Thad Cochran’s Plan B: Woo Democrats

dailycaller.com ^ | 6/5/14 | Matt Lewis

[cotton1706]

Having failed to fend off the primary challenge of conservative Senate candidate Chris McDaniel, strategists advising Sen. Thad Cochran’s campaign seem to have come up with an unorthodox theory for winning the June 24 runoff election: If you can’t win the game with the current electoral universe, change the universe.

As the New York Times reports:

Senator Thad Cochran’s supporters opened Mississippi’s Republican Senate runoff on Wednesday by signaling that they would treat the race like a general election and seek the votes of Democrats and independents during the three-week campaign against State Senator Chris McDaniel.

… There is no party registration in Mississippi, and with former Representative Travis Childers having secured the Democratic Senate nomination on Tuesday, there will be no statewide Democratic runoff.

This news, of course, opens Cochran up to more attacks from the right:

“The Cochran campaign is by all means welcome to try to make this runoff completely different from every other runoff that has been run in the history of American politics,” said Barney Keller, a spokesman for the conservative Club for Growth, which spent the most of the conservative groups against Mr. Cochran during the primary.

When an incumbent fails to garner 50 percent of the vote in an election, that usually spells trouble in a runoff. So if you’re betting on this race, the smart money is now on Chris McDaniel.

[Cringing Negativism Network]

I’m not supporting anyone in this race, but I’m just saying, if one of our candidates comes out strongly for American jobs,...

Just saying.

[DoodleDawg]

I would imagine that the Democrats would view McDaniel as the easier candidate to beat - if there is such a thing for a Democrat in Mississippi - so they would be more apt to vote for him. Besides, if they voted in the Democrat primary they can’t vote in the runoff.

[DoodleDawg]

In most states, runoff elections are only open to those who participated in the earlier primary election. So it appears that Cochran could appeal only to those Democrats who voted in the primary.

Under Mississippi law the runoff is open to people who voted in the Republican primary or who didn't vote period. Link

[grania]

I thought the rule was that no one could vote in this runoff unless they voted in the Republican primary Tuesday.

[DoodleDawg]

Thad Cochran is typical of the old school mainstream Southern Republicans. He was a Democrat until he found out he could become a Republican and still keep his big spending, big government ways.

[Paine in the Neck]

Maintaining power trumps maintaining principles

Maintaining power is the only principle they have.

[Servant of the Cross]

We expect him to go full Murkowski.

Uh oh. Please don't tell me that if Barbour's puppet Cochran loses this run-off too, he can then still run as an Independent in November?!

[X-spurt]

That is just one of many good reasons to never give a dime to the RNC.

[X-spurt]

Lee would be awesome, but would he be willing to fight as dirty as Mitch knows well how to do to keep his leaderseat?

[deport]

In most states, runoff elections are only open to those who participated in the earlier primary election. So it appears that Cochran could appeal only to
those Democrats who voted in the primary.

****************

The problem is this isn’t most states, it is Mississippi specifically and their laws/rules apply.

From the SOS regarding a runoff:

http://www.sos.ms.gov/news_press_release.aspx?id=584

If there is a Primary Runoff Election:

The 2014 Primary Runoff Election will be held on June 24, 2014 (Miss. Code Ann §23-15-305)
Polls are open from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm.

Citizens must have been registered for the June 3, 2014 Primary Election to be eligible
to vote in the June 24, 2014 Primary Runoff Election. If an eligible voter did not participate
in the June 3rd Primary Election, the voter may vote in either the Democratic or Republican
Primary Runoff. The State of Mississippi does not allow “crossover” voting. Meaning,
if a voter cast a ballot in the Democratic Primary, he/she must cast a ballot in the Democratic
Primary Runoff. If a voter cast a ballot in the Republican Primary, he/she must cast a ballot
in the Republican Primary Runoff. (Miss. Code Ann §23-15-575)Uniformed and Overseas ballots
have been transmitted in accordance with State and Federal law.

[deport]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3164412/posts?page=30#30

[WKB]

You are both back to full privileges with no probation.

[ansel12]

Santorum supported Specter all the way, until 2010, when Specter switched parties, he refunded Santorums 2010 money.

[dixiechick2000]

I sure hope so.

[dixiechick2000]

Thank you for the ping!

It’s good to “see” you, and I hope all is well. ;-)