Interesting Aspect From The Bryant/ Dennis Race
Lloyd Gray had a very good piece in the Daily Journal over the weekend. There was one interesting point that I wanted to expand upon.
In 2010, the Tea Party certainly made a name for itself as a player in the GOP. In a number of cases they supported insurgent- or outsider- candidates who would go on to defeat the pre-determined establishment choice. Their importance can’t be taken lightly, even in a state like Mississippi where two candidates who would fit the establishment mold (Alan Nunnelee and Steven Palazzo) won their primaries over challengers running under the Tea Party banner.
But, lets look at the gubernatorial primary this year. You could argue a similar scenario is at hand: an establishment candidate (Phil Bryant) versus the outsider challenger (Dave Dennis). But, the story lines don’t exactly play out as you’d expect.
Yes, Bryant is the statewide officeholder, but he has long been a strong and vocal supporter of the Tea Party movement dating back to the early days in 2009. He has hosted Tea Party leaders at the capital, pushed through key legislation important to the Tea Party, and made other Tea Party-backed legislation a centerpiece of his campaign platform.
In many ways this contrasts with Haley Barbour. Not to say Barbour and Bryant have had many public differences, but Barbour doesn’t appear as conservative- or at least as ideological- as Bryant. It’s all about the image the two men give off. And for better or worse, Dennis gives off an image similar to Barbour.
I’m sure Dennis would be insulted if I referred to him as a moderate, and chances are he and Bryant won’t offer many sharp contrasts, but Bryant just appears like the more ideological choice- like a lot of the outsiders who won last year. Yet, Dennis is the outsider in this race. It sets up a very interesting scenario to follow.
It’s just a horse race and each candidate jockeys for room to run. Hey Lloyd…you’re trying to make it be something it isn’t. When at the end of the day the candidate has to ask himself : what is it that I have to offer? Voters aren”t stupid. They will pick the person they feel the most comfortable with. Period. But what Liberals like Gray don’t comprehend is there has been a sisemic shift in the country and the Tea Party now is holding folks accountable to be followers of our Constitution as well as Capitalists who are mindful they are spending tax- payer money. If you did not get that message last November nothing else will make sense to you Gray.
I find it interesting that Mr. Bryant is given credit for being a Tea Party supporter, yet he went out of his way to avoid a Tea Party rally on the Gulf Coast just last year even after he had agreed to speak at the rally. They were expecting him and had made announcements to the crowd that he would be there to speak, but witnesses saw him drive past the Town Green in Biloxi and then drive away. Could the Bryant supporters please explain that to me?
Lynn:
Your honest intellectual curiousity got my honest intellectual curiosity going. Here’s what I found. People wondering aloud is often how rumors get started. Let me put your curiosity to rest.
Phil Bryant to be speaker at Tea Party rally
MFIRE and MS Tea Party hold Immigration Enforcement Forum in Madison on 8/2 at 6:30 p.m.
Bryant speaks at Jones County”tea party”
Harper and Bryant attend Tea Party healthcare forum
Biloxi TEA Party coverage
Mississippi TEA Party Announced for 4/15
To try an invent some schism between Bryant and the Tea Party just flies in the face of reality.
Alan, I’m just a bit confused about your reply to my post. I am in no way, shape or form a rumormonger nor am I attempting to “invent a schism.” I can also assure you that I am firmly grounded in reality. I haven’t even made up my mind which candidate I’m going to support yet. That said, I’ve no doubt that Mr. Bryant’s statement that is posted on Ya’ll Politics may have actually come out of his mouth at some point, but he did NOT say it at the rally in Biloxi. Are you trying to tell me that what we witnessed that day in Biloxi was just a figment of our imaginations? He was scheduled to speak at that rally and we watched him circle the Town Green and then drive away. We saw him do it…or maybe we all just have overactive imaginations. By the way, were you there on that particular day? Perhaps you should put your honest intellectual curiosity to work again and find out what really happened that day. You could start by asking his campaign manager. I’d be very interested to learn what he has to say about it.
And one more thing—there is a big difference in “The TEA Party of MS” and the “Mississippi TEA Party.” The two groups are NOT under the same umbrella…talk about inventing schisms! I’m not making this up–they are two different groups.
I’m a board member of the MS Gulf Coast 912 Project; I was there. And Lynn is right. Phil Bryant is a politician. He knows the Tea Party is at least influential enough to help unseat the unseatable Gene Taylor. He didn’t realize that at the time he “circled and snubbed”…and he hasn’t given an explanation/apology as far as I know. He might want to consider doing just that, though, because Charlie is right, too (below).
And toot, toot your horn, Mr. P
Although he may have been flying ‘under the radar’, GOP gubernatorial candidate Hudson Holliday probably far better fits that “insurgent-or outsider” candidate image than most Mississippi political pundits realize.
Holliday had a formal announcement last week in his hometown of Polarville, he had qualified a couple of weeks ago. He actually held a kick-off barbeque last November and for the past 14 or so months has been speaking to various groups around the state.
He’s met with and spoken to Tea Party and other groups and although he’s an elected supervisor for Pearl River county, he’s far more involved in business than Dennis and certainly Bryant who it appears has never been a business owner. Holliday is a retired two-star Mississippi National Guard General and will more than likely be thought of as ‘one of us’ by Tea Party types than either of the other candidates.
So, my suggestion is that although he may be running an unconventional race, it may not be wise to count him out. Holliday may very well become the dark horse in the race.
So PB supports Tea… The question is do the tea party groups support him. I’m not sure they all realize that hosting him during election season is supporting him. I know some tea party leaders despise him. Can he change their minds? and if not will they work for another candidate or work against him. 2011 is the year that all MS tea party/912 groups will decide if the are going to support the status quo or continue with the outsider attempts.
Mr. Stogner, I agree with you completely in regard to gubernatorual candidate, Hudson Holliday. He ran for office in Pearl River County in the face of much unrest and controversy over county ordinances and restrictions. With his ability to listen and asses problems, with a no nonsense and common sense approach, the county is a much more
pleasant place to “do business”.
He is a successful businessman, dedicated family man, and yes a retired 2-star National Guard General. His professional life has been dedicated to service to Mississippi by his long and respected military service. The more he travels over the state, the more people he talks to, the more likely he will be the “dark horse” in the race. He is “one of us”.