Clinton’s Mississippi putdown singes magnolias
How do the politicos in Mississippi feel about what she had to say?
“Our official comment is, we decline to comment,’’ said Terry Cassreino, spokesman for the Mississippi Democratic Party.
The state Republican chairman, however, was not nearly as reticent.
“I think that her statements about Mississippi are probably an acknowledgement that she has no chance of carrying this state in a general election,’’ said Jim Herring, the Republican chairman.
Herring was echoing a common refrain from the John Edwards’ campaign – that Clinton would not do well in the South in November of 2008. Of course, few Democratic candidates for president have performed well in Mississippi in recent history. In 2004, President Bush beat Sen. John Kerry by 20 percentage points.
And Herring pointed out that Mississippi currently employs a woman lieutenant governor, Amy Tuck. Tuck, who is the second woman to serve as Mississippi’s lieutenant governor, has held that office since she was first elected as a Democrat in 1999 before changing parties.
“I don’t know if she doesn’t think that’s not a high-ranking office, but it’s the second highest-ranking office in Mississippi,’’ he said.
Herring wouldn’t say that the Republican nominee for president would win the state of Mississippi no matter what. But he seems to be looking forward to the possibility of having Clinton as the Democratic nominee.
“No one should take anything for granted, but Hillary Clinton is of course from the left wing of the Democrat party and I think Republicans in Mississippi will be very energized if she’s the nominee,’’ he said.
The Swamp
10/23/7
Magnolia Tribune
