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The Sleeper Race of 2023? [1]
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Date: 2023-09-07
The Nation’s journalist John Nichols, just published an article sizing up this November’s gubernatorial race, “Can Brandon Presley Shake Up Mississippi Politics?”. He is more bullish on the Democrat’s prospects this fall, insisting that Presley has a fighting chance for the following reasons:
* “The candidate has been willing to address the systematic inequities that have long harmed communities of color, along with the under-resourced and underserved population of all races...He’s making pledges to stand up to corporate special interests and rate-gouging insurance companies, to accept Medicaid funding in order to expand access to health care, and to keep rural hospitals open..”.
*”The Democrat embraces the legacy of the civil rights movement; is supported by prominent Black leaders in the state such as U.S. Representative Bennie Thompson, and shows up and speaks frankly about the support he hope to generate in majority-Black counties...”.
* “”What Brandon has got going for him is that he has a very good record with the Public Service Commission. That’s where the populism comes in. He just kicked ass with the telephone companies and utility companies on behalf of the little people. The poor people were getting screwed over by the powerful utilities, and Brandon took them on-not unlike Huey Long took on the oil companies in Louisiana,”” said political journalist, Curtis Wilkie.
Nichols also cites the 800 pound gorilla in the room, the TANF scandal. Presley’s opponent and incumbent governor Tate Reeves has been put on the defensive. The TANF scandal involved millions of dollars of money earmarked for social welfare programs instead being diverted to benefit wealthy, well-connected, donors.
“”Tate Reeves has spent his whole political career as the chief cheerleader for the good old boys’ club. That corrupt band of grifters have run this state long enough””, said Presley.
In the article Nichols does not gloss over Presley’s record noting his pro-second amendment and pro-life stances. On the latter, Nichols points out that Presley qualifies his stance saying he is pro-life in protecting both the unborn and born.
A recent poll cited on this site had Presley 11 points behind Reeves. But Nichols is considerably more upbeat, citing other polls showing the Democrat either a few points ahead or behind of Reeves. It would definitely send political shock waves across the country if as Democrat running as an economic populist beat out a far-right Republic governor in Mississippi, of all places!
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