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Mississippi matters in primary elections again

Boy, I sure thought Mississippi didn’t count when it comes to federal elections, namely that of the president.  Shoot, it seems like we are on equal footing lately with them folks from Ohio and Florida, California and Michigan, what with all the repeated phone calls many of us have gotten from the presidential candidates battling for the Republican nomination.  Party primaries were held Tuesday in Mississippi, Alabama and elsewhere.
But, then when I think about it, maybe Mississippi plays a fairly big role in the federal party primaries–at least this time around we are.  While President Obama faces no opposition in the Democratic primaries, the Republicans have offered four choices, at least.  At least two of those four will battle until late April or early May.
Back in ‘08, by the time these primaries rolled around to the Great State, the only question to be answered was who would be the Democrat nominee–Obama or Sen. Hillary Clinton–heading into the late summer convention.  Sen. John McCain of Arizona had already secured enough delegates by winning most of the previous primaries to earn the Republican nod.  And, Obama, by that time, was gaining a head of steam.  Mississippi, it seemed, with only 40 delegates (some 1200 are needed to earn your party’s nomination), was only an afterthought.
So, it feels good to be important again.
Joe Buck Coates

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