As the Democratic presidential primary came into focus in Mississippi over the weekend, it was interesting to observe just how closely the race in Mississippi mirrored the national narrative.
Since former Vice President Joe Biden flipped the Democratic primary script in South Carolina with the help of African American U.S. Rep. James Clyburn and then went on to win major “Super Tuesday” victories nationwide, the Biden campaign has been solidly bolstered by endorsements from other establishment African American Democrats from across the nation.
Unlike self-described Democratic Socialist and independent Vermont U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, who scheduled then cancelled a campaign event here, Biden came to Mississippi to campaign directly over the weekend. Sanders instead sent campaign surrogate Danny Glover, the actor and activist who is familiar to Mississippians from prior treks.
Chief among Biden’s supporters was Mississippi Second District U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Bolton, the senior Democratic official in the state’s congressional delegation – and in recent years, the only one – who has emerged as a Democratic political kingmaker.
The fact is that Democratic politicians who campaign without Thompson’s active support don’t fare very well in Mississippi. During President Barack Obama’s two terms in the White House, the federal patronage path in this state ran through Thompson’s office.
And why not? In 2008, Thompson’s support at the grassroots level was critical in helping Obama attain a Mississippi Democratic presidential primary win over his chief rival, Hillary Clinton. Obama won the primary with 265,502 votes, or 61.2 percent.
But in a move worthy of the “Back to the Future” movie franchise, Sanders supporters got a reprise of a March 2017 joint visit by Sanders and Glover to Mississippi designed to promote unionization of one of Mississippi’s two automobile manufacturing plants – this time without Sanders.
Called the “March on Mississippi” in 2017, the United Auto Workers, Sanders, Glover, the NAACP, and fellow political travelers appeared in Canton to continue to peddle the narrative that “workers’ rights equal civil rights.”
Sanders has been a pro-union voice throughout his political career. Yet in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary, the UAW endorsed Hillary Clinton over Sanders, citing her “experience” and “electability.” Despite intervention by Sanders and Glover, the 2017 Nissan union vote failed a few months later by a nearly 2-1 margin.
Ironically, Sanders ditched his plans to campaign in Mississippi to campaign in delegate-rich Michigan, a state where the impact of UAW influence is most visible.
As noted before, the struggle for “civil rights” sounds far more noble and desirable than what was actually happening in Canton and across the landscape of foreign-owned automobile manufacturing plants in the South — which was a desperate struggle for survival by a weakened labor union that has endured a 75 percent membership decline since 1979.
With Detroit now a bankrupt remnant of the Golden Age of American automobile manufacturing, the UAW now must literally find a new host on which to feed for union dues. The right-to-work states in the South are the prime targets, and the foreign-owned manufacturers that helped build “Detroit South” are truly the only possible salvation of the desperate UAW.
While Glover was yet again carrying Sanders’ political water in Mississippi, labor unions across the country were throwing their support behind Biden.
Mississippi remains a reliable red state and recent polling suggests that neither Biden nor Sanders can win here against GOP incumbent President Donald Trump. But those numbers likewise show that of the two surviving Democratic Party contenders, Biden is the stronger candidate in Mississippi.
Sid Salter is a syndicated columnist. Contact him at sidsalter@sidsalter.com.
Wednesday, March 11, 2020
Sid Salter: Dem Primary Campaigns in Mississippi Take on a National Flavor
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28 comments:
The only thing that this Democrat primary has proven is that the Black Caucus is for sale and black voters still vote as they are told against their own self interests.
It also proves that Bernie Sanders is spineless and also for sale. He wont even utter a whimper as his chance is stolen from him again. I hope they make it worth his while.
Democrat voters are literally slaves. They dont even really get anything in exchange for their servitude.
early onset dementia-1
Socialism-0
Has anyone else noticed that if you add Biden and Sanders vote count together that they are larger than Trumps count? If a democrat can take Misssissippi then they can take the entire nation. Trump is in YUGE trouble!
The only thing that this Democrat primary has proven ...
Actually there was something else proven. We learned that when it comes to national politics Antard Lumumba -- who Mississippi Today proclaimed was "one of Bernie Sanders’ biggest 2020 endorsements" -- has absolutely NO sway with Jackson's black Democrats.
Biden romped to victory in Jackson by winning every precinct except one and with NO LESS THAN 63% of the vote in those he carried.
Antard should return to screwing up the Zoo where he's already demonstrated aptitude and achieved success.
8:42. really think R’s aren’t slaves? re:former governor...
Trump will win 2020
I am a republican in the Annandale area who votes in virtually every election. I did not vote Tuesday as there was virtually no really contested race. I know it skews election results to not vote, but I also know it wasn’t worth the gasoline I would waste going to vote.
