Thoughts from the Road

Statement

Thoughts from the Road

The best part of campaigning? Traveling to towns across the district and shaking hands.

We just left Lauderdale County. We're headed to DeKalb in Kemper County, then on to Macon in Noxubee County.

This is Kitch's element, which I've said before. He loves meeting people, talking to people. He can walk into any room and make friends.

It's out here in the district, away from that campaign office and the maps and the numbers, where you can get a real sense of what is going on.

Here's what we hear when we're out and about:

1. People largely do not know about the Supreme Court races, unless they are in the legal profession.
2. Past the presidential races, most people don't even know there is a Senate race going on. (They do, however, know about the U.S. House races.)
3. Many of the folks we meet don't feel like courts are fair. They are scared of the courts. They think courts exist either a) for criminals or b) for rich people.
4. When they learn about the Supreme Court race, they get interested. They want change.

The third point makes me think. I understand the criminal aspect. It's the Matlock and Law & Order effect. But that courts are just for the rich?

When I hear that, I ask them what they mean by "the rich" or "rich people". Some mean criminal prosecution of white collar crime, i.e. Enron. Others mean big corporations who are "running over people" trying to defend their actions, i.e. civil lawsuits.

Either way, they don't like the courts. If everyone would read the column by Alex A. Alston Jr., they would like the courts even less.

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