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Republican poll seeks to identify Rebel flag supporters GOP candidates will be marketed to those voters, Democrats believe By TOM WILEMON THE SUN HERALD GULFPORT - The Mississippi GOP is making telephone calls to identify voters who support the Rebel flag, a move some Democrats say is designed to market Republican candidates to those voters. There is no issue on the ballot for November about the state flag, which has the much-debated Confederate emblem in one corner. But Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck spoke in favor of the Confederate symbol this summer during the Neshoba County fair. Her Democratic opponent, state Sen. Barbara Blackmon, is seeking to be the first black person elected to statewide office since Reconstruction. Blackmon's candidacy, many political experts say, is expected to generate a big turnout among black voters, which could also benefit Democratic Gov. Ronnie Musgrove. He is challenged by Haley Barbour, the former head of the Republican National Committee. The jockeying over the state flag comes two years after state voters overwhelmingly decided to keep the Confederate symbol. A local non-binding election on a similar issue occurred last year when Harrison County voters also overwhelming said to keep the Rebel flag flying at a beach display. Jim Herring, chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party, said the telephone question about the state flag is being asked as part of a voter-identification effort. "It is not unusual to ask people how they voted on various issues," Herring said. "That's pretty much it. That's what you call voter-identification calls." Some of the people polled say the questions abruptly ended when they indicated support for changing the state flag. Rickey Cole, who heads the Mississippi Democratic Party, said the effort does not surprise him. "I think the Republicans have looked at the numbers from the flag vote in 2001," Cole said. "They are very interested in trying to recoup their constituency that turned out for that vote that hasn't been turning out for other votes." The Rebel flag supporters are probably being identified for a direct-mail campaign, Cole said. "It's the subtle Republican strategy of dividing people along racial lines," Cole said. "There's nothing new or sophisticated about it. They're just using modern marketing to make it happen." Tuck never made any public comments endorsing the old flag during her 2001 election. When the media asked her opinion, she issued a press release that said, "Just like every other Mississippi citizen, after prayerful consideration, I will express my opinion in the voting booth." Herring said that Tuck played a crucial role in ensuring that Mississippians got to vote on whether to change the state flag when other politicians sought to remove the Confederate symbol without an election. A spokesman for Blackmon said the flag issue was resolved in the 2001 election. "Anyone who is focusing on the flag issue is living in the past," said Carter Dobbs, a spokesman for Blackmon. "Our campaign is focused on the future. Sen. Blackmon's goal is to create more jobs and more opportunities for people all across Mississippi." Blackmon was one of seven state senators to sue Tuck in 2000 for not allowing Senate conference reports to be read aloud. Black lawmakers tried to use the readings as a protest against the Senate leadership refusing to consider bills addressing the state flag. A Hinds County chancellor ruled against Tuck, but the state Supreme Court reversed the decision on appeal. Musgrove endorsed changing the flag to remove the Confederate symbol. Barbour personally voted against changing the state flag, a spokesman said. Gerald Blessey, a Coast Democrat who received one of the GOP calls, said some of Tuck's supporters on the Coast are the same leaders who wanted the Harrison County Board of Supervisors to remove the Rebel flag from a public beach display. "It is a fact that many of the local business leaders are openly supporting Amy Tuck in her appeal to voters to side with her on the flag issue," Blessey said. "She's made it an issue in this race. Many of the same local so-called business leaders are the ones who a year ago were asking voters to take it down. It's pretty hypocritical to be saying one thing to the voters one year and another thing the next year. Why don't they publicly disassociate themselves from Amy Tuck's position?" _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
