While some very strong candidates have emerged from the various primary races around the country, a Republican incumbent has yet to be unseated by a primary challenger. It appears as though that might change, however, in Mississippi where incumbent Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS) is polling behind Mississippi State Senator Chris McDaniel (R). Cochran has been in office for a whopping four decades, and McDaniel is looking to breath fresh life into the seat. On radio this morning, McDaniel joined the program to discuss what his campaign is doing ahead of the June 3 primary.
The Mississippi Senate fight is being described as the “nastiest” race in the country. McDaniel’s campaign came under fire for the actions of a local blogger, Clayton Thomas Kelly, who was arrested after police said he entered a Madison, Mississippi nursing home to take a picture of Cochran's ailing wife without her consent. While the liberal media has accused Kelly of working with McDaniel’s camp, there is no affiliation between the two.
“Can you ask you about this video of Thad Cochran's wife in a nursing home that they're blaming on the Tea Party,” Glenn asked.
“I can give it a shot. There was a blogger down here that was acting pretty much by himself, and he apparently somehow how took a picture of Senator Cochran's wife,” McDaniel said. “That picture was then later it seems used as part of some video that he created, and they're of course trying to pin that on the Tea Party and others… We have absolutely no contact or knowledge of this guy whatsoever. We've condemned it completely and wholly. It's absolutely ridiculous that he was taking that type of action.”
Cochran was first elected to Congress when McDaniel was just a toddler, and he has proven to be a tried and true establishment Republican time and time again.
“He has a terrible record. Even the American Conservative Union gave him a D-minus during the Obama presidency and basically ranked him dead last among Republican senators – the most liberal Republican senator during the Obama presidency,” McDaniel explained. “I'll tell you, Glenn, if you can't take a stand against Barack Obama, that is truly unfortunate. No one in this state can name a single fight that Thad Cochran has led against Barack Obama. So his record is filled with liberal votes.”
McDaniel enjoys a slight lead in most polls, and Glenn asked him to describe the energy on the ground.
“We love it. The energy is incredible. We have literally thousands of volunteers. They're going door-to-door, making phone calls,” McDaniel said. “What's happening is the people of this state are waking up, and that's the key. Mississippi is one of the most conservative states in the entire republic. We need a senator that's going to fight as a conservative for Mississippi values.”
As Pat pointed out however, of the 139 incumbents of both parties who have faced primary challengers so far this year, all 139 have won. Pat asked McDaniel how he plans to overcome those odds in the waning days of the campaign.
“Mississippians are people of character, and we understand that it's time to fight. It's time to take this country back, and we can't do that by reaching across the aisle. We can't do that by compromising. We can't do that by back room deals. Right now is the time to lead the conservative resurgence,” McDaniel explained. “Mississippi is that fertile ground. Our people are strong. They're self-reliant. They believe in the things our Founders believed in, and they know how serious this election is. That's why we're going to win. This is one of those elections that sets a tone for the rest of the country.”
“If we can unseat a 42-year incumbent, then every one of those men and women will be sending a message. It's time to listen to the people for a change,” he continued. “And they haven't been looking to the people for a long, long time. We're going to change that on June 3rd.”
Glenn encouraged his listeners to consider donating or volunteering for McDaniel’s campaign regardless of what state they live in.
“I wish you all the luck in the world,” Glenn concluded. “This guy, he is winning in the polls, so this is just a show up thing. If you show up, you win.”
Learn more about McDaniel’s campaign HERE.