Friday, August 1, 2008

Wicker subtly attacks Musgrove for being divorced

About two weeks ago while watching the news, I watched a Roger Wicker ad that used half of the 30 second spot to tell how happily married he is. His wife Gail is featured in the voice over. When I saw that ad, I knew what line of attack lay ahead for the Roger Wicker campaign. Fast-forward to this past Wednesday when both candidates spoke at the Neshoba County Fair.

WLBT 3 of Jackson had this report:

Senator Roger Wicker brought his wife, Gail, to the podium at the Neshoba County Fair Wednesday, touting a long and happy marriage.

"Gayle's been my wife 32 years," Wicker said. "She's been a great, wonderful mother."

His marriage has been a selling point for his campaign for the U.S. Senate against Ronnie Musgrove, who divorced wife Melanie while governor. He brought his new wife, Melody, to the fair.

Musgrove jumped right into his accomplishments as governor.
I don't think this is an appropriate line of attack, especially when our state is feeling the effects of the recession. A new report came out today that our the federal jobless number rose again for the seventh straight month. I don't think Roger Wicker's 32 year marriage is going to help Mississippians. Maybe it will provide "psychological benefits." Musgrove was wise to jump wight to the issues when he was given his turn to speak. Much like John McCain, Roger Wicker is short on substance but full of personal attacks.

8 comments:

  1. I was at the Fair and heard Musgrove and Wicker both. They both talked about their wives. Musgrove's wife sat on stage the whole time he spoke. Wicker's joined the audience. I don't think there was an attack. Half the people who spoke talked about their wives. Maybe you're overly sensitive about that.

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  2. I think WLBT got this wrong wrong wrong. Introducing your wife, talking about your family situation isn't an attack.

    If Musgrove happens to be divorced, so be it, but it doesn't mean that being married for a long time is an attack.

    Sometimes people think way too much into these things.

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  3. This is a liberal blog. They don’t appreciate politicians for being honest and married for 32 years. Roger's personal record is about as good as it gets and his political record is not bad either.

    The Musgrove supporters are trying really hard to find a weak link in Roger's chain. This has to be the most ridiculous post so far in this campaign. Jeff is going all out to try and pull things out of thin air and I congratulate you for the ridiculous post award. The Conservative Strike Force officially awards you The Most Ridiculous Post Award for the week. Jeff, write something worth talking about and please don’t try and out do yourself.

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  4. You're free to your opinion, but it was seen as that by many.

    While it's not quite the level of Barbour giving Musgrove's ex-wife a ticket to their 2003 debate it is intentional.

    When you spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on advertising you stop to consider every second of the ad.

    Contrasts are both politically good and intentional and are expected.

    To assume that Wicker only has good intentions is to be intentionally ingenuous.

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  5. Haley did the same thing back in 2003 when he came out after Musgrove all hugged up with his wife. It is the message in the background. Haley saw this a solid line of attack that would resonate with the voters and he was right. So is Wicker.

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  6. If you believe that, you'd also have to believe that Michelle Obama's prominent campaign role is a subtle attack on John McCain, who has been divorced. This is the most paranoid post I've ever read.

    You must have been the jerk that booed when Roger introduced his wife.

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  7. I find it funny that ya'll posted a story about Kitchens speech but this is all you have to say about the Wicker / Musgrove matchup. Ya'll are just upset because Ronnie got killed at the fair. Wicker supporters easily outnumbered Musgrove's people 20 to 1. I understand... if I were a liberal blogger, I would want to talk about something other than Ronnie getting such a poor reception at the fair too.

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  8. Turnout at the fair (especially for Wicker who had to bus folks in) isn't a great barometer.

    Example: Al Hopkins had a larger and more equiped audience at the fair last year, but then Jim Hood got more votes than anyone else running statewide.

    The fair is no kind of straw poll except to judge white Republican opinion.

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