Swing State Project - MS-01 Childers the Populist
It's regular folks who have his sympathy - and that's why Travis Childers needs our help. But as with Iraq, a Childers victory can send a clear message: that running on a populist message works. At the same time, it will help drive a stake through the heart of stale, pernicious DLC-style politics. Childers can continue the line of victories that began with Tester and Webb and show Democrats that the way to bigger majorities this fall requires that we meaningfully address the concerns of average Americans.
Over at Huffington Post there was this snippet on MS-01.
Republicans are now rushing in to hurt Obama further. The North Carolina Republican party is indicating that its ad will start running tomorrow; and Wright has now worked his way to Mississippi. Last week, Democratic Travis Childers came within 400 votes of picking-up heavily Republican MS-01 in a special election; now, Greg Davis, the trailing Republican candidate, has released an ad blasting Childers for his connection to "liberal Barack Obama." The ad uses footage of a sermon by Wright and accuses Childers of having said nothing when Obama's preacher "was cursing" America. The ad concludes by accusing Childers of choosing Obama over MS-01's "conservative values." (Watch this attack ad here.) After insisting that NC Republicans don't air their ads, McCain is not stepping in this time; Wright has become fair game for Republicans to an extent that was not expected to come about for many more weeks....
...This only means that the runoff of MS-01 will likely be interpreted as a test of Obama's electability. With Childers on the verge of winning in the first round, would a defeat signify that Obama is indeed a drag on local Democrats? This question is in many way unfair: Davis and Childers came in within 3% on April 22nd and the NRCC is mobilizing in the district; there are many other factors that could explain a Davis victory. Furthermore, MS-01 is a very Republican district that voted for Bush with 62%. Any nationalization of this election is likely to hurt Childers insofar as the Democrat's hopes of winning here are predicated on his convincing voters that he is very conservative. But with Davis's decision to drag Obama and Wright to the stage of a Mississippi congressional election, it is almost inevitable that the results will be read through a national lens.
Eric Kleefield over TPM has this to say about the negative attack ad.
The latest FEC filings show an ad buy of over $260,000 -- meaning that the cash-strapped NRCC sees both a real need to spend money in this deep-red district, and also some real potential for using Barack Obama's name to poison down-ticket Dem chances.
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Bumming.
ReplyDeleteI was a supporter of Childers until I saw the video of him distancing himself from Obama is that typical DLC manuevering. Should we even continue to support a man who doesn't even seem to stick up for the possible presidential nominee?
ReplyDeleteI thought about it even though I don't agree with what he did I still think we have to help him win because if he loses it shows a weakness in Obama that the Republicans can use.
ReplyDeleteChilders better make this worth it.
What would you rather have, Childers an economic populist who is against the war, or an empty suit Republican, Greg Davis. The choice is easy.
ReplyDeleteChilders is just doing what he needs to do, it is politics.
Obama knows this has turned into a referendum on him to a degree.
I felt he could've done it in a more classy way like saying "who endorses me doesn't matter its about policy." Im giving him the benefit of the doubt I just hope he is not going to become a lieberman or zel miller.
ReplyDeleteTravis Childers is a good Mississippi Democrat. He'll do us proud. I don't think he was expecting that question or I hope he'd have had a better response prepared.
ReplyDeleteYeah any Dem is better then a no policy driven republican
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