@9:19 AM the "YUGE" problem you have is that in your current mental state you may actually believe that garbage. Seek help ASAP.
By Sanders loosing last night that makes him the third looser? right.
Yesterday the Republicans were out working-the lemmings were out voting.
With 98.62% of the Republican vote, trump proved that Mississippians are some of the most gullible sheep in the world. With the economy tanking, what is left for him to even try and take credit for? Trickle down economics is just a way for him to shift your money to his golf buddies and you guys continue to eat it up without realizing socialism for billionaires isn’t the answer.
Remember when Trump was going to drain the swamp? Remember when he was going to lock up Hillary? Well he put the swamp in charge and Hillary is still spending her days with Huma enjoying the seafood platter.
The minute I heard him say "grab them by the pussy" I was done. What amazes me is that, that was just the tip of the iceberg, even today with his childlike name calling and self adulation people continue to support him. I know Mississippi and I know Mom taught us better. Shame on you for looking the other way, Mom isn't proud.
Well 10:53, if you and your Momma are Biden fans after he threatened a Union worker with violence and told him he was “full of sh*t” while knowing he was being filmed...y’all must be ashamed too, right?
At least Trump didn’t know he was being recorded when he made that horrible remark.
Y’alls boy is just as unhinged, if not more.
Rush has just announced that Crazy Bernie is not backing down! He has chosen to fight Creepy Joe! This is Democrats last chance to choose a lifelong public servant over a corrupt bureaucrat who who is clearly showing signs of dementia.
Biden was talking man to man, he wasn't ashamed or embrrassed by speaking his mind. Trump on the hand acts like some grade school bully who talks thru social media and doesn't have to talk to people face to face.He is losing it on the response to the Cornavirus. He gone so far as to classify meetings but the task force "Top Secret". We have a pandemic on our hands and they are hiding information.
March 11, 2020 at 1:27 PM = Damaged by CNN exposure
Looks like it's Pelosi who showing the leadership on this issue, she has advocated for a bill that Munchin and the Republican leadership support. The suggestions by Trump have all but been ignored.
If this election doesn't finally show the "lemmings" of both parties just how pathetic your blind allegiance has become maybe nothing will. Donald Trump is the definition of a self-centered bombast whose need for ego inflation overwhelms his judgment. The democrats present a slate of gladhanders who will promise anything to get elected. Biden is one term from senility and Bernie is determined to dash the country on the rocks of untenable socialism before he dies. None of these idiots is worth the cosmetic excuses people make for them simply because they hate the other side. Be a conservative but do better than Trump, or at least try to. Be a progressive but use enough common sense to moderate towards better candidates than empty-suit Joe and comrade Bernie. Let's try and support intelligently before it's too late.
Under all this failed GOP Leadership this country is in the Greatest Danger it has been in quite a while, how these imbeciles actually defer and follow behind someone as callous and shallow as trump boggles the sane mind, he has humiliated half the Party and these folks just lineup for more like some type of sadomasochist heroin junkies, what happened to the Party? I think it's too late to blame trump the writing is on the wall the GOP can't govern worth a darn, Hug your kids, Hug your Grand kids, the inmates are currently running the asylum, and we are all in danger.
Go Joe!!!
2:32 You are probably right in your first paragraph but then you show your own stupidity in the next two words. Where's Joe going? To the nursing home or mental ward? Get a candidate or face Hillary's fate again.
@2:57
Joe is Manageable!
What you want hear and what you don't want to hear from any leader elected or not is:
From Trumps Mouth Plenty of times around many different issues
"I can do what I want"
"I can do what I want"
"I can do what I want"
The last thing you want to hear from anyone in a position of Authority!
That is how civilizations and empires have fallen, blind allegiance to a leader that feels that they can just do what they want.
I say again:
Joe is Manageable!
Remind me again who mayor Kush supported?
3:15 Wow. That's quite an endorsement. He's manageable. How exciting. What a guy!
Well 3:15 I wonder who Joe's managers will be? Maybe they should reveal themselves so we can know who will be pulling the strings. But I think we already know. No thanks.
Why does Sid think he's relevant to any political discussion ?
The only time I enjoy reading him . . . is about every two years when he get's "worked up" about the fact the State Ag college might loose their cowbells.
@6:05
@6:07
Quite Amazing how that cult like Cognitive Dissonance, have you blocking
out everything in-between "Joe's Manageable".
Poor Sid.
I really do like the guy.
But I wish he could occasionally write
about an original issue that we are not aware of . . .
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