Also see:
AOL/Microsoft-Hotmail Preventing Delivery of Truthout Communications •
Go to Original
Clinton or Obama? Mississippi's Time to Decide
By Natalie Chandler and Leah Rupp
The Clarion-Ledger
Tuesday 11 March 2008
Despite election fervor, moderate turnout
expected.
A close race between Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Rodham Clinton
and Barack Obama will draw more voters to the polls today than the last presidential
primary, state officials predict.
But voter turnout is still expected to be light to moderate in an election
that also includes two open congressional seats and a U.S. Senate contest.
Between 125,000 to 150,000 voters will cast ballots, Secretary of State Delbert
Hosemann predicted. He said 100,000 headed to the polls in the 2004 presidential
primary that featured eight contenders for the Democratic nomination, including
ultimate nominee Sen. John Kerry. Mississippi has 1.78 million registered voters.
Polls are open statewide today from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The two U.S. senators, Obama from Illinois and Clinton from New York, are locked
in a tight race. Both have visited the state in recent days.
Sen. John McCain of Arizona clinched the GOP nomination last week.
Mississippi does not require voters to declare party affiliation when they
register to vote. Therefore, residents who usually vote Republican can cast
a ballot today for Obama or Clinton. But those voters would have to forgo voting
in the Republican congressional primaries.
Marty Wiseman, director of the Stennis Institute of Government at Mississippi
State University, said he doesn't expect much crossover voting. It would take
an organized effort by Republicans and a lot of money, he said.
"I just don't see Republicans getting that stirred up about this,"
he said. "It's almost impossible, with an even tie, to see who would be
most advantageous to the Republicans."
A few people approached state GOP Chairman Jim Herring at church, asking whether
they should vote in the Democratic primary to skew the ballots toward one candidate
or another.
"We shouldn't be fooling in (the Democrats') business ... because we've
got enough to deal with," said Herring, adding that crossover voting also
would hinder a two-party system that political leaders have tried to foster.
A federal judge ruled last year that Mississippians re-register to vote by
party affiliation. Or, he said voters could register as unaffiliated with any
party. His decision came after Mississippi Democrats filed a lawsuit seeking
to bar Republicans from voting in Democratic primaries. The 5th U.S. Circuit
of Appeals is reviewing the decision.
Mississippi Democratic Party Chairman Wayne Dowdy said he's not worried about
Republicans voting in the Democratic primary. "We encourage everyone to
participate in the Democratic primary," he said. Asked whether that conflicts
with the Democrats' attempts to bar Republicans from voting in their primaries,
Dowdy said it does not.
The lawsuit seeks to bar Republicans from voting to elect a "weaker"
Democrat, he said. In today's primary, "there's no claim that independents
or Republicans are voting for that reason," he said. Obama has attracted
Republicans and independent voters in other states, Dowdy said.
"I hope that occurs (today) in Mississippi," said Dowdy, one of several
superdelegates who is uncommitted.
Political scientists statewide have predicted an Obama win in Mississippi.
He and Clinton not only have visited the state over the last few days but also
produced radio ads airing statewide and promoted endorsements from high-profile
public officials.
Thousands of volunteers for the candidates are making phone calls and canvassing
neighborhoods to secure votes.
Former Gov. William Winter said he supports Clinton. U.S. Rep. Marion Berry
of Arkansas visited the state to support her. Novelist John Grisham introduced
Clinton's husband, former President Bill Clinton, at a campaign stop in Meridian
last week.
"The strategy here is the same strategy we use all over this country and
that is that we are trying to get every vote we can. We're trying to get people
to understand this is the biggest race to ever hit this state, (or the) United
States and it's so important that people come out and vote for Hillary Clinton,"
said state Rep. George Flaggs, D-Vicksburg, who is co-chairing Clinton's Mississippi
campaign.
Clinton's daughter, Chelsea, campaigned at several locations across Mississippi
on Sunday and Monday. On Monday, she spoke at the University of Mississippi
and Tougaloo College.
Obama campaigned in Jackson and Columbus on Monday. His supporters also sponsored
a gospel concert in Biloxi featuring singer Smokie Norful.
The Obama camp has opened seven offices statewide in the past several weeks,
campaign spokesman Kevin Griffis said.
Over the weekend, supporters held events headlined by hip-hop entrepreneur
Russell Simmons, former Gov. Ray Mabus and 2nd District U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson
in the Delta. Democratic Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius stumped for Obama on
the Gulf Coast.
"The idea ... is a community organizing philosophy where you go and meet
people where they are and get to know them," Griffis said. "You figure
out a way to engage them in the campaign in a way that incorporates their existing
interests."
Also today, voters will choose:
- U.S. House, 3rd District. For the Democratic nomination, Randall Eads of
Starkville will meet Joel Gill of Pickens. On the Republican side, voters will
choose between Gregg Harper of Pearl, Charlie Ross of Brandon, David Landrum
of Madison County, John Rounsaville of Madison, Bill Marcy of Meridian, Gregory
Hatcher of Meridian and the Rev. James Broadwater of Flowood.
- U.S. House, 2nd District. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson
is challenged by Dorothy Benford. The winner faces Republican challenger Richard
Cook in November.
- U.S. House, 1st Congressional District. On the GOP side, Southaven Mayor
Greg Davis, former Tupelo Mayor Glenn McCullough Jr. and Randy Russell of Oxford
are running. Democratic contenders include Prentiss County Chancery Clerk Travis
Childers, Marshall Coleman of Calhoun City, Ken Hurt of Verona, Brian Neely
of Tupelo and state Rep. Steve Holland of Plantersville.
A second primary, if necessary, will be held April 1.
- U.S. Senate. Democratic voters will choose between Erik Fleming and Shawn
O'Hara for a chance to challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran in November
for his bid at a sixth term.
Cochran, 70, has been in the Senate since 1979 and is unopposed in the GOP
primary.
-------
Jump to today's Truthout Features:
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. t r u t h o u t has no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of this article nor is t r u t h o u t endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)
"Go to Original" links are provided as a convenience to our readers and allow for verification of authenticity. However, as originating pages are often updated by their originating host sites, the versions posted on TO may not match the versions our readers view when clicking the "Go to Original" links.
Print This Story
E-mail This Story