Jackson Free Press

U. S. President

The race for U.S. president is coming down the wire with two major candidates vying for the job—and third-party candidates that are getting very little attention, including Ralph Nader, whom even many supporters urged to sit out the race this time to ensure that he doesn't hand the presidency to Bush. The race seems neck-in-neck going into Election Day, although astute observers believe that many voters—probably for Sen. John Kerry—are being under-polled because they are young and mobile, and many rely on cell phones. A week from Election Day, the momentum seems to be on Kerry's side after victories in all three debates and a flood of negative news, both domestically and in foreign policy, about President Bush's policies and record.

Conventional wisdom has it that Mississippi is a solid Bush state—it went 58 percent for him in 2000, with 168,230 more votes than for Al Gore—but the state has seen record registration, especially among young voters and Mississippians of color. A full 1,074,495 eligible voters in the state did not vote in 2000. In September, only 51 percent were polling for Bush; thus, the state was declared "pink" and a "weak Bush" electorally. So, although it is a long shot, Kerry should not be written off in Mississippi, especially if Election Day is not rainy and turn-out is good.

U.S House – District 2

Clinton B. LeSueur has mobilized some young voters, as well as white conservative opponents of incumbent Bennie Thompson, by being a very vocal presence. His dedication to volunteer work has impressed voters, while his constant mention of religion has charmed some and caused others to worry about his tolerance for people of other faiths. While LeSueur's pamphlets have been light on the issues, many worry about incumbent Bennie Thompson's less charismatic appearance. Some voters complain that they have not been able to reach his office for campaign materials. Thompson is Mississippi's most progressive congressman, and his voting record shows he is a true civil rights activist, despite his recent vote for the gay marriage amendment . The ACLU rates him at 80 percent for his voting record. Reform candidate Shawn O'Hara is running a rather confusing campaign, calling for an end to racial profiling for "African Americans, rednecks and college students" and the conversion of corn to ethanol. We would tell you more, but like many third-party candidates, he doesn't return phone calls. (Hint, third-partiers: Take yourselves seriously if you want others to.)

U.S. House – District 3

Incumbent Chip Pickering should cruise to an easy victory—not necessarily due to an impressive record—he has rubberstamped corporate Republican legislation and even touted "tort reform for the gun industry!"—but because he does not have an opponent with a chance of winning. One can hope he has a real progressive opponent in two years, if nothing else but to help shine a real light on his record, which has been pro-Bush down the line, for better or worse. Opponent Jim Giles has surprised voters—both with his caustic pro-white remarks and with his intentions to tear down the Republican Party by supporting John Kerry. His Web site, rebelarmy.com, has incited disgust in many, but his critiques of the Iraq war and pandering to the rich has caused even many liberals to agree with him on his more populist ideas—like hat tort reform is a scam to protect Big Industry. Too bad he can't reform his racist ideas.

Supreme Court – District 1, Position 1

During his time on the bench, presiding justice William Waller Jr., has fought for reforms within the Supreme Court, including the post-conviction relief process for death penalty cases. He has also promoted revising the Code of Judicial Conduct, adopting time standards for trial courts, restricting the use of Mississippi courts by out-of-state attorneys, encouraging mediation in civil cases to promote negotiation and settlement of cases and limiting joinder in mass tort cases as was recently adopted. His opponent Richard Grindstaff seems to be of a more ideological, activist bent, using rhetoric that indicates that he believes judges should serve an conservative activist role of shaping judicial decisions around fundamentalist Christian beliefs. He believes that there are "rampant attacks on families in Mississippi" and wants to bring "moral" integrity back to the Supreme Court. He strongly supports victim's rights, the anti-abortion movement, a constitutional amendment allowing prayer in schools. Supreme Court – District 1, Position 2
With four people running, this race offers all sorts of choices. Ceola James wants to bring more female representation to the bench. A former solo practitioner who practiced both civil and criminal law, James promises be fair to all people, regardless of their "station in life." Bill Skinner wants to eliminate apathy from the Supreme Court. His Web site asserts, "We must elect a conservative judge with a record of fairness and impartiality," while he also promises not to "thwart the will of the people through judicial activism," even as he calls for conservative judicial activism. Samac Richardson promises he is "one of us"—a phrase that many have taken as a racist taunt toward Justice James Graves, who is black. For what qualifies as "one of us," see Richardson's Web site for a laundry list of conservative ideals that he promises to instill in his judicial decisions. He believes the law exists to help those who cannot help themselves and promises to carry out that idea if elected. Presiding Justice James Graves is the only African-American on the Mississippi Supreme Court and pledges to remain impartial in his rulings. Hesitant to offer his ideas on many issues due to the impartial nature of unbiased judges, Graves instead exhibits a passionate concern for public education and service to the community. He is the only candidate who has refrained from asserting that extreme ideological ideas should be part of his decision-making.

