What Is Behind The Democrats Attack Strategy on Nunnelee?
Earlier today I talked a little bit about the press release from the DCCC attacking state Sen. Alan Nunnelee mainly on taxes. That was not surprising to me. But the fact that Nunnelee’s support for a cigarette tax hike after signing a tax pledge with Americans for Tax Reform seemed a little interesting for a couple of reasons.
One, President Obama and just about every Democrat in Washington supported increasing the federal taxes on cigarettes about a year ago when they greatly expanded SCHIP. One of those Democrats who gladly voted for the tax hike/ SCHIP expansion was Travis Childers. It is usually bad form to attack someone when your candidate carries the same position.
That leads to point number two. As others have said both here and at Y’all Politics, maybe this wasn’t necessarily an attempt to hurt Nunnelee in the general election. After all, we still have four months until the primary election. So were the Democrats just trying to give ammo to Nunnelee’s opponents in the primary?
In speeches across the First District, Angela McGlowan has made a point of saying she is not someone who says they are against tax increases but then vote for them. This is why I have yet to be convinced that a crowded GOP primary would be a good thing.
Politico recently got hold of a memo from Democrats explaining their desire to split the Republican Party between the more activist Tea Party supporters and the more traditional wing. That may be exactly what they are trying in MS-01. Do the Democrats have a preference in whether Alan Nunnelee or Angela McGlowan wins the primary? I doubt it. But you can imagine they would prefer a bruised Republican nominee- whoever it is.
