Has Chris McDaniel’s star faded?
McDaniel spent waaaay too long contesting and litigating his runoff loss to Cochran, likely burning up some political capital along with financial capital.
But more importantly, I think, he then just laid back in the buckwheat. He went dormant. To say he’s been a nonentity in state politics since then is disservice to nonentities.
I, and others, figured he would play a big role in the 2015 statewide elections, either running for higher office or being majordomo for others. He did not. He’s kept his own counsel and been aloof from most other politicians. The Senate Conservative Coalition he created in the statehouse before his run for U.S. Senate quietly fizzled and disbanded. He was about as effective and dynamic as his chair in the state Senate this legislative session.
He hasn’t, unless I’ve missed something somewhere, raised any notable amount of campaign or PAC money.
He backed the wrong horse in the presidential election, serving as a state co-manager for Sen. Ted Cruz, although he praised Donald Trump and supported him after Cruz dropped out.
His public stumping to-date has been with relatively small groups of those already faithful to him, not any attempt to broaden his support. I note from his Facebook page he was planning to give the keynote speech to a county Republican group this weekend — in Golden, Colorado.
Geoff Pender
Clarion Ledger
5/21/17
Magnolia Tribune
