The people in Mississippi will feel sorry for him, but they will be furious that they no longer have any pull in the senate and that would soon come home to them as the federal dollars dried up as a result of angry senators and furious big buck republican business owners.
As head of some important committee, and with the gratitude of his compatriots, he could shovel some real pork to the folks back home, and in a high profile position he could rebuild his image and use the "the dems almost destroyed me by character assassination" like a club to beat the dems with. If he's fool enough to pass that up then he's way too foolish to ever handle the position of majority leader.
He brought this on himself, first with his words, and then by the clumsy way he handled it. It's a golden opportunity for him to end up looking like a hero.
Now you are wanting the guy to have some sense.... LOL.. When he couldn't think fast enough to pour water out of a boot with instructions on the heel. One minute he's dumb or incomptent and the next you want him to be logical and smart. He may fall for it but I don't know. Didn't Byrd sorta have the same thing happen to him and he took the Chairmanship of the Appropriations Committee after stepping down from SML. So maybe things happen that way but I don't see it in the cards. I see it happening more like Newt, Livingston, etc. Has it hurt either of them with their future endeavors... Granted their dallies weren't racist but still they have survived.
Well all this and the real answer is time will tell....