Election Commissioner – District 1

Sean Perkins—at 30 the youngest candidate by far—has successfully attracted a diverse group of young professionals and college students to become active members in the Hinds County Chapter of Young Democrats. He has mobilized young people to actively assist in GOTV activities on Election Day, volunteering on state and county campaigns, and registering over 125 new voters. He is challenging incumbent Republican commissioner Marilyn Avery who has served two terms. Avery, 58, is on the national committee to institute HAVA, the Help America Vote Act passed in the wake of the 2000 election debacles. Its effects remain to be seen this Nov. 2.

Election Commissioner – District 2

Incumbent Josephine Anderson, 63, is being challenged by fellow Democrat James Rice, 67. Anderson's record was marred by the ballot problems in Senate District 29 that ultimately resulted in Democratic challenger Dewayne Thomas losing the seat to incumbent Richard White, even though he was declared the winner by 135 votes. (White was re-elected in a special election.) Rice has served six years on the Hinds County Democratic Executive Committee and a dozen years on the state Democratic Executive Committee.

Election Commissioner – District 3

Two Democrats are vying for the position. Jamal Clark is challenging incumbent Frank Figgers Jr., who has served two terms. Clark, however, is not running a very vigorous campaign from what we can see.

Election Commissioner – District 4

Republican Connie Cochran is running unopposed.

Election Commissioner – District 5

Incumbent Democrat Lelia Gaston Rhodes, 76, has been an election commissioner for Hinds County since 1993 and is seeking her fourth term. She points to the fact that she has conducted workshops on new voting machines, as well as purged voter rolls—duties required of this position. But she is faced with two impressive opponents, both extremely energetic (both stayed to the very end of the JFP Voter Rally, through lots of loud music, to speak passionately to the crowd). Green Party member Jan Hillegas, 61, believes that several reforms are in order for the voting process in Mississippi. In addition to supporting automatic voting rights for ex-felons who have completed their sentences and court supervision, she supports moving to Instant Runoff Voting, where 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc., preferences are recorded in one time at the polls, saving money because "no separate runoff is needed." Though she has never been an election commissioner, she promises to stay in close contact with citizens to enact the changes they want in the voting system. Democrat Terry P. Johnson, 48, has worked for 20 years as a poll worker. For the past seven years, he has worked with the Democratic Party to coordinate its primary elections. For these elections, he has hired 500 poll managers and additional staff, designed the ballots, corresponded with the hosts of the polling places, organized the supplies and certified the results.

Convention Center

Jackson voters will consider a 3 percent sales-tax increase on hotel room stays and a 1 percent increase on restaurant bills that will fund a new Capital City Convention Center in downtown Jackson next to the Telecom Center. The 246,000-square foot structure will include a 90,000-square-foot multipurpose exhibition hall, making it a mid-sized convention facility, slightly larger than the facility in Little Rock, Ark., but smaller than the center in Mobile, Ala. Proponents of the convention center say that Jackson is long overdue for such a facility and that the city has had to turn away millions of dollars in convention business because the Mississippi TradeMart, the Jackson area's only sizeable exhibition hall, is overbooked, aging and doesn't offer amenities appropriate to hosting business conventions and high-tech trade shows. Opponents of the proposal—the most vocal of which is the "Enough is Enough" group formed by the Mississippi Hospitality and Restaurant Association (MHRA)—has attacked the plan as fiscally irresponsible. The MHRA supported the convention center for Jackson when the plan was to implement a 1 percent (or lower) general sales tax increase; when the proposal switched to a "hospitality tax," the group withdrew its official support, although some prominent Jackson members of MHRA remain supporters. Now "Enough is Enough" says the business plan is too risky. At least 60 percent of Jackson-resident voters must approve the initiative.

Gay Marriage Initiative

The state Legislature passed an anti-gay marriage initiative on March 1 and the state Senate on April 7. The measure would amend the state constitution to read: "Marriage may take place and may be valid under the laws of this state only between a man and a woman. A marriage in another state or foreign jurisdiction between persons of the same gender, regardless of when the marriage took place, may not be recognized in this state and is void and unenforceable under the laws of this state." If passed, this amendment would affirm the one man-one woman definition of "marriage" and limit same-sex "marriages" from other jurisdictions. But state amendments can be struck down in federal court, where Nebraska's amendment is being challenged. For that reason, many Americans and scholars believe a marriage amendment to the U.S. Constitution will ultimately be needed in order to outlaw gay marriage in the United States.

(See JFP PoliticsBlog at jacksonfreepress.com/politics for discussion and bios on the candidates and issues round-ups, including: abortion, guns, Iraq war and many others.)

Previous Comments

ID

77895

Comment

This was thorough and extremely informative - I read it, made my choices, then toted your Cheat Sheet, http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/comments.php?id=4378_0_9_0_C, to the voting booth with me this morning.

Author

Lucy

Date

2004-11-02T12:06:43-06:00