Devious Political Hijinks in Mississippi

With the presidential race getting all the attention, here's a story that is likely to fall under the radar, but one I felt was important to highlight, if for no other reason than to demonstrate the ends to which political titans will go to preserve their power and effectively steal elections. In this case, the political boss du jour is Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, the unquestioned king of the political world down there, and a man who sharp political skill I grudgingly respect.

In several posts here, we have discussed this year's special U.S. Senate election in Mississippi to fill the final four years of the former-senator-turned-lobbyist Trent Lott. As we have argued, the election represents Democrats' absolute best chance to win a Senate seat in the Magnolia State in 20 years. A victory would be an enormous success for the Blue Team. Even though their preferred candidate, former state Attorney General Mike Moore declined to run, they recruited their next best guy into the field, former Governor Ronnie Musgrove, an arch-conservative Democrat and tireless campaigner. The Republican nominee is sitting Sen. Roger Wicker, the man Barbour appointed to the Senate from his safe house seat in the First District. As everyone knows by now, the formally-unknown Travis Childers shocked the political world -- and assuredly most of the Mississippi Republican establishment -- by winning the special election to succeed Wicker by a decisive 54-to-46 margin.

You might be asking, why is this election an issue; after all, it is in Mississippi, isn't it? True enough. This is still Mississippi, one of the most conservative states in the Union, and a place that has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1982. Still, the Republicans have two problems in the race. First, Musgrove is a very strong nominee: he is well known from his turns as a state senator, lieutenant governor, and then governor, and he is a great campaigner. Roger Wicker is all of the things Musgrove is not: he is low-key, not a terribly exciting campaigner, and not well known beyond his base in northeast Mississippi.

Second, is the presidential race. While Barack Obama has no hope of winning the state, Mississippi has the highest black population in America, with blacks making up around 38 percent of the state. With Obama on the ballot, it is expected that blacks will have unprecedented turnout this year, including many first-time voters. If this occurs, it cannot help Wicker's chances.

Following Childers' victory, and the great closeness of Wicker-Musgrove polls throughout most of the election season (though, admittedly, the last two Rasmussen polls have shown Wicker up nine points and pulling away), there is a lot on the line for Barbour. If Wicker were to lose to Musgrove, ironically the man Barbour ousted from the governorship in 2003, Barbour's power and credibility would take a big hit. He would likely be harshly criticized for elevating the bland Wicker, and therefore ultimately costing the Republicans both a House and Senate seat.

With this in mind, Barbour, a former political strategist for Ronald Reagan, has been looking for ways to ensure that Wicker wins, and today he executed a measure to just that end. In a nakedly partisan move that should shock even seasoned and cynical political observers both for its implications and its sheer audacity, Barbour moved the special Senate election all the way to the very bottom of the November ballot. With the Senate race at the very bottom, it will fall below each local office.

Let's be blunt: this is about helping Wicker and disenfranchising black voters. This is not a stretch, and I don't use those words lightly or overly politically. Because of Mississippi's history and its unique racial dynamics, voting behavior in the state in close election often falls along racial lines. It is not at all uncommon for Democratic candidates in statewide races to get well over 80 percent of the black vote, but less than 20 percent of the white vote, and vice-verse for Republican candidates. Given that the state is almost two-thirds white, obviously this favors Republicans, and helps explain why Mississippi has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since John Stennis. As important as this race is -- and really, it is the only competitive national race on the ballot, as McCain will easily win here, and senior Sen. Thad Cochran will cruise to re-election himself -- Barbour knows that the less people that vote on the race, the better it is for Roger Wicker.

When I first read about Barbour trying to engineer this move a few weeks ago, I laughed. Being from New Jersey, corrupt political doings are something I am used to seeing. But this measure feels different to me. As cynical as I may be, I am not sure if given the chance, I could even formulate a pretext for ushering in this change. Apparently, at least from the news article I am perused today, Barbour could not either, and offered no real reason for the move.

There is absolutely no legitimate reason to move a competitive U.S. Senate race to the very bottom of a presidential year ballot. It has absolutely no the purpose except to depress turnout among first-time voters unlikely to scan the entire ballot. And quite honestly, the fact is that Roger Wicker should win this race even without this ploy. While I respect Musgrove's political abilities and talents, and I am personally hopeful he will prevail, even I have to admit that he is a decided underdog in a presidential year. This measure really is not necessary for the Republicans. It belies their nervousness about the race, and it plainly excessive.

The political Machiavelli in me does have to give Haley Barbour his due. I have followed his career for while, and the man does not get nearly get enough credit for being the clever, devious and grossly unethical political scoundrel that he is. First, he moved the special election to November from April, despite clear statutory language requiring that it be held around April, all the while knowing that his state supreme court -- stacked with judges Barbour appointed -- would uphold him. Sure enough, he won there 7-to-2. Now, he moves the race to the bottom of the ballot, realizing from that no one can stop him. If Barbour isn't at Karl Rove's level of political underhandedness, he is right below.

Well done, Governor Barbour. You are a political hack of the highest order and the lowest moral scruples. A man of your talents should be taking on more worthy opponents; clearly, the Mississippi Democratic Party is not in your weight class. Have you considered moving to Jersey? The Republican Party there has been dying a slow death for years, and needs help. Besides, I think you would meet you match in corruption with the New Jersey Democratic machine.

Think about it, Governor.