BY: B. Keith Plunkett
Last night I attended a lecture by Andy Taggart and Jere Nash at Millsaps. The lecture was part of Millsaps Art and Lecture Series, something I was completely unaware of until late last week. That’s when I found out about this particular appearance by the two proprietors of the Red/Blue Review. Andy and Jere have grown their partnership into quite the informative franchise, with books, a popular blog and a regular weekly appearance on WLBT. Last night’s lecture had a particular focus on analyzing the elections from last week, and a look ahead to Mississippi’s 2011 statewide elections.
I was somewhat disappointed to find that I and only a few others were easily the youngest in the room of about 50 people. I won’t go into detail except to say that I am firmly planted now in the category of “middle-age.” With the exception of my 18-year old son, there appeared to be no one under the age of 25 in the room, and only a few that may have been under 40.
This is a sad state of affairs. Where are all the young Political Science majors? Where are the same young people that are easily found mulling about and schmoozing with cocktail in hand at any number of political fundraising parties? Where are the young professionals? The answer to that question may also give an idea of why, even in a huge turnout year for mid-term elections, we still have an abysmal number of actual voters participating in the process. Citizen engagement drives the debate, and drives participation by people who will be true public servants.
The lack of citizen-representatives, and the continuing progression towards exclusivity in party-centric ideas was part of the reason for a huge backlash this year from the TEA party, 9-12 groups and other grassroots efforts. The movement has registered huge numbers of disaffected and first-time voters in the past two years. Those in political circles that dismiss the TEA Party as a fad or as simpletons do so at their own peril.
In his opening remarks, Democrat Jere Nash made the same mistake that the Dems keep making: he made light of the TEA Party, even going so far as to call the movement “a gift” to the Dems for future elections. His lack of understanding about who these people really are is why the Democrats will have a long road back in Mississippi.
To be sure, some of the TEA Party leadership in this state has become quite enamored with their new found celebrity. Some (and I highlight the word “some”) have found themselves standing atop the heap and think that this “revolution” affords them the right to be demanding, and more than a little indignant. Because it is such a loose confederation, there are a few shoot-first-and-ask-questions-later sensibilities at play, and many are not yet very adept at realizing that everything that comes at them through an email may not be the gospel truth. But, however unstable the movement, these are by far core conservative voters. The GOP must walk beside them, albeit gingerly.
Nash called into question Taggart’s opinion that North Mississippi’s First Congressional District turning back to the Republican’s during this cycle is a sign that many officials statewide will now be moving to the GOP in local elections. Nash rightfully asserted that this district was “Red” before when now Senator Wicker was the Congressman there, and local officials by and large were running as Democrats statewide then. But, what went unsaid is that Nash fails to recognize the significant shift that has occurred at the local grassroots level. He and other state Dems make light of TEA Party anger. If they hope to make it back to some semblance of power in his lifetime, they shouldn't.
The people that live and work in the rural communities throughout Mississippi every day, in towns like Ackerman, Maben, Leakesville, Silver Creek and Magnolia feel like they don’t have a voice. Many of these towns are not regular stops on the political circuit, and people who live and work in small towns are no longer accepting that they are left out of the equation. These are the people who have become active in ways that we haven’t seen before. New technology has allowed people to find like-minded friends within their own communities in ways that was not possible 10 years ago. It is loosely organized, but it is organized.
Another thing that is discounted by state Democrats is the number of small municipal officials who run as Democrats locally, but vote as Republicans. Poll any number of municipal or county officials in rural areas that have heavy Black Voting Age Population (BVAP) districts or wards, and you will find a large number that will tell you they “have to run Democrat.” The new found friends in the grassroots efforts that swept Mississippi last week can give these DINO’s the cover they need to join in on a year-long “coming out party” in 2011.
If Mississippi Democrats continue to stick their head in the sand, they will wake up and realize the world has changed around them. In fact, it’s already begun. Grassroots organization has changed with the dawn of Social Media. With state elections and redistricting around the corner, and a highly motivated base of new conservative voters there is a lot on the line. In light of all this, referring to conservative voters and TEA Party Members as “ignorant”, as State Democrat Leader Jamie Franks did a few weeks ago, even insinuating it, as Nash did last night, is not good strategy.
