OXFORD,
Miss. – Two partisan bloggers whose commentary is frequently featured
on the editorial pages of The Clarion-Ledger are to lead a discussion
of post-election politics in Mississippi Tuesday (Nov. 18) at the
University of Mississippi.
Jere Nash, a veteran Democratic Party
strategist, and Andy Taggart, former executive director of the state
Republican Party, are expected to use the forum as a stage for their
rival views on the impact of the 2008 election in Mississippi. The
discussion is set for 4:30 p.m. in Overby Center Auditorium.
“These two guys have a lot of fun at each other’s expense. But they’re also thoughtful and knowledgeable, and I’m looking forward to getting them here,” said Curtis Wilkie, Overby Center Fellow, associate professor and Kelly Gene Cook Chair of journalism. Wilkie will moderate the forum.
Nash and Taggart plan to deal with such questions as: How might Democrats try to take advantage of the election results to gain a stronger foothold in state politics? Do Republicans need to broaden their conservative base in Mississippi?
The two men have sharply contrasting views on state politics and trade barbs regularly in their online columns, which are highlighted in the Jackson newspaper.
The program is sponsored by the Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics, which hosted a number of public political discussions in the weeks leading up to this month’s election.
Nash and Taggart are co-authors of a new book, “Mississippi Fried Politics: Tall Tales from the Back Rooms” (Red/Blue Publications, 2008), a sequel to their study, “Mississippi Politics: The Struggle For Power, 1976-2006” (University Press of Mississippi, 2006).
The pair also will be guests at a book-signing and reception at Square Books on the Oxford Square following the campus program.
The stories in the new volume are “fit for the late-night comedy circuit,” according to a review in the current Mississippi Business Journal. “Comedy Central’s ‘The Daily Show’ would do good to have the Mississippi tandem up for an interview,” the reviewer said.
For more information or to request assistance related to a disability, call 662-915-1692. To learn more about the Overby Center, visit http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/overby/ .