heard a peep out of Watson?
Haley Barbour's political machine doesn't like "outspoken" people in Mississippi...McDaniel is on to some things, but the secret society will keep him in check.
I don’t know anything about McDaniel avoiding paying taxes, but you are an idiot if you don’t use every legal loophole to reduce your tax burden.
If he is a Dixiecrat, sign me up! Horseman may have been a Republican a long time but that doesn’t make him a conservative.
Run, Chris, but the Republican establishment will pull out all the stops to defeat you, even if they have to pander to Democrats to win like they did in the Cochran race.
I’ve heard that even Satan quotes scripture.
@6:27am And Lord, do Mississippi politicians love to reference scripture in their bogus administration of public services. Mississippi sits on a throne of lies.
Examples, 10:17? I'll wait.
What 11:47 said.
Hey 2:25, 3:20 and other McDaniel fans, oh yes, we prefer Delbert Hosemann. He is a true leader for all of Mississippi. Chris, well, he's a leader of Chris. I don't think it was in this column, but in this same interview, he said if he didn't run for Lt. Guv, he would definitely run for "something". What a selfish opportunist. He is totally ineffective in office and does not need a higher position. Both parties have lost their identities. Those of you who reference RINOs - they are the true Republicans, and you are the above referenced wingnuts!
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