Mississippi Senate Race Heads for the Gutter as Cindy Hyde-Smith Tries To Lose a Sure Race

screengrab from https://twitter.com/LamarWhiteJr/status/1061649185110417408

On November 27, Mississippi holds a run off election to decide who will fill the seat vacated (like it was ever really occupied) by the obviously-out-of-it Thad Cochran. The candidates are barely-unindicted-possible-felon an former Clinton Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy (see this for his near-brushes with a long term in a federal penitentiary) and the woman Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant appointed to fill out the term of Cochran, former state commissioner of agriculture and commerce Cindy Hyde Smith.

In the election on November 6, Hyde-Smith received 41.5% of the vote, Espy got 40.5% and the election went to a run off because Chris McDaniel, who was the subject of a scurrilous negative campaign by McConnell’s NRSC in the 2014 GOP primary, got 16.5% of the vote.

What should have been a cakewalk for Hyde-Smith next week has the disturbing feel of a rickety jalopy whose wheels are about to come off most due to the loose lips and lack of self-awareness of Hyde-Smith, herself.

She was caught joking about voter suppression…and I mean obviously joking

Cindy Hyde-Smith on voter suppression: "And then they remind me, that there's a lot of liberal folks in those other schools who that maybe we don't want to vote. Maybe we want to make it just a little more difficult. And I think that's a great idea." Nov 2nd in Columbus, MS. pic.twitter.com/OxNY77XCft

— Lamar White, Jr. (@LamarWhiteJr) November 15, 2018

But what has really set things on edge is this

"If he invited me to a public hanging, I'd be on the front row"- Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith says in Tupelo, MS after Colin Hutchinson, cattle rancher, praises her.

Hyde-Smith is in a runoff on Nov 27th against Mike Espy. pic.twitter.com/0a9jOEjokr

— Lamar White, Jr. (@LamarWhiteJr) November 11, 2018

This statement, which, charitably, is bizarre, has been turned into a claim that Hyde-Smith supports lynching.

In today’s press conference receiving an endorsement from the National Right to Life President, @SenHydeSmith was only asked questions regarding her statement on “public hangings” this is what she and Gov. @PhilBryantMS had to say: #mssen #mselex pic.twitter.com/HuFZlNlq34

— Yall Politics (@MSyallpolitics) November 12, 2018

The next US Senator from Mississippi will be chosen in a runoff election between Mike Espy and Cindy Hyde-Smith. Saying positive things about public hangings while running against a black candidate in the South is certainly an interesting tactic. https://t.co/FtpfRIsbZk

— Sean Carroll (@seanmcarroll) November 11, 2018

And, 60 years after the suppression of lynch law, lynching has become a central element in Espy’s campaign.

WalMart is so spooked that it is asking for its campaign contributions back:

#MSSEN – In the Mississippi Senate runoff, @Walmart is no longer backing Republican @cindyhydesmith after controversial remarks.

"we are withdrawing our support and requesting a refund of all campaign donations." https://t.co/8ceR6WLkic

— OpenSecrets.org (@OpenSecretsDC) November 20, 2018