Republicans increasingly concerned about Mississippi Senate runoff election - Polidicks

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/in-mississippi-republican-concern-rises-over-a-us-senate-runoff-that-should-have-been-a-romp/2018/11/17/fcfa8b24-e9d9-11e8-bbdb-72fdbf9d4fed_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.44f7228fceb7 JACKSON, Miss. — A U.S. Senate runoff that was supposed to provide an easy Republican win has turned into an unexpectedly competitive contest, driving Republicans and Democrats to pour in resources and prompting a planned visit by President Trump to boost his party’s faltering candidate. Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith stumbled recently when, in praise of a supporter, she spoke of her willingness to sit in the front row of a public hanging if he invited her — words that, in the South, evoked images of lynchings. She has struggled to grapple with the fallout, baffling members of her party and causing even faithful Republicans to consider voting for her opponent, former congressman Mike Espy. That Espy is attempting to become the state’s first black senator since shortly after the Civil War made her remarks all the more glaring. It has positioned him to take advantage not only of a substantial black turnout but of a potential swell of crossover support from those put off by Hyde-Smith’s campaign. Espy remains the underdog in the conservative state, but Republicans with access to private polling say Hyde-Smith’s lead has narrowed significantly in recent days. Republicans need only to look to next-door Alabama, where Democrat Doug Jones pulled out a surprise win last year, to stoke concern. Trump’s campaign announced Saturday that he would hold rallies for Hyde-Smith in Tupelo and Biloxi the night before the election. The Republican National Committee, meantime, has two dozen staffers in Mississippi and plans to send more. The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) is also sending reinforcements and last week made a $700,000 ad buy. Espy played down race while competing in a multicandidate field for the Nov. 6 election, even as the third-place finisher, conservative Chris McDaniel, put the second flag of the Confederate States of America on his yard signs. Scrutiny has also heightened recently over Espy’s past. Fox News on Thursday reported he was paid $750,000 in 2011 to lobby on behalf of an Ivory Coast despot who is now on trial at the International Criminal Court. Hyde-Smith is now running ads questioning whether he lied about that work. Espy was also forced out in 1994 as agriculture secretary in the Clinton administration, amid accusations that he improperly took gifts from businesses and lobbyists. He later was acquitted on 30 corruption charges. But it is Hyde-Smith who has commandeered most of the recent attention, to her potential detriment. “It turned the whole thing upside down . . . I knew who I was going to vote for before this. Now I don’t,” said a man named William, a white Republican and self-described “Trumpster” who voted for Hyde-Smith two weeks ago. He declined to provide his last name because he didn’t want to publicly disclose he was considering voting for a Democrat. “Mike Espy is a good guy. Nothing wrong with him.”

Imagine feeling ashamed for not voting for an objectionably worse candidate just because of their party affiliation. But good on him to over-come that sense of shame and dread.

An article a while ago featured evangelical white women who supported Beto who hid their identity to be safe from their husbands.

Wait a second. Would this mean if the Dems managed to flip that senate seat to blue that they WON'T have the majority in the Senate?

If they lose Florida but win Mississippi it's 52 R 48 D, same makeup as before Doug Jones got elected.

What really confuses me is why people are already saying there's no way the Dems are capable of winning back the Senate in 2020. There's tons of Republican seats up for re-election. What are people's reasons for assuming there's no way we can flip just three of them? (Or four, if Mississippi and Florida both end up being a loss.) I mean, we don't even know what shape Trump is going to be in by 2020, and the party's success hinges more on him at this point than anyone else. If he goes down, shit is going to hit the fan real quick for the Republicans.

its litterally turning into alabama v2

While the make up of the 2020 class is much friendlier to Democrats, only Colorado is a real surefire Democrat gain, while the others could very well end up GOP holds if the blue wave is slightly smaller than expected. And Doug Jones isn't getting reelected unless Roy Moore wins the primary again, which he could. Tossups include Maine, Arizona, Iowa, North Carolina, and Montana if Steve Bullock runs. Others that could go D if the blue wave is massive include Alaska, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Texas. Who the 2020 Democrat presidential nominee will have an impact as well, and could affect chances in red states.

Had a Freudian moment, thought the headline said Russians instead of Republicans.

so trump is literally endorsing someone who wants to obstruct and prevent liberals from voting because it means their chances of winning get narrower and narrower. it's not the first time but this is yet more proof that trump is fine and dandy with people who want to disenfranchise voters and tear away voting rights. fuck all these fascist pigs

I am hoping Espy takes MS. Hyde-Smith would be a poor representation of Mississippi. The state is slowly progressing, and with a level-headed individual representing it in the senate, MS can finally soon lose the laughing-stock mentality its had for a while what with racism and the likes. Her comments shut her coffin, and I am glad it's shut. She is a piece of shit, and her comments show her true colors. Kick her ass, Espy.

ya the large amount of gop up for reelection is in already very red states but the democrats can field competitive candidates as ohio, WV and others showed. 2022 is the year the gop has a lot of red senators in blue states though. I don't know if the gop will shoot themselves in the foot in 2020 but the red base turnout and big money donors coming out will make it difficult.