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Defiant Chris McDaniel declines to concede in speech to supporters [plus C-Span Video]
Politico ^ | June 25, 2014 12:24 AM EDT | By ANNA PALMER

Posted on 06/24/2014 10:53:20 PM PDT by bd476


Politico



Defiant Chris McDaniel declines to concede in speech to supporters


By ANNA PALMER | 6/25/14 12:24 AM EDT

HATTIESBURG, MISS. — A defiant Chris McDaniel walked up to the podium at his election night headquarters here after the Republican runoff was called for his opponent Sen. Thad Cochran — and then he didn't concede.

"We had a dream and the dream is still with us," said McDaniel to an increasingly vocal crowd, telling them that the fight is not over. "Today the conservative movement took a backseat to liberal Democrats in Mississippi."

Cochran's strategy Tuesday was to expand the electorate by ginning up votes from voters who don’t typically participate in Republican primaries, including blacks and Democrats. Mississippi voting rules allow anyone to participate in a primary.

(Full primary election results here)

But the tea party-backed McDaniel camp cried foul, sending in poll monitors and questioning the final outcome of the race.

More than 200 supporters gathered in the Hattiesburg Lake Terrace Convention Center were just as angry at the loss to Cochran that virtually assures the 76-year-old an easy win toward a seventh term in the general election.

They cheered his defiance and chanted “Write Chris In!” as he took the stage and calling out “It’s not over Chris” and “We’re not going with Thad.”

McDaniel supporters quickly moved to consider legal challenges based on reported voting irregularities.

Senate Conservatives Fund’s Ken Cuccinelli hung up on a POLITICO reporter when asked if they would consider challenging the result in court.

McDaniel said that Republicans must find their “backbone again” and called out irregularities at polling operations.

Cochran’s win was a major victory for the GOP Republican establishment that included heavy investment by the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

McDaniel had tried to position Cochran as a Washington insider with a history of pork barrel projects. His loss was the second major tea party defeat of the evening. Rep. James Lankford bested primary opponent T.W. Shannon in the Oklahoma Senate GOP primary.

It’s a major loss for national tea party groups, who had hoped to capitalize on Dave Brat’s upset in Virginia to defeat House Majority Leader Eric Cantor earlier this month. FreedomWorks put an aggressive ground game together holding rallies and blanketing the state with yard signs. Club for Growth also put in financial resources during the run-off for an ad buy.

Despite playing Pharrell’s “Get Lucky” over the loud speaker system as McDaniel closed the gap within a few thousand votes wasn’t enough to put the tea party favorite over the top.

The mood quickly soured as word that Cochran had bested McDaniel in the run-off. Some hugged, others shook their heads while yet others headed for the exits before McDaniel even took the stage to address the crowd.

What had started as a confident evening with McDaniel supporters predicting a victory quickly turned into a vent session over dirty politics.

“This is such a perverting of a fair election system that we are outraged the Secretary of State hasn’t stepped in,” said Ray Nicholson, the founding and past chairman of the Mississippi Tea Party. “I think it is going to badly hurt the Republican party in Mississippi.”

Barry Neyrey, chairman of the South Mississippi Tea Party on the Gulf Coast, blamed Cochran’s move to try and expand the electorate and increase Democratic turnout in the primary is “dirty politics.”

“That is corruption, that is Washington corruption on full display and that is what Chris McDaniel was trying to fight, is trying to fight against, the corruption of Washington,” Neyrey said.

The political activist said McDaniel’s loss is making him rethink his involvement.

“It makes you want to quit being involved. I never believed a third party would work, maybe that’s the only way to get rid of the corruption of Washington, the corruption of the Democratic party, the corruption of the Republican party,” Neyrey said. “These people do not exist to serve the public, they exist to serve themselves and each other.”

—Alex Burns contributed to this report.



TOPICS: Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Mississippi
KEYWORDS: chrismcdaniel; cochran; corruption; dc; democrats; gop; gope; mcdaniel; mississippi; ms; teaparty; thadcochran; votefraud; voterfraud
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To: Lib-Lickers 2
love your family and community as hard as you can for as long as it lasts... which won’t be more than another generation or two at the most

I truly want to remain optimistic but I understand your point because you have made a great point.

21 posted on 06/25/2014 2:12:55 AM PDT by no-to-illegals (Scrutinize our government and Secure the Blessing of Freedom and Justice)
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To: Nickname

I’d rather see a Democrat in that seat than that backstabbing, senile twit. The only way I’d be willing to see Thad go back to the Senate is if I knew that he’d kick the bucket and a REAL statesman would be appointed.


22 posted on 06/25/2014 2:21:59 AM PDT by Luircin
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To: bd476

It is sad and disheartening for our nation that cronies have a way of winning elections. Would be wonderful, for our nation and a safer world, if only Statesmen and Stateswomen won elections. As usual and as is the norm ... cronies do outnumber Statesmen and Stateswomen. Statesmen and Stateswomen are a rare commodity on our planet. Maybe God will have mercy on America since America was God’s creation even though God knew the trend would eventually swing back to more cronies, quickly, rather than Statesmen and Stateswomen leading. Don’t want to say Rome here we come but with the gates open and many barbarians already inside; the People are in for one heck of a fight. May God be with us.


