| It's the Economy, Y'All |
11 August 2003
|
Mississippi Showcases 2004 Issues
Politics in the state of Mississippi don't figure heavily in the national media, and normally, this
conservative state doesn't get taken too seriously as a bell-weather for the nation's mood. However, the
state is one of the few with a governor's race this year (California's is an oddity, not a race), and the
Republicans could make it interesting by setting the tone for next year's presidential race. The reason is
the stature of the two candidates and a single issue.
The Democrats have nominated the current governor, Ronnie Musgrove, for another term. He has $5
million or so in the bank, $1 million of it from the Democratic Governors Association. The Republicans
picked Haley Barbour, who headed the Republican National Committee in the 1990s, who also has around
$5 million in his war chest, $1.5 million from the Republican Governors Association. The incumbent
against the President's Friend. And $5 million in a media market like Mississippi goes much farther than it
does in New York or California.
What is interesting is that the race comes down to a Clintonian proposition; "It's the economy, stupid."
As Governor Musgrove put it, "As governor, I've focused on good schools and good jobs, better test
scores and attracting new businesses like Nissan to our state." For Mr. Barbour, that isn't good enough
-- "For nearly four years this governor has had the opportunity to move Mississippi forward. He believes
we've arrived. To hear him, we have no problems, everything is wonderful. I believe Mississippi has the
potential to go farther, that we can do much better."
There is no discussion of making people safer, of the protection or erosion of civil rights, no debate on
gay marriage. Pure and simple, Mississippians will be voting on pocket-book issues. One hopes they
choose wisely, and that the nation's politicians take note of the content, rather than the volume, of the
campaign.
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