JACKSON - In Mississippi's premier political race on Nov. 5, the question comes down to a "skins" game - and I'm not talking about the expensive golf game variation or the rough-and-tumble basketball variety, either.
In choosing between the two incumbents vying for the "new"amalgamated congressional district created after Mississippi lost a House seat in the 2000 Census, the differences in the men aren't nearly as compelling as the similarities.
Abortion? They both oppose it. Second Amendment? They both support it. Matter of fact, there are few big ticket Mississippi political issues - guns, babies, strong military, veterans' rights - on which there's a nickel's worth of difference between Republican nominee Chip Pickering of Hebron or Democratic nominee Ronnie Shows of Bassfield.
Both are nice guys. Both are deferential to children, old folks and dogs. Both salute the flag and bow their heads to pray.
Pickering and Shows both were born in Laurel, both claim farming backgrounds and both have drawn paychecks in the political arena for the majority of their adult lives.
Despite all the ominous television attack ads being aired by both camps and by their associated national special interest groups, there are no personal or political scandals haunting either candidate. They are both decent, honorable men supported by large, impressive families who love them.
The difference? Simple.
Chip Pickering is a Republican who is comfortable in his political skin. Pickering's proud of his party's president, his party's congressional leadership in both houses and of the national political figures who represent his party on the national stage.
Pickering isn't ashamed of or apologetic for his party. He draws no distinction between being a Mississippi Republican and a national Republican.
Ronnie Shows is a Democrat who isn't comfortable in his political skin. Shows hasn't talked about his party's last president or his party's last presidential nominee during this campaign - at least not when a microphone or a camera was around.
He hasn't talked about his party's congressional leadership in either house or of the national political figures who represent his party on the national stage - at least not when a microphone or a camera was around.
Why? That's simple, too. It's called political self-preservation. A Mississippi Democrat who embraces the national Democratic Party and all its liberal icons - the Clintons, Al Gore, Dick Gephardt, Teddy Kennedy, etc., etc. - usually can't win in Mississippi unless he's running for Congress from the 2nd Congressional District. Like it or lump it, but it's a fact.
During a recent meeting with the editorial board of The Clarion-Ledger, Shows was asked to name a national Democratic figure with whom he closely identified politically. He hesitated and then named an obscure Democratic congressman. But he steadfastly avoided naming any of his party's liberal lightning rods like Hillary Clinton - although he liked her well-enough to take a chunk of campaign contributions off her hands.
Pickering's campaign finance sources mirror that of the national GOP - big business, small business and pro-family or religious ideological groups.
Shows' campaign finance sources mirror that of the national Democrats - organized labor, trial lawyers and liberal ideological groups. That's the stuff of political skin.
The race comes down to which candidate is comfortable in their own political skin - and Shows obviously isn't and can't be in this conservative new district carved to be Pickering's to lose.
