Spin Cycle

The Mississippi GOP is scoring the expected points off of Hillary’s claim that women are hurt by their state’s lack of "communitarianism" (whatever that means), but her point is hardly a new one. Women’s groups in the Magnolia State have long argued that wage disparities and traditional attitudes have resulted in a male-dominated political system and rendered women second-class citizens.

The number of women holding state and federal elective office in Mississippi ranks 49th nationally, according to the Institute for Womens Policy Research, a Washington think-tank. Huge gender and racial wage disparities also plague the state, with African-American women earning roughly half of what their white male counterparts make.

"This is something which isn’t talked about enough," says Mary Carruth, director of the University of Mississippi’s Sarah Isom Center for Women. "Mississippi is consistently ranked among the lowest states in terms of wages, access to reproductive services and insurance among other things." (Carruth offered HRC an invitation to amplify her remarks at the center, which is holding a women-and-politics seminar early next month).

Now, as for the politics…

The flack for the state Democratic Party wanted everyone in the outside world that he had "no comment" – repeating the phrase no fewer than 5 times in two minutes.

State GOP Chairman Jim Herring, on the other hand, predicted Clinton’s statement would create "huge problems" for her in even moderate Southern states like Arkansas, Virginia and Tennessee.

"I think it will hurt her," said Herring. "I think it’s a big mistake to denigrate any state as whole or any region. When she’s talking about Mississippi, she’s talking about the whole South. I assume that’s some kind of strategic move on her part because she thinks she has no chance of winning here. But I think it’s a major mistake."

--Glenn Thrush