MSNBC – DOWN THE BALLOT: Mississippi’s special
The New York Times, previewing today’s congressional run-off in Mississippi between Travis Childers (D) and Greg Davis (R), notes how the Republicans have tied Childers to Obama — in what some see as playing the race card. “Hoping to hang on to a Congressional seat in a tight special election here on Tuesday, Republicans in this mostly white and very conservative district are trying to make the vote more a referendum on Senator Barack Obama than on the candidates themselves.”
“In advertisements and speeches, Republicans have repeatedly associated Travis Childers, the white Democrat threatening to take the seat away from the Republican Party, with Mr. Obama. Republicans say Mr. Obama’s liberal values are out of place in the district. But for many Democratic veterans here, the tactic is a throwback to the old and unwelcome politics of race, a standby in Mississippi campaigning. Former Gov. William Winter, a Democrat, expressed shock at the current campaign. ‘I am appalled that this blatant appeal to racial prejudice is still being employed,’ said Mr. Winter, who lost the 1967 governor’s race after his segregationist opponent circulated handbills showing blacks listening to one of his speeches. Mr. Winter went on to win the governor’s office 12 years later.”
(Again, be careful not to read too much into the results since neither candidate’s political party is listed on today’s ballot.)
MSNBC
5/13/8
Mr. Winter obviously had not seen this handbill distributed courtesy of the DCCC:
Magnolia Tribune
