Issues, not labels, matter to voters

Issues, not labels, matter to voters

This has been a curious campaign. The major candidates had so much to brag about. All of them have overseen enormous growth in their communities, have served in various governmental positions and have been true assets to Mississippi.

Why then, would they choose to resort to spreading what amounted to vicious gossip about each other with TV ads that seemed to have been produced by the National Enquirer staff?

The only logical answer is that these fine men made the mistake of listening to their respective Republican and Democratic Party advisers who say attack ads are effective.

But this is a cautionary tale that voters have become wary and disinterested in what your party has to offer.

In March, when it became apparent that Davis would be in a run-off in the Republican primary with McCullough, he was interviewed by a television reporter. The reporter asked Davis what he saw as the most important issue facing the First Congressional District.

I sat up in my chair thinking, OK, here it comes. I am going to finally hear from him something of substance that I can grasp.

But Davis’ reply was immigration.

Immigration?

Granted this is a huge, complex and overwhelming national concern, but has Davis even driven around the subdivisions and retail outlets being built the past 10 years at a frenetic pace in DeSoto County?

You would be hard-pressed to hear the English language spoken on these job sites. To date, there has been no uprising from DeSoto Countians, as they make their way to Memphis each morning for work, that the Hispanic population is threatening their jobs. This is a very, very slippery slope.

The Davis for Congress Web site reads: “As Mayor, Greg Davis has led Southaven into a new era of growth and prosperity. Since his election in 1997, thousands of new jobs have been created and Southaven has quickly become a leader in economic and community development.”

We would like to hear more about that and certainly other voters in the First District would be eager to know how our success could be extended to their hometowns. Tell people about our award-winning schools and highly dedicated teachers, and the way our school system could serve as a model throughout the country.

Davis should be eager to take DeSoto’s message to a national level while helping us to continue to grow in a controlled, thoughtful way.

Commercial Appeal
4/26/8