Democrat Mike Espy announces bid for U.S. Senate seat in Mississippi

[DonViejo]

Source: The Washington Post



By Washington Post Staff April 6 at 11:27 AM

The former congressman said on his website Friday that he wants to rise above party and partisan wrangling as he pursues the seat. Longtime Republican Sen. Thad Cochran resigned on April 1 due to failing health. Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant appointed the state’s Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Cindy Hyde-Smith to the seat. But she faces a spirited challenge from conservative Chris McDaniel.

Espy was agriculture secretary during Bill Clinton’s administration.

The special election will be held on the same day as the rest of the midterm elections: Nov. 6.

This is a developing story. It will be updated.

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Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/04/06/democrat-mike-espy-announces-bid-for-u-s-senate-seat-in-mississippi

[vi5]

1. "he wants to rise above party and partisan wrangling."

Yeah, good luck with that. I'm sure he's got the magical key that will unlock that door, where pretty much.....oh everyone else...has failed.

[DeminPennswoods]

3. Dem leadership is ok with this

In fact, I've noticed almost all Dem candidates are running on this theme which makes me think it's a planned campaign strategy.

[vi5]

4. That's been our strategy since 2008 at least....

....and it's the most useless, pointless slogan possible.

And it implies that both sides are to blame for the "partisan bickering".

It doesn't convince anyone on the other side who are already so brainwashed and would never vote for a Dem anyway, and it does nothing to encourage Democratic voters who turn out for someone whose primary concern is "bipartisanship" rather than doing what people want Democratic candidates and politicians to do.

And it is premised on the totally false and insane notion that there are still "good republicans" who can be reasoned with or bargained with.

At some point we've got to start realizing that this line of approach doesn't convince anyone of anything.

[BumRushDaShow]

7. "someone whose primary concern is 'bipartisanship'"

IMHO, that piece of it is targeting independents/non-affiliated.

In order to win, we need to capture independents and make them Democrats (or at least get them to vote for Democrats).

[DeminPennswoods]

9. Exactly

Conor Lamb said the same things, he would work in a bipartisan way. I think sometimes we lose sight of it that Americans don't hate government. For the most part, they like government and just want it to be effective and efficient.

[BumRushDaShow]

10. I think

that when it comes to discussion forums like this, you tend to have more partisans (and partisan thinking) than the general population!

[DeminPennswoods]

17. Probably correct

[mvd]

16. I'd rather excite the base than appeal to moderate Repukes

Moderate Repukes aren’t so moderate these days anyway. And independents appreciate a strong message.

[vi5]

18. Exactly...

...we've been chasing these mythical, non-existent "moderate"s since The Bush II years and it has gotten us where we are now.

[Hortensis]

5. Of course. This is a red state. To win there,

Democratic candidates MUST draw from both left and right. And this is a formula that has been successful a few times now in other conservative dominated districts over the past few months. That it's working suggests more people are realizing that uberpartisanship has become dangerously toxic over the past few decades and are rightly beginning to be scared of and reject it.

In this particular case, since it's a U.S. SENATE seat, Espy must appeal to voters all across the state. That's why our senate always tends to be more moderate overall than the house. Candidates for the house only need to appeal to voters in their districts, as Espy did when he became MS's first black congressman.

[vi5]

6. "uberpartisanship has become dangerously toxic over the past few decades"

And that is 100% the fault of Republicans. Democrats have ben over backwards to make things work with Republicans. They've conceded at every turn on every issue and had Republicans spit in their faces.

I get that this is a red state and he can't run as a loud and proud liberal Democrate. That's fine.

But as much as people on here scream and shout constantly about "undermining the Democratic party", or about how wrong people are when they claim "both parties are the same!" nothing does this more than implying in any way that the Democratic party bears some of the blame for this bipartisanship.

[Hortensis]

8. Oh, I agree. PLUS the dark-money forces who've divided

and conquered the electorate to a real degree by fostering divisions to a toxic degree.

But on the left are a far smaller number they've been working on also. We would not have lost in 2016 if those had all voted for their avowed issues instead of being swayed by toxic messages against Democrats.

I mention that because those forces are STILL busily working to splinter off enough people from the Democratic Party to keep control of congress in THEIR hands. People reading articles denigrating the Democratic Party, and there are TONS of them infiltrating media from far left to far right, from award-winning MSM to the sewers, should wonder what their agenda is.

[vi5]

11. But when you have actual Democrats, in the Democratic party....

...saying that "we" need to put country ahead of party, or "rise above the partisan bickering" or whatever other claptrap they are saying, then that's just as, if not more damaging to the party than anyone outside the party doing or saying something.

Outsiders are expected and have no reason, obligation or allegiance to point out that Democrats ARE above the partisanship and have already given and conceded and put country before party and everything else.

But when Democrats lend support to this myth/lie/talking point/whatever, and actively run on that as their platform then that is more damaging. Because it says to people that even Democrats don't want to be aligned with the Democratic party and even Democrats think both sides are to blame.

[Hortensis]

12. :) Saying we need to put country above party is not

damaging to the party. It's a message of unity, and we are after all the United States, united we stand, etcetera.

It just specifically leaves off the bashing the others part. Because that's a losing message in these districts. Remember, until recently, through almost all our history America's been overall a centrist nation. Not a radical one.

But not to worry. Leftists who are trying to win by badmouthing Democrats are getting their asses handed to them. Intractable believers may insist they're losing to overwhelming corruption, but the fact is that people in both blue and purple/red districts want a return to decency and stability, not "revolution." The GOP's giving them more than enough of that.

[vi5]

14. Well traditional Democratic policies....

...provide that decency and stability for all. I don't see why it's considered revolutionary to expect the members of the party that's supposed to stand for that to explain that and embrace it rather than run for it.

It shouldn't be revolutionary to say that and to point it out and to accurately and effectively sell our party and it's platforms to the American people. And it shouldn't be revolutionary to ask that of our party members.

The fact that in 2018 the biggest punching bag of the Democratic party has become "leftists" tells me everything I need to know about what the party I've called my own and devoted time, money, and across the board votes to for the past 35 years has become.

If people want to put their heads in the sand and think that everyone who is dissatisfied with what the party has become and how it handles and presents itself is some radical, pony wanting radical communist/socialist/leftist, Nader supporting radical rather than people like me and many of my friends and family who are lifelong, working class, socially liberal Democrats then we are going to continue to be at the margins of power rather than in control of it.

[exboyfil]

2. 38% of the population is African American

It is about time they have an African American Senator. Good luck to Mike Espy.

[oasis]

13. Time for early exposure on Rachel Maddow's "The Interview".

[Cha]

15. KICK!