Here’s What People Are Saying About Last Night’s Gubernatorial Debate

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November 2, 2023                 

Here’s What People Are Saying About Last Night’s Gubernatorial Debate  

Jackson, MS – This morning, Mississippi Democratic Party Chair Cheikh Taylor appeared on Rip Daniels to talk about Tate Reeves’ laughable debate performance, saying, “Rather than [Tate Reeves] answering the questions on why he refused to expand Medicaid and cut taxes for Mississippi's most vulnerable families, he's trying to distract from his involvement in the largest public corruption scandal in Mississippi's history and Mississippians are ready for a change.” On the flip side, Republicans called Brandon Presley’s debate performance “impressive” and “skillful debater”. On SuperTalk, Caleb Spears said, “Brandon Presley seemed more polished” and “[He] came out swinging.”

After almost four years of failed policies Tate Reeves refused to defend his record of refusing to expand Medicaid, underfunding public schools, and failing to cut the highest-in-the-country grocery tax. 

Here’s what Mississippians are reading about last night’s debate:

Mississippi Today: “And anyone who watched the first and only debate between Presley and Reeves on Wednesday night saw the difference firsthand. The candidates stood face-to-face in a cold television studio, but they may as well have been in a boxing ring. They didn’t literally swing at each other, but they got mighty close a few times.

Both took some big blows from one another, but Presley’s jabs of the governor were sharp, deliberate and immediate (it took him four seconds of speaking before lobbing his first criticism at Reeves). Presley landed more punches overall than Reeves, and the Democrat was clearly the better prepared. He weaved in bits of humanity and forward-looking policy ideas with the attacks.

Reeves froze up and tripped over words several times, repeated himself many times, and talked little about future ideas, instead choosing to dwell on many of the same successes he’s highlighted for several years.”

HuffPost: Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves Stands By His Decision To Not Expand Medicaid… 

In a contentious head-to-head debate with Democratic challenger Brandon Presley, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) defended his record, including his controversial decision not to accept federal funds to expand Medicaid.

Associated Press: Only debate of Mississippi governor’s race brings insults and interruptions from Reeves and Presley

Presley said he was 8 years old when his own father was murdered, and he and his siblings were raised by a single mother who worked a factory job and sometimes struggled to pay bills. Presley said his mother “was somebody that Tate Reeves would say is a welfare person.”

“I’m not going to be cold-hearted to single parent families that sometimes find themselves in this situation,” Presley said. “I believe everybody I meet is a child of God, is somebody that Jesus went to the cross to die for. And I believe we should treat them with dignity and respect.”

…

“Let me tell you this, governor: How ‘bout you talk about Caledonia and New Hebron?” Presley said, adding that Reeves doesn’t have the “guts and backbone” to clean up corruption in state government.

The Recount: 

And here’s what they have to say about the debate:

@SlimSmith5: I cannot imagine that, in the entire history of political debates, there has been a worse beat-down than the one [Brandon Presley] put on [Tate Reeves] tonight. It was almost painful to watch. I kept waiting for [Hunter Estes] to throw in the towel.

@brandoncjones: Tate Reeves wanted this to be a coronation. He’s angry that it’s a contest. You’ll see it on his face tonight. He thinks he’s better than Brandon Presley and he damn sure thinks he’s better than you.

@msthroughmylens: I'm 23 years old, was born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and raised in small-town Taylorsville in the middle-of-nowhere Smith County. I've never spent a single cent on donating to any political candidate, but tonight, [Brandon Presley] convinced me that the time to do so was now.

@sglockett: Brandon Presley was born for that debate. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone as outmatched as Tate was tonight.

@Bleesaurus: The fact of the matter is… Tate can’t debate and Tate can’t govern. End of story. Vote [Brandon Presley] Tuesday and help move Mississippi in a better direction. 

Danielle Allayn: I love me some Brandon Presley for Governor😂😂

Karla Smith: Brandon Presley is reading Tater Tot for FILTH!!!👀

@jerameyanderson: It’s the receipts 🧾 for me…. #PresleyForMsGov

@iam_jay_01: When Brandon Presley pulled them receipts out his coat pocket, I knew at that point Tate lost the WHOLE debate🤣🤣💀💀💀💀

@PapaBret: One sobering takeaway from the debate tonight. When asked if he would support legislation that would allow Lynn Fitch to prosecute in cases of women leaving the state for abortion, Reeves refused to answer the question. Twice.

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About Mississippi Democratic Party:

The Mississippi Democratic Party is dedicated to advancing progressive values, fostering inclusive policies, and promoting equal representation for all Mississippians. As the state's leading Democratic organization, we work tirelessly to build a strong and diverse coalition, advocate for meaningful change, and support Democratic candidates who champion social justice, economic fairness, and access to quality healthcare and education. Together, we strive to create a brighter future for Mississippi by ensuring that every voice is heard and every vote counts.