Josh Foreman’s recent article in The Reflector espoused a common belief that little separates Ronnie Shows (D-Bassfield) and Chip Pickering (R-Laurel), the candidates for the new 3rd Congressional District in Mississippi. Foreman correctly asserts that the major difference between these two candidates is their party. The fact that both Shows and Pickering are conservative is of little surprise since almost every Mississippi politician could be called a conservative relative to his national brethren. The congressmen have even carried on a debate about whom the NRA supports more.
Nevertheless, the positions that Foreman outlined as areas of agreement between Pickering and Shows-defense spending, the Pledge of Allegiance, gun control and veterans’ rights-are hardly areas where we would expect disagreement from viable candidates running in Mississippi during a time of war.
Neither are these issues anywhere near the most important in this election. Foreman’s analysis undermines the fact that substantive issues divide Shows and Pickering and that party identification is an important candidate quality.
Pickering and Shows have vehemently debated Social Security privatization in their campaigns. Pickering supports privatization. Shows opposes it with rhetoric befitting a Kennedy, Daschle or Gephardt. One of Shows’ items in the “Breaking News” column of his Web site says, “Pickering Attacks Shows to Deflect Attention from Privatization Plan.”
Unfortunately, the title did not link to any further information. As for Pickering, I have repeatedly found my mailbox stuffed with fliers decrying Shows’ anti-privatization stance.
Additionally, Shows and Pickering differ on the continuation of the Bush tax cut in light of the war on terror and downturn in the economy. Pickering supports making the tax cut permanent. Shows reversed his earlier support and explains his actions by saying, “Things have changed.” Pickering has been an outspoken advocate of tort reform, while Shows’ record indicates a clear opposition.
More than individual issues, the party identification of these candidates is an important issue. Delicate majorities control both the House and Senate. A shift of power could be determined by only a few races across the country-one of which Mississippians will decide. Pickering and Shows both may themselves be conservatives, but the House leadership that they will support differs far more vastly.
A big difference exists between the current speaker of the House, Denny Hastert (R-Ill.) and the potential speaker in a Democrat-controlled House, Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.). Neither Shows nor Pickering is going to have much power in the House after this election, but the speaker of the House will. Thus, the ideologies of the parties to which these candidates belong should carry at least as much weight as their individual preferences.
The final flaw in passing over the 3rd Congressional District race as a rather inconsequential choice is that doing so increases voter apathy. Ignoring the real differences between these candidates begs for a low turnout in an important election with national consequences. While I know which of these gentlemen I support, I’m not going to tell you which you should choose this November. What I will say is simply this: Your choice matters. Make it wisely.
Smith Lilley is a senior political science major.