Jamie Franks Reception to be Held in Hattiesburg

[BlueDogDemocrat]

Jamie Franks will be holding a reception at the Saenger Theatre in Hattiesburg September 24, 2007.

I don't suppose many of you will be in attendance? :kekeke:

[carsalesguy]

who the hell is jamie franks

[Pirate_129]

Jamie Franks will be holding a reception at the Saenger Theatre in Hattiesburg September 24, 2007.

I don't suppose many of you will be in attendance? :kekeke:

Is he coming to accept an endorsement from the rev, the mayor, or both? :-D

[BlueDogDemocrat]

Is he coming to accept an endorsement from the rev, the mayor, or both? :-D

The mayor is on the welcoming committee, so, by default, I guess that would mean both. :-D

[MMA]

I thought it would be better to have it at the beef plant.

[rooter]

He could have had it at the new Toyota sight in north Mississippi. He claims he had a hand in bringing this plant to Mississippi. Haley Barbour was the only one that had a hand in scoring Mississippi this plant. Jamie will lie. I think I will go to this and ask a few questions. Wait, didn`t he accuse Phil Bryant of coming up with the beef plant idea?

[lwood]

Who is he again, I missed it somewhere???????

[BlueDogDemocrat]

He will be your Lt. Governor come November.

[Pirate_129]

He will be your Lt. Governor come November.

:kekeke::laugh::rly::bowrofl:<-------"That's all I got to say about that." - Forrest Gump (a better choice for Lieutenant Governer than Franks)

[BlueDogDemocrat]

Well, maybe I shouldn't underestimate the power of Phil Bryants good hair.

[Pirate_129]

Well, maybe I shouldn't underestimate the power of Phil Bryants good hair.

It is pretty darn nice. Don't forget about his dual-citizenship at Ole Miss and USM.

I honestly think that almost any Republican canidate for Lieutenant Governer has a leg up simply by riding the wave of Haley Barbours' success and popularity. We can argue about grocery taxes and corporate ties, but I don't think anyone can deny that Barbour is very popular and has done a good job. Bryant is a very qualified canidate, but I think that post-Katrina accolades of Barbour also give Bryant a huge advantage.

[TDaleBeavers]

I knew Franks from our days in law school, and he was always nice to me. However, he is a trial lawyer candidate to the hilt, and would love nothing more than to bring back the days of Jackpot Justice and runaway verdicts. I cringed during my race to see that other than this, his platform looked like mine on several key issues (the tax swap, fully funding education).

I predict Bryant will win by 10-12 percentage points in November.

[Augustus McRae]

I have a question, and I suspect BDD and TDBII have some insight into the answer. In the Summer Primary elections there was a HUGE Democrat voter turnout Statewide. I do understand that a lot of that was due to local races in specific areas and a desire, among voters, to vote for Demo candidates in those races. Andy Taggart and other politicos on the State level respond that there will be at least 100,000 of those voters who voted in both Demo primaries this summer will vote for Haley Barbour and, presumably, Phil Bryant in November.

Is that a traditional "swing" of votes?

[TDaleBeavers]

Actually I'd venture the number would be higher than that. Of course, I remember when Jack Reed won the Republican primary for Governor in 1987 with less than 20,000 voters (and got almost 80 percent of the vote over Doug Lemon) but won over 330,000 against Ray Mabus (winning 47 percent of the vote). Kirk Fordice in 1991 I believe won about 60,000 votes in the GOP primary and increased that number six fold to defeat Mabus. Four years ago, I believe Haley Barbour won around 125,000 or so votes to whip Mitch Tyner, but increased those numbers by 355,000 in November.

This year, about 446,000 Demos voted in the first primary statewide compared to almost 198,000 Republicans. I'd venture 150,000 to 200000 of those will vote Republican in the top two State races in November. Additional turnout, which is normal for general elections, will give additional votes to both candidates in each race.

[KingMaker]

The only Democrats that will likely win in Nov. is Jim Hood, although I will vote for Gen. Al Hopkins and possibly Ricky Cole. Mike Sumrall will run a good race at auditor (and would do a good job) but, when was the last time a Pickering lost a race in Mississippi?

[BlueDogDemocrat]

Mark this down in the history books, but I'd agree with the Beavers analysis of the Democratic primary vote. The overall number of voters in the Democratic Party primary, are by in large, not at all indicitive of the strength of our state-wide candidate slate nor does it speak of the general vitality of the party. It really only speaks to voter turnout as a whole.

Much more telling is the consistent increase in Republican primary voting statewide. I predict, over the next 20 years, the party realignment will be for the most part complete, as older, rural, populist, conservative Democrats will be either dead or will be Republican.

[Augustus McRae]

Mark this down in the history books, but I'd agree with the Beavers analysis of the Democratic primary vote. The overall number of voters in the Democratic Party primary, are by in large, not at all indicitive of the strength of our state-wide candidate slate nor does it speak of the general vitality of the party. It really only speaks to voter turnout as a whole.

Much more telling is the consistent increase in Republican primary voting statewide. I predict, over the next 20 years, the party realignment will be for the most part complete, as older, rural, populist, conservative Democrats will be either dead or will be Republican.


Thank you, BDD and TBDII. I think both of you are right on target. But I will add a caveat - for what it's worth.

I think their is a philosophical "swing" underway among folks in parts of the South who "went Republican" from their traditional Democrat roots at some time in their adult lives BUT who now are not feeling "at home" in the Republican Party. I think their is "fertile ground" among them to harvest some vote for a Demo candidate, statewide. But here lies the problem - I think.

