PERRY/Capitol press corps recaps election
The Capitol Press Corps political prognosticators faced their pre-election predictions on Monday at a monthly luncheon sponsored by The John C. Stennis Institute of Government.
Clarion Ledger Perspective Editor Sid Salter, Northeast Daily Journal Capitol Correspondent Bobby Harrison and Marty Wiseman from the Stennis Institute were joined by Jackson State University political science professor Mary Coleman.
The day before the election, all the panelists correctly predicted Barack Obama would win the election for President nationwide, with Harrison coming the closest predicting Obama 53 percent to John McCain 47 percent (McCain got 46 percent).
They also all predicted Roger Wicker would defeat Ronnie Musgrove with Parker coming closest with his 53 percent to 47 percent prediction (the result was 55 percent to 45 percent).
All the panelists correctly predicted victory for Travis Childers, Bennie Thompson, Gregg Harper and Gene Taylor in their respective districts.
And all correctly picked Ann Lamar, David Chandler, Randy Pierce, and Jim Kitchens to win their Supreme Court races, except Salter and Wiseman, who thought incumbent Chief Justice Jim Smith would prevail against Kitchens.
“Its tough for a chief justice to run for re-election, ask Lenore Prather,” Salter said referencing former Chief Justice Prather’s loss to Chuck Easley in 2000.
Brian Perry
Neshoba Democrat
12/4/8
