NORTH CARROLLTON — When the history of the 2014 U.S. Senate campaign here in this state is written, there will be many aspects to remember for sure.
Even though there were plenty of memorable circumstances from the Republican primary, the general election campaign may be the most telling as far as where this state is heading in electing our officials.
The matchup between incumbent Republican Thad Cochran and Democratic challenger Travis Childers has brought a different type of campaign from the two major political parties here in Mississippi. In the past, most typical campaigns have had candidates concentrating on their particular base and then drawing a wedge between themselves and the opposition’s base. The candidates would totally write off the base of the opposition from the start of the campaign.
That, for sure, hasn’t been the case in the Cochran/Childers matchup.With Cochran campaigning for the support of traditional Democratic constituencies and Childers attempting to appeal to the more conservative groups of this state, these candidates in one form or another are taking no one for granted in their quest for votes on Nov. 4.
That is very seldom seen these days in the political world. However, from examining both of these candidates’ backgrounds, it is no surprise how they are conducting their campaigns. Cochran has always demonstrated an effort to work across party and racial lines, and he has received broad support in the past. Same goes for Childers, who has in past elections received support from traditional conservative-leaning voters along with achieving a record of working with both parties.
Is Cochran a liberal? Of course not. Is Childers a tea party conservative? Certainly not. Do these two individuals have an appeal to a broad range of people in this state? They sure do. The reason why they do is a combination of several characteristics. First of all, they are both likable and decent people. If a person is not seen as likable, it is hard to garner much support from almost any group of voters. It also serves them well that they are both mainstream candidates and they look at putting the interest of their constituents first, which is for the betterment of serving the public.
Cochran and Childers are both making appeals to the overall general public, and that is a different dynamic from a lot of races in this state. By taking no one for granted, these two candidates are to an extent expanding the electorate of both the Democratic and Republican parties. The type of campaigns they are running does a lot to end division across racial, economic and regional lines.
For years there have been discussions within both parties in Mississippi about being more inclusive. Based on the campaigns that have been waged by Cochran and Childers, whoever is elected on Nov. 4 will serve all the people of Mississippi to the best of his ability.
• Ken Strachan, a Democrat, is a former mayor of North Carrollton and serves as Carroll County coroner.
