The Atlantic Covers Blue Tuesday: "Can Democrats Win Back the Deep South?"

ICYMI:
For your Sunday leisurely read, Molly Ball over at The Atlantic has a really incredible article covering Blue Tuesday and the Democratic movement to win back the Deep South.

As always, the whole article is worth a read, but Ball has some very good insight on the Mississippian municipal candidates that won the Blue Tuesday blowout. Here are some highlights:

Percy Bland, on his election as Mayor of Meridian:

"It's been a long time coming," Percy Bland, the 42-year-old mayor-elect of Meridian, told me. "We haven't had a Democratic mayor in Meridian since '76. And we won it running away, when people thought it would be very close." To win 54 percent of the vote, he said, he had to attract support from blacks and whites, Democrats, Republicans, and independents.

Mayor Moran, on her blow-out victory:

Moran didn't apologize for her progressive views: "I made my campaign about our people, our businesses, our schools, how much we've progressed and how much we need to continue," she said. "That word, progress, is not a dirty word." To charges that she was a tax-and-spend socialist, she responded by touting the public works she'd funded with tax dollars. "People want quality services, and they are willing to pay for that," she said. She won with 62 percent of the vote.

 There's a ton more in this article, and it is truly a great read from a national perspective, but our goal at Cottonmouth is to remain a state blog, so I suggest you hop on over to The Atlantic and read the rest for yourself.

With all of this coverage, though, it really makes you wonder if the Mississippian Republican leadership is starting to develop a distaste for apples.

"Wound Licking" and "Soul Searching" - The Sun Herald's coverage of Blue Tuesday

Check out what the Political Editor for the Sun Herald, Michael Newsom, had to say about Blue Tuesday today.

Newsom fuses the terrible Tuesday for the Mississippi Republican Party, which includes Governor Bryant's insistence that women in the workplace contributed to mediocrity in public education, with the failure to elect municipal leaders across the state. Some takeaways:

The Republican Party was licking its wounds late Tuesday night...the results were really ugly for the GOP in races the party had targeted.

Relating to Mayor Moran's re-election:

There never was a solid backing for McKay from the business community and the GOP base there. Also, the push to make party affiliation a major factor for municipal voters still hasn't caught on. Moran ran a good campaign and effectively sold the city's accomplishments under her watch.

 Continuing:

On election night, McKay was clobbered, coming in 25 percentage points behind Moran.

Now, he and his party begin the worn-out TV news political cliché -- the time of soul searching.

Read more here: http://www.sunherald.com/2013/06/08/4719749/michael-newsom-from-moms-to-mayors.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.sunherald.com/2013/06/08/4719749/michael-newsom-from-moms-to-mayors.html#storylinkRead more here: http://www.sunherald.com/2013/06/08/4719749/michael-newsom-from-moms-to-mayors.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.sunherald.com/2013/06/08/4719749/michael-newsom-from-moms-to-mayors.html#storylink=cpy

Newsom suggested that the Republican Party's only win was beating independent, disgraced former Republican Greg Davis, and reminded Cottonmouth readers of what they may already know:

 The Mississippi Republican Party is in disarray.  And The Mississippi Democratic Party is capitalizing on that opportunity.

Ocean Springs Mayor Connie Moran (D) crushes Republican challenger John McKay

62%-38% is the final total.  This was after McKay had extensive support from the Mississippi Republican Party.

Mayoral races to watch next Tuesday, Part 1

There are a few mayor's races left around the state that are hotly contested.  I'm going to take a brief look at those, and this is the first in a series.

Ocean Springs: Mayor Connie Moran (D) is seeking a third term, and is being challenged by Republican John McKay.  Mayor Moran successfully led Ocean Springs through Katrina and has spearheaded quite the revitalization of its Downtown.  She fended off well-funded Republican darling Scott Walker in the last election, and McKay has been linked with Walker's father and the troubles at DMR.  That, however, hasn't stopped Gov. Phil Bryant from heading south to support McKay. Should be interesting to see what shakes out Tuesday here.

Meridian:  Incumbent Mayor Cheri Barry (R) defeated challenger Percy Bland last time around by just a few hundred votes.  Bland, a State Farm agent, would become the first African-American mayor of Meridian if he is successful.  Last time around, the influential Young family didn't support Bland.  This time, though, Rep. Charles Young, Jr. (D - Meridian) has given impassioned speeches in support of Bland.  Will the troubles in the police department (unlicensed police chief), civil rights abuses in the school system (consent decree with the U.S. Dept. of Justice), and the support of the Young family be enough to push Bland over the top this time?

State of Emergency declared for Ocean Springs

Mayor Connie Moran (D) and the Board of Aldermen have declared a state of emergency in Ocean Springs in anticipation of the landfall of soon-to-be Hurricane Isaac.  Here is the text of the press release, which contains sandbag, dumpster, and shelter information:

While everyone in the state's media has been focused on the horse race in the Republican primary for Treasurer, Democratic nominee Connie Moran has been quietly building support around the state. As we enter into general election season, the focus will begin to shift to Moran, who has a resume that will wow a lot of Mississippi voters.

Bill Minor wrote a column last week that detailed that resume, and you can find it here. Some of Moran's accomplishments include being a Fullbright scholar, heading up Mississippi's European Trade Office in the 90's, and serving as an economist for the WTO in Geneva. Of course, her most impressive accomplishment is modern-day Ocean Springs, which suffered immense damage from Hurricane Katrina, and made an unbelievable comeback under Moran's leadership.

Democratic Treasurer candidate Connie Moran to speak in Jackson Friday

This Friday, Ocean Springs Mayor Connie Moran will speak at the weekly "Friday Forum" at Koinonia Coffee House at 136 S. Adams Street in Jackson. Mayor Moran is currently running for State Treasurer and presiding over quite a post-Katrina recovery in Ocean Springs.

State Treasurer Candidate Connie Moran (D-Ocean Springs) to hold fundraiser Thursday night

Ocean Springs Mayor Connie Moran (D) is going to be a very competitive candidate for State Treasurer. She has a great record in Ocean Springs, and will be a tough campaigner. She's having a fundraiser this Thursday night in Ocean Springs, and the host list looks great:

Ocean Springs Mayor Connie Moran (D) enters race for Treasurer

Ocean Springs Mayor Connie Moran, a Democrat, has filed to run for State Treasurer, an open seat. Moran recently won reelection over GOP golden boy Scott Walker, who received support from Trent Lott, Roger Wicker, and Phil Bryant. She promises to be a tough candidate and a strong contender for this job.