Introducing Progress for Mississippi

At first glance, I thought that Progress for Mississippi was a new progressive group hoping to improve our state. To say I was excited would have been an understatement. However, Y'all Politics has suggested that the organization is a campaign site for Bill Luckett who is hoping to run for governor as a Democrat. This makes it a bit of a harder sell for me and not just because I'm unfamiliar with Luckett. Why? Well, Gene Taylor is technically a Democrat, and I have a hard time seeing him as even remotely progressive. Is Luckett a genuine progressive or just another conservative pretending to be progressive to capitalize on President Obama's popularity?

I know, I know. This is Mississippi, and a real progressive could never get elected here, right? I guess that may be true, but I am tired of voting for what is merely a false choice. I'm happy to support a real progressive but having an increasingly hard time just voting against the more Christian extremist of the candidates.

The web site offers some clues about what to expect from Luckett, some of which I do not find particularly encouraging.

Through the decades I have listened to so many reports of Mississippi being last. Whenever media reports examine education, poverty, health issues and public services, it seems that our state’s enduring legacy is filled with disappointments and documented with failures...But that is not the Mississippi I know! While it is true that we have very real problems to address in our state, the Mississippi I know is ready for rebirth.

Our state has serious problems that are going to require real sacrifice to turn around. We need genuine change and not merely a different sort of PR campaign. It isn't about showcasing our strengths. We need a leader who is willing to call for hard work and capable of selling what may be unpopular but necessary. Could Luckett be such a leader? I guess time will tell.

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Tags: Mississippi, Progress for Mississippi, progressive, Bill Luckett, Gene Taylor, Obama