Firstly, if they were considering a return to the Democrat Party in Mississippi, there would have to be some semblance of a party to which to return - There is no "organized" Democrat Party in Mississippi (to borrow from Will Rogers). The organized Republican Party in Mississippi may be found by many to have an elitist, "tea party" mentality; but at least there is a sign of organization. Near as I can tell, there are about four or five people who think they are head of the Mississippi Democrat Party - Wayne Dowdy, Bennie Thompson, Ricky Cole, and others. And there are deep, deep divides and nothing close to the "center" among the facets of the party. Diversity is good, but not when they don't talk to or trust each other. Such is the Mississippi Demo Party.

Secondly, for a Mississippi person of good and right heart and mind to want to "maybe" consider voting Democrat, you have to give them attractive candidate that they feel like they can trust to vote for. John Arthur Eaves talks a really good game. I can tell you there are a bunch of folks who'd like to vote for him, but they have not "bought in" yet. I suspicion, when Haley gets the train running with his ads and mailings for the campaign, Eaves will fade.

On the other hand, Jamie Franks MAY be a different story. I think the "closeness" of the Lt. Governor race is going to be, in large part, BECAUSE of those folks to whom I refer - people who grew up Democrat, found a tentative home as Republicans in the last three decades, but now can't get comfortable among Republican stuff. Phil Bryant is going to have his hands full in North Mississippi, I think.

There's "room" for a two party system in Mississippi. But name somebody who REALLY wants there to be....??

[BlueDogDemocrat]

Well, ideally, I think you are absolutely correct, Gus. You would THINK the dissatisfaction many folks are feeling right now towards their beloved GOP would be a great opportunity for Democratic gains. In fact, nationally I think that is indeed the case.

However, down here in Mississipi- we'l we always have done things different. Sometimes that's good, but in this instance, it's bad. The Mississippi Democratic Party doesn't know their foot from their ass nor do they recognize an opportunity until they see it in the rear view mirrior. Down here, we can't even agree if we even want dissatisfied Republicans coming home to the Democratic Party. Unfortunately, in turn we've slowly lost our ability to have broad based appeal amongst working people-- which will doom us to a legislative minority before it is all said and done.

If anything, those raised Democrat and are now Republican will seriously consider putting an "I" behind their name before they ever consider coming back to their political roots. I wish it wasn't that way, but I see the writing on the wall.

But me, I'm stayin' a put.

[BlueDogDemocrat]

The only Democrats that will likely win in Nov. is Jim Hood, although I will vote for Gen. Al Hopkins and possibly Ricky Cole. Mike Sumrall will run a good race at auditor (and would do a good job) but, when was the last time a Pickering lost a race in Mississippi?


I'm just curious, out of all the Democrats, why would you consider Rickey Cole? To caste a vote against Spell? If so, you've got a third choice in this particular race.

[Augustus McRae]

Well, ideally, I think you are absolutely correct, Gus. You would THINK the dissatisfaction many folks are feeling right now towards their beloved GOP would be a great opportunity for Democratic gains. In fact, nationally I think that is indeed the case.

However, down here in Mississipi- we'l we always have done things different. Sometimes that's good, but in this instance, it's bad. The Mississippi Democratic Party doesn't know their foot from their ass nor do they recognize an opportunity until they see it in the rear view mirrior. Down here, we can't even agree if we even want dissatisfied Republicans coming home to the Democratic Party. Unfortunately, in turn we've slowly lost our ability to have broad based appeal amongst working people-- which will doom us to a legislative minority before it is all said and done.

If anything, those raised Democrat and are now Republican will seriously consider putting an "I" behind their name before they ever consider coming back to their political roots. I wish it wasn't that way, but I see the writing on the wall.

But me, I'm stayin' a put.


I think that is an excellent summation of the situation, to be honest. I think this "swing" is REALLY going to show in the coming Presidential elections. Unfortunately, it will probably result in Hillary Clinton's election. Republicans, in my opinion, have no one to blame but themselves, to be honest. I think there was great hope for Fred Thompson - he's proving to be a "lightweight" seemingly "afraid" (at least reticent) to answer hard questions. In short, the GOP really has NO Presidential candidate at this point. Hillary would kick Rudy's behind soundly, I think.

I assume the national Demo Party has "written off" Mississippi, even with a large working class and minority percentage population? Guess the number of actual or electoral votes is not worth the effort it would take to shore it up, huh?

Most of the folks of which I speak would be Gene Taylor and Sonny Montgomery Democrats and not Bennie Thomspon models. Nationally, I don't think the Party has interest in bringing more of those into the big tent, huh?

[TDaleBeavers]

I have found myself facing these issues myself, and I think you saw it in my campaign platform. On cultural issues, I am staunchly conservative. I am pro-life, pro traditional marriage between one man and one woman, pro death penalty, and so on. I am generally against raising taxes. I have supported tort reform.

However, I find the Republican party having an increasingly country club, "tea party", or overgrown Ole Miss frat boy mentality. I have progressive views on issues such as education and cutting the grocery tax. I think it is fiscal madness to have one of the nation's lowest cigarette taxes, when we spend hundreds of millions of dollars as a state on Medicaid, and lose millions more in lost payroll taxes due to lost wages resulting from smoking related illnesses.

I don't particularly think John Eaves is well qualified for the office of Governor. I have heard people second hand via mostly my wife say that I should have run for lower office than State Representative (not sure what office they had in mind). Here's a guy running for Governor who has never held any office, and only lost when running for Congress in 1996. His ads notwithstanding, I think his biggest plank is to undo tort reform.

Barbour, in spite of my differences with him over the tax swap, and trying to be a dictator over the State GOP, has been an excellent Governor in terms of economic development, getting our state budget back in line, and post-Katrina. He'll have my vote, but I am not entirely satisfied with the direction of our state or my party.