Photo scandal gives boost to Thad Cochran in Mississippi primary

washingtonexaminer.com ^ | 5/23/14 | David Drucker

[cotton1706]

JACKSON, Miss. — The jittery Republican Establishment here was breathing easier after a political scandal appeared poised to lift Sen. Thad Cochran over his aggressive Tea Party challenger in the waning days of Mississippi's volatile Senate primary campaign.

Support for Chris McDaniel among Tea Party conservatives was holding strong, even as the state senator struggled to explain his connections to a campaign supporter who was accused of taking illegal photographs of Cochran’s wife, Rose, and incorporating the Images into a political video attacking the incumbent posted on his weblog. Cochran’s wife suffers from advanced dementia and has lived in a nursing home since 2000. McDaniel repeatedly revised his story, including what he knew about the matter and when, as well as his campaign’s relationship with the suspect, Clayton Thomas Kelly.

“ McDaniel, considered the Tea Party's best chance to oust a sitting Republican this year, needs more than his base to win.

”

But Cochran supporters privy to private polling say the episode damaged the challenger among two crucial voting blocs: undecideds and mainstream Republicans open to making a change June 3. McDaniel, considered the Tea Party’s best chance to oust a sitting Republican this year, needs more than his base to win.

“I think it’s clear that Sen. Cochran is going to prevail, and this certainly is going to be in a lot of people’s minds that were considering — maybe were undecided,” Rep. Gregg Harper, R-Miss., told the Washington Examiner. “You have to say it would hurt the challenger when this comes out.”

Still, disgust with Washington is running high in Mississippi. That works against Cochran, 76, who has served in Congress since 1973 and is vying for a seventh Senate term.

[ReaganÜberAlles]

Had it been my mother, who died in a nursing home with dementia three years ago, I would have left him taking pictures of his lower, very lower, digestive track for the rest of his life.

[Nifster]

How convient for Thad

[iowamark]

The people who invaded the nursing home were incredibly stupid, but that does not mean that Mr. Cochran deserves renomination.

[Paladin2]

Cochran lives in DC with his assistant and travel partner.

[Viennacon]

Extremely convenient for scumbag pork-barrel Cochran. I hope Mississippi voters aren’t this dumb

[gov_bean_ counter]

I hope Mississippi voters aren’t this dumb

Why do you think we in Alabama still say "Thank God for Mississippi"???

[SharpRightTurn]

O.K., Cochran knew about this episode over two weeks ago, but didn’t say anything about it publically, and then it comes out a couple of weeks before the election?

Any idiot that let’s something like this affect their vote are the dumbest of low information voters. Cochran has done his part in loading trillions of dollars of debt on our backs and is a bought-and-paid for crony politician, living with his “chief of staff” while abandoning his disabled wife. And yet this episode makes Cochran a more favorable candidate than McDaniel?

If anyone falls for this, and let’s it influence them to vote for tHad Enough instead of McDaniel, Haley Barbour has a bridge over the Mississippi to sell them cheap.

[Din Maker]

The best chance we had to oust a long-time RINO was screwed up by a couple of idiots. The blogger is not the only one in trouble with the Law on this but also a Tea Party guy. Seems like when we get a candidate who is not an idiot and makes multiple gaffes, he has some supporters are idiots who lose the race for them. Why are we the ones, and not the RINOs, who have idiot candidates like Todd Akin and idiot supporters like these? TURN OUT THE LIGHTS; THE PARTY'S OVER.

[grania]

McDaniel's got to give a powerful speech denouncing the treachery of photographing that woman and anyone involved. He's got to include in that speech some very strong, passionate reasons why he should be nominated, all positively stated.

McDaniel's got the spotlight now. Either he uses it to his advantage or he lets others control his destiny. This has been going on too long. Constitutional conservative choices have to be ready to turn these situations to their favor. They know it's coming and it will be a down and dirty fight to get the nomination.

[cotton1706]

The people are being manipulated. Whenever a conservative matches or exceeds an establishment candidate or incumbent, “something” pops up to sow doubt in the people’s minds, to make them go with the safe bet, the guy who’s been there for years.

Matt Bevin’s TARP signature, Greg Brannon’s trial, Milton Wolf’s facebook photos, now strange antics regarding Chris McDaniel.

These are practiced political hands who know just when to put an oar in the water.

Hopefully, the people of Mississippi, will still vote for McDaniel.

[Din Maker]

Bottom line, they outsmart us. I think this is the death knell for McDaniel’s campaign.

[Kenny]

Bottom line, they outsmart us. I think this is the death knell for McDaniel’s campaign.

True. Also true they have more money, paid operatives to dig up any hint of scandal, and the media. Guess we either have to fight harder let them rule.

Personally, I'm going to fight harder.