I am a native son of the Great State of Mississippi and I have always been proud of that.
But as I have watched state politics this summer and fall, I have been embarrassed by the political ads I have seen.
Some people call it negative advertising. As a newspaperman I don’t believe in negative advertising and I call what I have seen outright lies.
I was in the room with the Mississippi Press Association heard what said Brandon Presley about gender modification. Let me set the record straight. Presley said he felt like parents need to be in charge of their children’s healthcare and he believe girls should play real girls in sports.
To balance this out, I will add that I was in Chickasaw County when Public Service Commissioner Presley shook hands with Matt Kisber of Silicon Ranch at the ribbon cutting of a solar farm that produces electricity.
Presley now says the campaign contributions he got from those folks didn’t count because they were not power producers . . .
Now my problem with Tate is he has never had to work a day in his life and lives in a world very far away from mine.
He doesn’t support Medicaid expansion. He gave tax breaks to some extremely wealthy companies and he’s not a fan of public education.
My point is -- just like the race between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump -- I’m going to have to vote for the lesser of two evils.
Democrats
The state Democratic Party is in shambles and ate itself up from the inside out, this summer.
The old guard wouldn’t give up power. The new guard took it. The Democratic Party in this state imploded.
The mess prompted Brandon Presley to strike out on his own. We will know in two weeks if he has been able to pull the levers on the Democratic machine to get his people to vote.
Locally the Democratic Party has taken a beating in the last two local elections. They are down but never out. It will be interesting to see what they do Nov. 7 in this neck of the woods. Then it is on to city elections in 2025
Nationally the Democratic Party has done well. Our President is a democrat and his party is very well healed financially. They have funded Presley’s race, but their heart is not in it. Them Dems are looking ahead to the presidential election and a few key Senate and House races. Mississippi is way down on their list.
Republicans
Have any of you kept up with the GOP clowns in Washington this week? I haven’t.
Forget embarrassing Republicans, they have embarrassed me as an American. That bunch has no concept or concern for the Mississippi Delta.
At the state level let me remind you there is a big, red, backward “C” that starts in Southaven, circle east to Tupelo, south to Meridian, down to The Coast and back up to Hattiesburg. They are entrenched, motivated, led by a state party that hasn’t stumped its toe in a while and they are ready to vote.
And they will vote for Tate and could care less about the issues at hand.
Locally . . . I know, that is sort of a joke in the Mississippi Delta!
Seriously, there have always been conservatives in this neck of the woods and they will vote that way Nov. 7. They just need to learn to hold their nose and vote for Democrats in the primaries.
And have you noticed the number of independent candidates that showed up this year?
Disclaimer
I do not predict elections. I don’t own a crystal ball and I’ve yet to figure you Deltans out.
The Coahoma County primary this summer and a massive turnout for a runoff special election this week surprised this reporter of three decades.
It made me smile. And that’s why I pick up a pen and notebook every morning and love my job.
Party Politics
I will ask you: Are you a Democrat or a Republican?
Don’t tell me you vote for the man. That’s an easy answer and quite evasive. And besides, the man you vote for is either a member of the Democratic Party or the Republican Party.
The modern Democratic Party emphasizes egalitarianism, social equality, protecting the environment, and strengthening the social safety net through liberalism. And I can buy into that.
It is also the “Party of the Big Tent,” and when you look deeper into that it gets sort of muddy for me.
Currently, the Republican Party is identified by classical liberalism, conservatism and right-wing policies. Look those terms up in a dictionary and I will bet most of Clarksdale will agree they support those principles.
Not all Republicans believe in the same things, but generally these are the concepts most Republicans can agree on. But that is also my problem with Republicans. They are a fractured lot and they push agendas that support a more centralized government aimed more at helping big business and the powers that be, rather than middle class and poverty stricken Americans.
Look Local
I’ve never really cared if my elected officials are Democrat or Republican. I do care if they are effective and true to their core convictions.
You see patriotism is bigger than party politics.
Yes, the Democrats will whip up their voter base this week and we’ll see Brandon Presley’s numbers rise in the polls.
The same thing will happen when the Republican twist the Eagle’s tail and talk their rhetoric and dreams for this state. Tate Reeves’ numbers will then rise.
And then we will all set our sights on that first Tuesday in November and quietly head to the polls to do our sacred duty and elect our next Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, State Auditor, Sheriff and a County Supervisor.
This is truly a great country!
Floyd Ingram is Editor of your Clarksdale Press Register. Neither his politics nor his religion is perfect and he is glad to talk to you about either if you call him at 662-627-2201.
