The Hill: GOP strives to avert Mississippi train wreck

The Hill a website devoted to the politics of DC, just released an an analysis of the MS-01 congressional race tomorrow. The article features quotes from Marvin King, an assistant political science professor at Ole Miss, who also has a really cool blog, Black Political Analysis. There were several interesting parts, highlighted below starting with the pull out all the stops approach for the GOP.

Davis spent the final day before the election rallying with Cheney, Sen. Roger Wicker (R), Gov. Haley Barbour (R) and Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant (R), whipping up voters from Tupelo to Oxford to Batesville to his base in DeSoto County, where Cheney was set to appear.

Former Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.), Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) have also helped in recent days.

Marvin King weighs in on the downturn of Republican fortunes,

“If they can’t win here, it doesn’t look well for the Republicans,” said Marvin King, an assistant political science professor at the University of Mississippi.

Because the special election’s ballot is nonpartisan, Davis will not be identified as a Republican. But King said that and other factors don’t explain the GOP’s struggles.

“They can’t even blame it on Bush, I don’t think,” King said. “For whatever reason, the Republican message just isn’t as strong this year.

And then there was this from House Minority Whip Roy Blount(R-MO),

House Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) said Wednesday that Republican infighting at the primary level has been at the root of the problem in the special elections, since many of the candidates have waited years for the seat to open up.