23 posted on 06/25/2014 2:35:24 AM PDT by no-to-illegals (Scrutinize our government and Secure the Blessing of Freedom and Justice)
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To: Nickname

Cochran is useless and does not deserve the seat. I hope the Dems take it. It is not like he is any better than a dem anyway.


24 posted on 06/25/2014 2:36:08 AM PDT by TBall
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To: bd476
Cochran’s win was a major victory for the GOP Republican establishment that included heavy investment by the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

I'd think rather a pyric victory myself. The depth to which the GOPe had to sink does not bode well for them, frankly. I'll be curious to see exactly how many voters turn out for Thad come November. The duplicity and downright arrogance of the Republican Party is disgusting and does not engender loyalty on a nationwide scale.

It fielded an insane contrarian in 2008, a milquetoast pretty boy in 2012 and now props up a senile old coot in MS for 2014 for the sixth or seventh time (I forget - I must have caught something from Thad). One can only marvel at just how in the heck they are gonna down-select from the JebChristiePaulRubioRyanWhomever amnesty clan in 2016?

It sure doesn't make me want to slog out in the rain to go vote for any GOP candidate. Not even on a sunny day.

25 posted on 06/25/2014 2:48:05 AM PDT by Gaffer
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To: Luircin; TBall

Yeah, I hear that.

Come November, some running for statewide offices will get my vote because we need to support up and coming conservatives who can hopefully replace RINOs in the future.

But Cornyn and my Rep. can forget about it. Both my hands and conscience will be clean where they’re concerned. If they want to continue down the road to fascism with the Democrats, they can travel on without me.


26 posted on 06/25/2014 2:56:50 AM PDT by Nickname
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To: Nickname

Let him be a write-in vote, that way he can take down Cochran.


27 posted on 06/25/2014 3:03:48 AM PDT by Biggirl (“Go, do not be afraid, and serve”-Pope Francis)
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To: Gene Eric

They already had, along with many other people of all political bents. Because they were leaning on themselves, not on God.


28 posted on 06/25/2014 3:04:35 AM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
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To: no-to-illegals

Be ready to fight folks.


29 posted on 06/25/2014 3:05:27 AM PDT by Biggirl (“Go, do not be afraid, and serve”-Pope Francis)
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To: Biggirl

Or else sap away enough GOP support from any one candidate that the Democrat prevails.


30 posted on 06/25/2014 3:05:27 AM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
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To: INVAR

Revolt is coming.


31 posted on 06/25/2014 3:06:22 AM PDT by Biggirl (“Go, do not be afraid, and serve”-Pope Francis)
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To: INVAR

Revolt is coming and THAT IS A FACT.


32 posted on 06/25/2014 3:06:54 AM PDT by Biggirl (“Go, do not be afraid, and serve”-Pope Francis)
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To: Gaffer

Democrats sure don’t go in for the purity thingy. They muster whatever united support is needed for the (D) brand, while working long term to bring the entire (D) brand well into the sewer.


33 posted on 06/25/2014 3:06:55 AM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
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To: bd476

Good luck in November getting all those Conservative votes you just pissed away, Thad...


34 posted on 06/25/2014 3:10:59 AM PDT by Timber Rattler (Just say NO! to RINOS and the GOP-E)
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To: Timber Rattler

A spirit of vengeance grips the land, and it is well poised to slaughter itself in revenge. Satan, of course, is laughing his figurative red tights off.


35 posted on 06/25/2014 3:14:57 AM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
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To: Gene Eric

Scorched earth time. Form a 3rd party now!!!!!!


36 posted on 06/25/2014 3:18:06 AM PDT by catfish1957 (Face it!!!! The government in DC is full of treasonous bastards)
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To: catfish1957

If this were to happen, I’d hope it would fare better than a spoiler herd of cats.

We are under God’s chastisement here. The best remedy in such a situation is to stop and plead heaven for mercy. Spirits of vengeance will not deliver.


37 posted on 06/25/2014 3:19:45 AM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
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To: bd476

The lib media keeps on saying this now assures an easy win for Cochran in the general election. Im not so sure. Many conservative will sit out. And some may vote for Childers.


38 posted on 06/25/2014 3:24:48 AM PDT by nhwingut (This tagline is for lease)
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To: HiTech RedNeck
3 Parties is how it is done in the UK. The GOP(e) is so entrenched that they will never ever embrace conservative values. Their function in life is to be life long politicians and suck the lifeblood out of our country.

Enough is enough.

39 posted on 06/25/2014 3:30:29 AM PDT by catfish1957 (Face it!!!! The government in DC is full of treasonous bastards)
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To: Gaffer

What you saw here was a DYING and I mean DYING attempt to hold onto power and the ironies are overwhelming...

I think we can all agree that the modern Dem party is OVER and controlled almost exclusively by progressives with little to no hope of returning.

The GOPe to another step towards the dems last night with the tactics of having the blacks cross over and vote for the old, white guy...

It’s now OFFICIALY the Uniparty and you saw their coronation last night...


40 posted on 06/25/2014 3:30:53 AM PDT by bfh333 ("We can evade reality, but we cannot evade the consequences of evading reality.")
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