Ellington

Dear JoAnne,

Do the Republicans have a lock on the state of Mississippi? Does a Democrat, or even just a non-elephant like myself, have a chance of voting for the winning candidate in the upcoming presidential election? Or should I just give up and stay home?
— Frustrated in Fondren

A. Oh, no, my dear Frustrated. Do not stay home—that's the only sure way to re-elect GWB. Certainly John Kerry can win. Even in Mississippi.

I know the state voted for Bush in 2000, and a lot of those people who voted for him are decent, well-meaning souls. They're nice people. Some are die-hard Republicans, and there's probably nothing we can do about them. (Even though I heard from the elephant's mouth just this week: the Mississippi Republican Party is in shambles.) But there are many people who've been voting Republican who are just as frustrated as you. I like to believe they just didn't know any better.

But now they do. People all over this state are frustrated with Mr. Bush. We have seen the man in action, and it has not been a pretty sight. Not in Iraq or in our own pocketbooks. Not in our environment, geographical or psychological. How many Mississippians can honestly answer "yes," to the question, "Are you better off now than you were four years ago?" Osama bin Laden took his toll, of course. But bin Laden isn't responsible for the biggest problems we have; he's still holed up in Afghanistan somewhere. And you can't blame it on a Democratic Congress, because there's not one.

Here's the heart of the matter: Mississippi people are smart. And Mississippi people are too smart to make the same mistake twice. I happened to be driving through the Delta the other day with one of our state's smartest people. This woman is blessed with enough Mother Wit—common sense—to serve us all. And she is a woman who can read people better than anyone I've ever known. She's been doing it for more than 70 years now. Even as a child growing up, she was called "that little fast girl"—not because she moved quickly or practiced loose living, but because she observed people and the world around her and could figure out what was true and what was not. I'd stake my life on her instincts about people and about what's right and wrong for us all. She's been in the political arena in the state and nation for 40 years, has known Republican and Democratic presidents. She's traveled all over this country and all over the world. So, when she was driving with me to the Delta, I asked her: "What do you think about our president?" She let out a sigh that carried with it the weight of the world. And then she spoke: "That child is retarded. You can just look in his eyes and tell. And the worst thing," she went on, "is that he's shamed us, shamed our whole country. It's a pity. My mama always said, 'I want you to do what you want and be happy, but please, baby, don't shame me!'"

And that's the truth. I, for one, believe Mississippi people know the truth when they see it.
JoAnne welcomes your questions, no matter how odd. Send questions to Ask Joanne, JFP, P.O. Box 2047, Jackson, Miss., 39216, or fax to 510-9019.