His is a scorched earth policy that relies heavily on racist dog whistles to the good old days of Jim Crow rule. McDaniel, meanwhile, has no use at all for Democrats or Republicans who cross the aisle to work with them on policy.

He also is an advocate for expanded Medicaid, although he has always been careful to use that term and certainly not Obamacare, to describe making more Mississippians eligible for healthcare by tapping into the federal dollars that are available for that purpose.Īs Secretary of State he responded to a Trump administration demand for information from the state’s voter rolls by telling them to “go jump in the Gulf.”Īll of that stuff will get you murdered, metaphorically-speaking, in a GOP primary. Governor, Hosemann has demonstrated his preference for consensus building and has avoided much of the partisan rhetoric that has increased dramatically since the rise of the Trump era.Īs Secretary of State, Hosemann pushed for election changes that would have made it easier to vote, an idea that has fallen into disrepute in the party these days. The two legitimate candidates, Hosemann and McDaniel, represent polar opposites when it comes to the philosophy of governing, although Hosemann can ill-afford to put too much emphasis on that distinction, at least not in the primary.įirst as Secretary of State and now as he completes his first term as Lt. On the other hand, nobody threw a net over him, either, so it was a pretty good night for Quick, all things considered. He vowed to be the flag-bearer (presumably the old flag, I’m guessing), rallying confused listeners by saying, “If I can put that heavy weight on my head and charge forward into battle against cultural Marxism, at least rally behind me like in ‘Braveheart.’” He apparently blames “foreign cultural marxists” for this unfortunate turn of events.

He blew into West Point proclaiming his devotion to the 1894 Mississippi flag and its Confederate imagery, a long and enduring embarrassment to the state that was retired two years ago in favor of a flag that bears the Magnolia bloom and offends no one. Quick’s appearance on the ballot, quite frankly, emphasizes the need for better mental health care in the state.

That makes her a raving liberal by Mississippi Republican standards, bless her heart. Longino is a novelty, a woman of color running as a Republican who stresses education as the key to solving the biggest problems in the state: poverty, healthcare and economic development. The forum pitted two candidates who are what passes for moderates in Mississippi against two extremist right-wingers.

Fear and loathing on the campaign