Ping.
A long effort to justify voting for the Republican, because, as the establishment says, the other side is worse. I am not from Mississippi, and so do not want to speak for conservatives in that state, but if I were from that state, I would not vote for Thad and let the establishment get away with voter fraud. I would not vote Democrat, either. I’d either find a third party I could stomach, and, failing that, would write in someone. Not for revenge against Republicans, but out of a belief that something better will come from it if the GOPe fails to get its way on this. The day will arrive when either the GOP is dead or it is conservative, and the better to hasten that day.
Mississippi is the single Senate level race where I recommend voting for the ‘RAT. Yes, the GOPe’s behavior in that primary was THAT despicable.
I know that Cochran will still almost certainly win owing to the propensity of the battered base holding their noses and voting for the “lesser of two evils”. Except this time, the lesser of two evils is NOT the Republican on the ballot.
I’ve posted many times what I intend to do and why. Many times I’ve voted for Republican primary and nomination winners I was not happy or comfortable with. But NOT this time, I voted , legally, no early voting but absentee legal for those over 65 in Mississippi, FOR Chris McDaniel as a write in I know will NOT count but it counts for me and regardless what happens I’ll have a clear conscious. I will not have rewarded the cochran campaign, the NRC, the NRSC, roger wicker, the barbours, joe nosef or the Mississippi Republican party. I will not have voted for a non-descript third party that has no accomplishments and I’m not sure of what or who they want to reform. I will not have voted for a democrat who is NOT conservative and regardless of what he signed is not trustworty, He voted for the Food Safety Act and he didn’t “make up his mind” to oppose obamacare until the democrats had enough votes to pass it and he was allowed to vote no hopefully so he could get re-elected and hold what was considered a Conservative Republican district, he didn’t. What will be will be. If the GOP wanted me to support their nominee they shouldn’t have taken my NRSC contribution and used it in the primary in behalf of the candidate I didn’t support and buy ads directed at black democrats inviting them into our primary calling Senator Mcdaniel and his supporters, ME and My WIFE, bigots, racist, klansmen and people who would starve poor and needy people and then mock us and say they were just reaching out as republicans to democrat voters. I get the impression that roger wicker personally got the NRSC to release funds to the cochran campaign but I believe his washington staff was more involved with the illegal buying of votes than the radio ads, that was henry barbour. Didn’t vote for cochran, won’t vote for wicker.
Originally, I supported voting for the Democrat to punish the GOP for what they did. That was based on the assumption that the plan was for Cochran to resign within 6 month, and Haley Barbour would select his replacement for the next few years until the next general election. Voting FOR Cochran actually improves the chances for another Senate election in 2015. Voting for Childers does not.
However, Mississippi election law requires that a new election for Senator be held within 90 days of the vacancy. The appointed Senator would only last for 3 months until a Special Election is held.
McDaniel could actually run again in 2015 if Cochran were to be elected and then resign or die in office. This is better than having Childers hold the seat for 6 years.
Here is the relevant section of the code.
There are risks to this.
23-15-855. Elections to fill vacancies in office of U.S. Senator; interim appointments by Governor.(1) If a vacancy shall occur in the office of United States Senator from Mississippi by death, resignation or otherwise, the Governor shall, within ten (10) days after receiving official notice of such vacancy, issue his proclamation for an election to be held in the state to elect a Senator to fill such unexpired term as may remain, provided the unexpired term is more than twelve (12) months and the election shall be held within ninety (90) days from the time the proclamation is issued and the returns of such election shall be certified to the Governor in the manner set out above for regular elections, unless the vacancy shall occur in a year that there shall be held a general state or congressional election, in which event the Governor's proclamation shall designate the general election day as the time for electing a Senator, and the vacancy shall be filled by appointment as hereinafter provided.
(2) In case of a vacancy in the office of United States Senator, the Governor may appoint a Senator to fill such vacancy temporarily, and if the United States Senate be in session at the time the vacancy occurs the Governor shall appoint a Senator within ten (10) days after receiving official notice thereof, and the Senator so appointed shall serve until his successor is elected and commissioned as provided for in subsection (1) of this section, provided that such unexpired term as he may be appointed to fill shall be for a longer time than one (1) year, but if for a shorter time than one (1) year he shall serve for the full time of the unexpired term and no special election shall be called by the Governor but his successor shall be elected at the regular election.
1. McDaniel chooses to not run in the special election.
2. Cochran holds on and does not resign.
3. Barbour tries to get Mississippi to do what Massachusetts did when Mitt Romney became governor and change the Senate vacancy law to replace the 90 day call for a special election with a governor's appointment that runs to the next general election.
If you recall in Massachusetts, the legislature did the opposite: they replaced a governor's appointment with a special election to prevent Romney from appointing a Republican for several years. I fear that Mississippi might be influenced to change the Senate vacancy law in advance of Cochran resigning, so that a Governor's appointment would last more than 3 months.
McDaniel in 2015 in a Special Election!
-PJ
Anyway, my point was that the question doesn't deserve much time in analysis and reflection. Vote your conscience. The outcome won't change, but your conscience will be clear.