Will Mississippi Democrats Criticize Their Own?

Earlier today, Y’all Politics posted a press release from the Mississippi Democrats which has since made its way to their party blog. To sum it up in one sentence, it is there push for Obama’s healthcare legislation. I do not expect the state Democrats to publicly oppose what would be signature legislation in just the first year of Obama’s presidency, but I am a bit surprised to see them campaigning so hard for it. The legislation is also proudly promoted on the front page of their party website.

According to polling, the proposed legislation is not too popular with the American people. I think it’s fair to say Mississippi is to the right of the country as a whole- so you do the math.

Adding to the Mississippi Democrats dilemma is the fact that two of the three Democrat Representatives from the state either outright oppose the legislation (Taylor) or sort-of oppose it (Childers). Special interest groups and Republicans are not holding this legislation up; nervous Democrats are.

The Democrats are going to need to be very careful. If they speak too loudly in favor of Obamacare, a very vulnerable Representative from North Mississippi can find an unexpected backlash. Travis Childers was able to fend off attacks in 2008 that he was a pawn of Pelosi and the national Democrats; I don’t think he will be able to rid himself of his own state party.