We interrupt this primary battle for this special report: GOP Stunned By Loss in Mississippi

[wyldwolf]

In a major blow to national Republicans, a Mississippi congressional seat that once voted for President Bush by a twenty-five point margin elected a Democrat on Tuesday. Prentiss County Chancery Clerk Travis Childers beat out Republican candidate Greg Davis, the mayor of Southaven, by a 54%-46% margin, a spread that several Republican strategists on Capitol Hill characterized as a startling wake-up call for a party in dire straits.

Voters cast ballots for the fourth time in three months for the seat, vacated when Republican Roger Wicker was appointed to fill the remainder of Senator Trent Lott's term. After winning the primary and the runoff election, Childers came within 410 votes of winning the first round of the special election against Davis on April 22, beating the Republican by a 49%-46% margin.

Last night, Childers, a conservative Democrat, again outperformed Davis in many rural counties. Childers did better than in April in eighteen out of twenty four counties, while he underperformed in just two counties. Childers held steady in three of the remaining counties, while Winston County produced just ten votes. Most importantly, Childers held firm in Lee County, the district's largest and home to Tupelo, winning 58% of the vote, while improving his showing in DeSoto County, Davis's home field. Childers won 25% of the vote in DeSoto County, better than his anemic 17% showing in April.

The results came despite national Republican efforts aimed at winning the seat. Senators Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker, former Senator Trent Lott and Governor Haley Barbour campaigned hard for Davis. On Monday, perhaps as an unfortunate measure of how Republican the district really is, Vice President Dick Cheney held a rally for Davis. Closing the gap in DeSoto County, said Childers pollster John Anzalone, was crucial. "All we were looking to do was to cut the margins there," he said.

The loss has already shaken establishment Republicans in Washington. After losing special elections in Illinois and Louisiana, the House GOP conference already expects a bad year for their party. But those two districts voted for President Bush by eleven and nineteen points, respectively, not by a whopping twenety five points. "People are going to want change," said a top aide to a leading House Republican. "The excuses, that didn't have the resources or that he wasn't from the right part of the district, that's just not going to hold up."

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/05/gop_stunned_by_loss_in_mississ.html

[phrigndumass]

1. This was a spectacular win for us!

K/R

:D

[polpilot]

8. Spectacular. Obama will crispy fry McCain in November.

[iamthebandfanman]

2. itd be nice if moderates were more succesful in the south

and we didnt hafta run conservatives just to win.

[wyldwolf]

5. they are.

Childers is a moderate. There seems to be a relatively new definition on the internet on what a "moderate" is.

[dsc]

18. He is a conservative by any reasonable measure

He is against all abortion, against any gay rights at all, and off the charts on social issues of all sorts.

[BigDDem]

3. Sweet!

[saltpoint]

4. If the fat cat Puke big wigs inside the Beltway are disturbed by the

outcome in the Childers/Davis contest, then good.

The GOP has been dishing out disturbance and division for some time now and it's time for the chickens to come home to roost.

[polpilot]

9. Defense stocks falling. Best indicator on Fall election.

[jasmine621]

17. You, friend, are very perceptive. nt

[dionysus]

6. 23!!!! you're back!!!!!

:hi:

[Alexander]

16. And here I thought we lost him!

[Zachstar]

7. If we work hard we are going to be able to easily build a filibuster proof majority in the fall.

[Blue_Roses]

10. this is what's REALLY big news...

unbelievable:bounce:

[beachmom]

11. :) :). I will kick any story about this or that Rush Limbaugh is in part responsible!!

Ha, ha, ha!!

[rurallib]

12. Heard the RCCC blew 20% of their stash on this race

Let's hear some sympathy out there!
:toast: :bounce: :evilgrin: :party: :nopity:

[izzybeans]

13. That is wonderful!!!

[kentuck]

14. Does anyone know if the Repubs ran against Obama in MS ??

If they did, it failed miserably.

[FrenchieCat]

15. They ran those ads, yes.....linking Childers to Obama

That's the beauty of this win for Dems. Even Mississippi doesn't like pastorbation.

[Colobo]

19. WYYYYYLDDDDD!!!! Welcome back, friend!