GOP Needs New Strategy in the South

Real Clear Politics ^ | April 27th, 2008 | David Broder

[The_Republican]

While the eyes of the political world were focused on Pennsylvania last week, I played hooky for a day at the invitation of the Lee County Library and bumped into a story as revealing in its way as the latest round in the struggle between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Among other things, it explains why John McCain found it useful to spend last week touring poverty-stricken areas in the South, where Republicans rarely go.

On the same day that Pennsylvanians gave Clinton a victory that still left unclear who will eventually be the Democratic nominee, voters in Mississippi's 1st Congressional District failed to settle who will fill the seat left vacant when Republican incumbent Roger Wicker was appointed to the Senate.

The seat has belonged to the GOP ever since the retirement of the legendary Jamie Whitten, a conservative Democrat, who held it for 53 years. Wicker succeeded him in 1994 and established a Whitten-like hold on the district, winning with 79 percent and 66 percent of the vote in the last two elections. President Bush carried it easily in both his races too.

And yet, the Republican hopeful in last Tuesday's special election, Greg Davis, has been forced into a runoff on May 13 against Democrat Travis Childers. Childers actually led 49 percent to 46 percent and came within 400 votes of a first-round majority that would have sent him to Congress. Four other candidates diverted just enough votes to force the runoff.

As a mayor and former state representative from the district's largest population county, Davis was the early favorite. He had the endorsement of Gov. Haley Barbour, Sen. Thad Cochran, Wicker and the man Wicker replaced, Trent Lott.

[Iron Munro]

GOP Needs New Strategy in the South.

Right.

South of the Canadian border, that is.

Lets be a little more accurate with that headline -

GOP Needs New Candidate.

[penowa]

"Replace McCain?"

Good start...