GOP Senate Candidate Puts Himself On Dem Ticket

Republican Senator Roger Wicker is facing the fight of his life for reelection in Mississippi. So what is he doing to ensure another six years in Congress? He's apparently painting himself as a Democrat.

A sample ballot reportedly put out by the Senator -- who has been in office for less than a year and could very well lose his race to former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove -- seems designed to deceive voters into thinking he is on the same ticket as Obama-Biden.

The flier, which has been reported in the Delta and Jackson regions of the state, checks off and makes bold the name of every Democratic candidate on the ballot -- plus Wicker. The desired effect is to make recipients believe that, if they vote down the Democratic party line, they should check off Wicker's name as well.

The late-game scheming is reflective not just of how tight the Mississippi Senate race truly is, but how fundamentally the Southern political landscape has shifted with Obama on the ticket. The idea that a Republican Senate candidate in the deep South would actually want to be associated with a black presidential aspirant is downright mind-boggling. At the same time, Wicker may just be trying to stir up enough confusion to siphon off the needed Democratic vote to propel himself to victory. Either way, it's dirty.

Hat Tip: Phil Singer.

Update: The Wicker campaign denies involvement in an the sample ballot. Spokesman Ryan Annison, speaking to Talking Points Memo, says: "The honest to goodness truth is this is the first time we've seen it... At five o'clock the night before the election, I can't say that our opponent's press releases are a priority."

Comments

[yannb]

Lucidity might be his best talent.

[Formeralaskangal]

Wow! That's almost "Wickeder" than Lieberman changing his party.

[Steamboater]

Wicker's a liar. There's a difference in making decpetive telphone calls and this flier. Someone needs to be arrested for tampering with the voting.

[XME]

As the song goes: The times they are a changin'!

[stayinsouth1981]

BENNIE THOMPSON, Vote YES!

[Girl28]

I don't think it'll be too much of a problem. I'm from Mississippi and Ronnie Musgrove is a former governor of the state. So it's not as if he has no name recognition, people know him and they know he's a Democrat. That might have worked a little better if Ronnie was an unknown.

[stayinsouth1981]

Ronnie was a class act governor.

[Daw8it]

And remember Rev. Hagee endorsed McCain.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qNi7tPanUA

[RoonToon]

What a crappy ballot.

[lephead]

You may not know this, but this is a Mississippi tradition.
In 1876, the Tilden campaign put Tilden's picture on a Republican ballot , it had a picture of Abrahma Lincoln on it, to confuse illiterate black people into voting for Tilden, trying to make them think he was the republican candidate.

[Tobiason]

Are you saying Mississippi is a corrupt country? I believe you. Too many republicans. lol

[Tobiason]

You remember Wicker Park the Movie? It was equally mind boggling. lol. No, I'm just kidding. This election "determined" to be fun to the last second I think. I just hope this change is for the better. We laughed so much.

[plwood01]

We have expected that the McCain campaign must throw everything they can think of at Obama to have a chance of not losing by a landslide. Nothing new here...I hope the supporters realize that and change their vote for him tomorrow to Barack Obama! I think it will work out for the country and the world as Obama has a brand new angel on his shoulder!

[mamacat]

This tactic of pretending to be a Democrat is not new. Very few today know about it, but this tactic helped Nixon the very first time he ran for Congress in California. It worked then, I hope it doesn't work this time.

[123dee]

I've been registered as an independent for many years, voting for both democrats and republicans
I had to declare in the primary to vote, I was planning to reinstate my independent status after the
general. But, now after watching how dishonest McCain and so many of the republicans are I will
be very proud to maintain my democratic affiliation. Go Obama

[emceteris]

I have just been informed that a robocall in Colorado is erroneously informing Obama volunteers that their services as leads and checkers at polling places are not needed on election day. It is important that Obama volunteers know that their services are still needed.

[Girl28]

Yeah, robocalls are also being sent out in a couple of battleground states saying that Republicans vote on the 4th, and Democrats should wait untill tomorrow. Ridiculous!

[donaldw6]

Disqualified!