Republicans Fumbled On Redistricting
For some time now, it has been pretty common knowledge that the Mississippi Republican Party was the organized, structured party in the state, while Democrats were each doing their own thing without any real leadership. I don’t think you are going too far out on a limb if you say something to that affect, but the Democrats appeared to have gotten it right on redistricting. The timing, for their political sake, couldn’t have been better.
In a House committee dominated by Billy McCoy loyalists, Democrats drew a map that satisfied the two (sometimes divided) elements of their caucus: the Black Caucus and RWDs. Sure a few dissented but it did pass the House and there were no calls for a new map by anyone in charge. The original and subsequent maps produced by Tommy Reynolds were political genius, and rank-and-file Democrats realized this.
5/10/11
Magnolia Tribune
