Jackson Free Press

My family has never flirted with the GOP, primarily because we view Republicans as rabble-rousing upstarts who stand in opposition to the unimpeachable liberalism of Jefferson and Madison.

When the Republican Party was founded in the 1850s, my family had already been in this country for almost 200 years. We cleared a wilderness path from Maryland to South Bend, Ind., and then dropped down in the early 1800s to Mississippi, where we helped write the Constitution of 1890, briefly bolting from the convention in protest of the racism exhibited by many of the other delegates.

Republicans never merited a passing glance.

Times change.

This year, I'm going to alter 350 years of family tradition by supporting two Republicans—Charlie Ross for lieutenant governor and Delbert Hosemann for secretary of state. Television is the reason why.

Hosemann's television ad in which he gently spars with a senior citizen over the correct pronunciation of his name (Delbert becomes Gilbert, Dilbert, Wilbert, even Ingelbert) is the best I've ever seen. It's fun. It's classy. It's friendly and hopeful. It's exactly the kind of new image that Mississippi needs for what is essentially an apolitical office (no politics allowed).

"I told Scott Howell (the ad man) that Mississippi had been through a lot in the past few years, and I wanted to do something on the lighter side, something catchy that … had some humor to it," Hosemann explained to me. "I can tell you that I've been called every name in that ad."

The ad took no more than an hour and a half to do. "At first, they had me say, 'It's Delbert,' but I said we don't really talk like that. I usually say yes 'ma'am to someone who's my elder, so it evolved from that."

Hosemann was campaigning in Tupelo recently, when two men approached him and said "Oh, there's Gilbert." Hosemann laughed, retelling the story. "It's achieving what I wanted it to do. I wanted them to remember my name, or least one of them."

In the lieutenant governor's race, it was a television ad by Charlie Ross's opponent, Phil Bryant, that caught my eye. The ad accused Ross's law firm of suing Gov. Haley Barbour. Frankly, I didn't care whether Ross sued the governor or not, but there was something about the ad that didn't ring true, so I checked it out.

It turns out that one of the lawyers in Ross' law firm filed a lawsuit against Medicaid and routinely named the governor as a defendant, because Medicaid is administered through the governor's office. To me, it's dishonest to insinuate that Ross sued the governor when he didn't, or to blame Ross for something his law partners did—not that there's anything wrong with them suing the governor.

That ad made me want to take a closer look at Charlie Ross.

If you're new to Mississippi politics, here is how it works: I like it that Ross was born in Greenville (where I grew up), and I like it that his father was a sergeant at the air base in Greenville (so was my father). I like it that he got a degree in economics from the Air Force Academy and then got a law degree from Harvard Law School.

I like it that he served as a fighter pilot, because before candidates are allowed into the cockpit they must undergo strenuous psychological screening. The Air Force wants "right stuff" pilots who are aggressive when solving problems, and who can show independence if the squadron leader suddenly goes nuts.

This has a bearing on the Bryant-Ross race because it is the lieutenant governor who has the real power in Mississippi government. The governor's constitutional responsibilities are more akin to those of a game show host. Someone has to keep an eye on the governor so that he or she doesn't embarrass the rest of us. The only official positioned to do that is the lieutenant governor.

In a misguided endorsement of Bryant, The Clarion-Ledger referred to Ross' pledge to serve at Barbour's "wingman" in the Senate as its reason not to support him. If the C-L had bothered to check with the Air Force for a definition of wingman they would have learned that a wingman is the pilot "who positions his aircraft outside and behind (on the wing of) the leader of a flying formation."

That's exactly where Lt. Gov. Charlie Ross belongs. On the outside and behind the governor where he can keep a watchful eye on him in case he spirals out of control. My advice to Phil Bryant: Make voters smile. Don't insult them with misleading ads. Mississippi voters are more agreeable when they're smiling.

Ask Ingelbert.

As an editorial writer for The Commercial Appeal in the 1980s, James L. Dickerson persuaded the newspaper, for the first time in its history, to make endorsements in Mississippi elections. He is the author of 25 nonfiction books, including the prize-winning "Mojo Triangle: Birthplace of Country, Blues, Jazz and Rock 'n' Roll."

Previous Comments

ID

75171

Comment

Funny that the "Pubs" are ignoring this column. Figgers.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2007-08-02T10:54:57-06:00

ID

75172

Comment

I know I just said it in another thread, but that Hosemann commercial is funny. :-P

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2007-08-02T10:59:28-06:00

ID

75173

Comment

The Hosemann commercial is funny; however, many of his political views are not. I'm reminded of "Forest, Forest Gump" sitting on the bench with another, waiting on a bus. "Stupid is: Stupid does." Hopefully Mississippians will realize that there is no message or campaign strategy in the commercial. The sweet little lady may be confused: I'm, not. It's "Delbert" and I'm voting Democrat.

Author

justjess

Date

2007-08-02T11:07:28-06:00