Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Salter in Sunday's Clarion Ledger

Sid Salter's post Neshoba County Fair wrap-up of the Roger Wicker, Ronnie Musgrove showdown made a point that has resonated across the country with political junkies. Musgrove out-performed Roger Wicker in the face of a hostile crowd. As Salter puts it Musgrove is a better retail politician.

From the Sunday's Clarion Ledger:

Musgrove is a better retail politician than is Wicker. That's not a knock on Wicker, it's simply a fact. Musgrove is a people person. Wicker is more reserved.

What Wicker lacks that has benefited Republicans over the last 20 years is the sense of inevitability that he will win.

Wicker is in a dogfight, pure and simple, with Musgrove. Democrats in general in Mississippi and Musgrove's camp in particular, believe that he not only has a chance to win the race but an excellent chance. Republicans, in contrast, for the first time in years have some doubt.

3 comments:

  1. Funny ya'll never had anything to say about this matchup before now. If Ronnie is such a good retail politician, why didn't he have a significant number of supporters at the fair? The excitement level is so low in Ronnie's campaign that the DSCC is having to run all his ads because Mississippi voters aren't making small contributions. With that kind of enthusiasm, I guess its not suprising that nobody wanted to come listen to his speech at the premier political event of any Mississippi election year.

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  2. That's your opinion.

    Wicker had to bus supporters in to an event that is absolutely dominated by wealthy Republicans.

    Ronnie outraised Roger among individuals last quarter (if you remember), but Roger has a pile of cash from special interest political action committees and lobbyist connections he made as a member of the appropriations committee in the house.

    I don't think there is much excitement for any campaign other than Obama's in Mississippi.

    It's the premier event of Neshoba County.

    People in South Mississippi don't care a lick.

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  3. You can spin it by saying Wicker "had" to bus supporters in if you want, but I view it as a sign of a healthy, well organized, and well funded campaign that understands Mississippi politics and the importance of the fair. I'm sure Musgrove would have loved to offer supporters a ride to hear him speak as well, but I guess he didn't have the grass roots organization to pull it off.

    The excitement level may be my opinion, but I am using the fair as evidence. It takes a certain level of excitement for that many people to want to ride a bus for several hours to hear a speech. Again, no indication that anyone is willing to do that on Musgrove's side.

    Speaking of spin, I noticed you focus on one quarter of fund raising (that took place after Wicker had already raised over $3 million) rather than the entire campaign.

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