Magnolia In Bloom (Mississippi Politics)

About this Episode

ABOUT THIS EPISODE
The recent confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh's appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court--despite vocal and forceful opposition by many people--attests to the importance of being the majority party in the U.S. Senate. Democrats are currently in a narrow minority, and their path to control runs through Senate seats currently held by Republicans, many of which are in rural, agrarian states. One such state is Mississippi, and one such race features Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith and Democrat Mike Espy, among others. The election is likely to go to a runoff, and if control of the Senate hangs in the balance, it will be an important runoff. In this episode, I discuss that election with Geoff Pender, political editor of the Clarion-Ledger newspaper, based in Jackson, MS. We also discuss the broader political context in Mississippi, including issues that might be on their way from The Magnolia State to the U.S. Supreme Court.

LINKS
--FiveThirtyEight's U.S. Senate Forecast
--May 2018 article by Geoff Pender on polling in the Mississippi U.S. Senate special election
--Geoff Pender's staff page at the Clarion-Ledger
--"Mike Espy sees runoff as path to a Miss. Senate seat. Here's why it's a bumpy road" by William Douglas (McClatchy DC Bureau)
--"Will a Black-Latino alliance in Mississippi change politics in the Deep South?" by Alexia Fernández Campbell (The Atlantic)
--"Long before sinking Roy Moore's candidacy, black women in Alabama were a force for change" by DeNeen L. Brown (Washington Post)
--"Mississippi bans abortions after 15 weeks; opponents swiftly sue" by Richard Fausset (New York Times)
--"Controversial HB1523 now Mississippi's law of land" by Jerry Mitchell and Geoff Pender (Clarion-Ledger)
--"Why is the Democratic Leadership Council shutting down?" by Espeth Reeve (The Atlantic)

Cover art adapted from an image by Darwinek (Wikimedia Commons)