‘Mississippi’s Giant Houseparty’ shows sharp divide between GOP governor and Democratic challenger
PHILADELPHIA, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi’s political divide was on full display Thursday in the blazing heat as Republican Gov. Tate Reeves and Democratic challenger Brandon Presley spoke to a rowdy outdoor crowd at the largest political event of this election year, less than two weeks before party primaries.
Spectators cheered their own candidate — “Tate! Tate! Tate!” “Bran-don! Bran-don!” — and heckled the other — “Liar! Liar!” “Later, Tater!” — at the Neshoba County Fair, a gathering known as “Mississippi’s Giant Houseparty.”
For several days, groups of friends and families live in colorful cabins on the fairgrounds. Political speeches are one form of entertainment, along with concerts and horse races.
While candidates spoke Thursday, more than 1,000 people stood in the sunshine or sat on long wooden benches under a tin-roofed pavilion, fanning themselves as the temperature hovered at a humid 97 degrees Fahrenheit (36.1 degrees Celsius).
Presley, a four-term state utility regulator and cousin of the late rock ‘n’ roll icon Elvis Presley, talked about being raised in a small town by a widowed mother after his father was murdered on the first day Presley attended third grade. He said his mother earned so little working at a garment factory that their water and electricity were sometimes cut off for nonpayment.
Reeves said Presley is ignoring Mississippi’s low unemployment rate and improvements in education performance. Reeves also described Presley as being backed by “national liberals” who are mad that Mississippi brought the U.S. Supreme Court case that overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that had legalized abortion nationwide.
“This is not a campaign between two Mississippians offering Mississippi ideas to solve Mississippi’s challenges,” Reeves said. “I wish it was. But it’s not. The national liberals have made Mississippi their target.”
