BOBBY HARRISON: Tea Party possibilities weigh on 2015 races

djournal.com ^ | BOBBY HARRISON

[ObamahatesPACoal]

Unless the Better Schools, Better Jobs folks badly miscounted the number of signatures they gathered, their initiative to require eventual full funding of the Mississippi Adequate Education program will be on the ballot in November 2015.

The Adequate Education Program, of course, is the funding formula that determines the amount of money each local school district is supposed to get from the state to support basic operations, such as salaries and maintenance. The poorer the school district, the larger its percentage of state funds is.

The Better Schools, Better Jobs group was formed because since it was fully enacted in 2002, MAEP has been fully funded only twice – both election years. And in recent years, the state has fallen further behind in its commitment to local school districts.

(SNIP)

The euphoria of near-victory followed by the devastation of a close loss to incumbent U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran in the this past summer’s Republican primary by state Sen. Chris McDaniel, a Tea Party favorite, has buoyed speculation of Tea Party candidates possibly challenging incumbent Republicans in 2015.

(SNIP)

Reeves and perhaps some incumbent state legislators are viewed as possible targets of Tea Party supporters.

What possibly could change the dynamics of state elections is if a group of Republican candidates run and campaign as being supporters of the education funding initiative.

[ObamahatesPACoal]

McConnell and Barbour are looking to commit voter fraud again in 2015.

[Steely Tom]

Democrats are going to try to get rid of off-year elections.

[GeronL]

We need a real National TEA Party Convention before the end of 2015 so we can all get behind a candidate. (Cruz)

[unixfox]

Amen. Enough of this nonsense. Either we are a real party or we aren’t.

[WKB]

Mississippi ping

FWIW I was in Jackson today and saw a Prius with a Hilary2016 and a “I Love Obamacare” sticker on the back bumper.
We still have work to do.

[ObamahatesPACoal]

Cochran’s girlfriend was driving it.

[trebb]

Wouldn’t worry much about the occassional pro-Hillary/ObamaCare stickers - MS is still solid Republican:::Before the last presidential election, we had a Fair on the coast and I noted many Blacks carrying Romney/Ryan yard signs after visiting the political booths.

[Hawthorn]

>> I was in Jackson today and saw a Prius with a Hilary2016 and a “I Love Obamacare” sticker on the back bumper <<

In-state or out-of-state tag? Maybe a carpetbagger?

For example, it seems to me that there are a fair number of Oregon tags in cars in Jackson.

(I know it seems very unlikely to see OR cars in MS. But they’re definitely there. Maybe it’s because of something related to the Medical School.)

[WKB]

It was a local Hinds Co tag with a local driver

[WKB]

I understand but if Mississippi is “solid” Republican explain AG Jim Hood. :>)

[trebb]

I understand but if Mississippi is “solid” Republican explain AG Jim Hood. :>)

And a few in State legislatures (not to mention Cochran) - wish we could be 100% and pure, but the Delta and the couple larger cities preclude it. Will stick with the "solid" assessment though.