Doug Schoen: GOP victory in Mississippi Senate race is a setback for moderate Democrats
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Republican U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith overcame criticism for comments she made about a “public hanging” to defeat former U.S. Rep. and Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy in a Senate runoff election in Mississippi Tuesday.
Espy ran on a commonsense, moderate Democratic platform. Under all circumstances, in an incredibly bitter race, Espy remained collected and did not give in to the controversy swirling around Hyde-Smith.
When responding to the inappropriate comments and actions taken by Hyde-Smith, Espy told reporters that he “tried not to be too hard” because “the world knows that those comments were harmful and hurtful.”
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Hyde-Smith’s victory may seem vexing to many, given her beliefs and behaviors, especially considering that the people of Mississippi had a more moderate alternative in Espy.
However, given that Mississippi has been a solidly Republican state in modern elections, it is certainly notable that Espy received a considerable share of the vote. While Hyde-Smith received about 54 percent of the vote, Espy got about 46 percent. In past races Republicans have won 60 percent or more of the vote in Mississippi.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Espy followed the strategy of moderation that now-Sen. Doug Jones successfully employed last year in Alabama to become the first Democrat elected to the Senate from that state in 25 years. Jones defeated Roy Moore, who faced allegations of sexual misconduct, which Moore denied.
While Espy didn’t win, the strategy of moderation that he and Jones followed is one Democrats must continue if they hope for the party to become less toxic in rural areas.
Espy showed he possesses the qualities that Democrats should be looking for if they want to remain competitive in deep-red states like Mississippi, and more broadly in critical swing states nationwide.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Espy showed he possesses the qualities that Democrats should be looking for if they want to remain competitive in deep-red states like Mississippi, and more broadly in critical swing states nationwide.
The Democratic candidate would have been the first black person elected to the Senate from Mississippi since Reconstruction if he had defeated Hyde-Smith. Unfortunately for him, the African-American vote did not come out in large enough numbers to give him an upset victory, and he did not score well enough among white voters.
Hyde-Smith became the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Mississippi with her victory. Her election gives Republicans a 53-47 majority in the Senate, up from their current 51 seats.
The runoff election in Mississippi between the two highest vote-getters in the Nov. 6 midterm elections gained a high-degree of national attention because of the many controversial statements and actions made by Hyde-Smith in the weeks leading up to the election.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Most notably, at a public campaign event, Hyde-Smith said that if a supporter invited her to “a public hanging, I’d be on the front row.”
When the extended footage of the encounter was released for context, the comment became more troubling because it revealed Hyde-Smith was using the phrase in an attempt to thank a supporter for saying she would fight for him.
Hyde-Smith offered a brief apology to anyone who may have been offended. Ultimately, the lack of a more sincere apology, and the questions surrounding why Hyde-Smith would make the comment in the first place – especially in light of Mississippi’s bleak history of public hangings of black Americans – is deeply troubling.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}President Trump, who held two rallies for Hyde-Smith in Mississippi Monday and championed her candidacy, said her comment “was just sort of said in jest.”
I am hesitant to label anyone a racist given the complexities involved with determining a person’s intent. However, in 2018, it is deeply troubling to hear the term “public hanging” being used in this context by a senator, particularly given the division in our politics.
Hyde-Smith’s comment on a public hanging is not dissimilar to other gaffes she has made.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In 2014, Hyde-Smith posted a picture on Facebook of herself wearing a replica of a Confederate army hat. In and itself that is not necessarily problematic, but the caption Hyde-Smith posted below the photo, presumably written by her, clearly said that Confederate artifacts and weapons represent “Mississippi history at its best!”
To be sure, Confederate history is American history, and in this case, Mississippi history. Yet I am sure that it is not our country’s history, nor the state’s history at its best.
Additionally, when Hyde-Smith was in school she attended a whites-only segregated academy, set up by parents to avoid racially integrated schools. She later sent her daughter to a similar school.
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As it stands now, major American corporations and brands including Walmart, Major League Baseball, Google and AT&T have all demanded that Hyde-Smith return their donations to her campaign.
Given the fact that Hyde-Smith’s victory only further cements the reality of a divided legislature, Democrats would be wise to move on and prepare for what is sure to be a contentious 116th Congress.
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