GOOD TO HAVE YOU ON BOARD THIS MORNING.
MORNING. >> THANK YOU, MIKA.
>> ALL RIGHT, HAYLEY, IT’S GREAT
TALKING TO YOU.
SO WE GOT OBVIOUSLY YOU AND I
HAVE GROWN UP IN THE SOUTHEAST.
WE’VE ALWAYS HEARD ABOUT THE NEW
SOUTH THE NEW SOUTH.
SO SOME INTERESTING THINGS ARE
HAPPENING, ESPEY HERE RUNNING IN
A COMPETITIVE RACE.
OBVIOUSLY, DOUG JONES WON.
THEN THE GEORGIA AND FLORIDA
RACES FOR GOVERNOR ARE RACES
UNLIKE ANYTHING THAT WITHE HAVE
SEEN.
SEEN. TRY TO PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE FOR
US AS THAT MAN THAT KNOWS MORE
ABOUT POLITICS THAN ANYBODY.
>> THANK YOU, BY THE WAY, I
CAN’T SEE YOU.
I WAS LOOK A WHILE AGO, I DO
LIKE YOUR WARDROBE, YOU AND MIKA
LOOK GOOD IF YOUR OLE MISS
OUTFITS.
OUTFITS. >> HOTTIE TODDY, YOU KNOW, MY
DAD LIVED, WE ALL LIVED IN
MISSISSIPPI WHEN ARCHIE MANNING
WAS QUARTERBACK.
WAS QUARTERBACK. SO HE WAS MY FIRST HERO, I
FIGURED I SHOULD WEAR THIS ON
FRIDAY BEFORE I GO CRIMSON RED
ON SATURDAY.
ON SATURDAY. >> HE WAS IN SCHOOL WITH ME A
CLASSMATE OF MY WIFE’S.
WHILE HE WAS OUT ON THE FIELD, I
WAS UP IN THE STANDS DRINK OLD
BOURBON LIKE MOST OLE MISS
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. LOOK THE THAT PLEX HAS CHANGED.
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY MOVED TO
THE LEFT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
HASN’T MOVED SO MUCH ON POLICY
BUT HAS BECOME MUCH MORE PURIST
IF YOU WILL AND YOU’RE SEEING
THAT DEVELOPING IN THE SOUTH.
DOUG JONES GOT TO RUN AGAINST
THE ONLY PERSON IN ALABAMA HE
COULD HAVE BEAT.
AND DID IN A VERY, VERY CLOSE
RACE WHEN A REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE
WAS SOMEBODY THAT HAD SOME
VERYING VERY SERIOUS ACCUSATIONS
AGAINST HIM THAT MANY PEOPLE
BELIEVE WERE ACCURATE AND
WEREN’T GOING TO VOTE FOR HIM.
THEY DIDN’T VOTE AGAINST ROY
JONES, THEY VOTED AGAINST ROY
MOORE.
MOORE. I SAW YOU HAD MIKE ESPEY ON.
OUR PAMLYS HAVE BEEN FRIENDS FOR
GENERATIONS.
GENERATIONS. HIS GRANDFATHER WAS A CUSTOMER
OF THE BANK MY GRANDFATHER
STARTED.
STARTED. BUT I THINK MISSISSIPPI WILL
CONTINUE TO HAVE TWO REPUBLICAN
SENATORS.
SENATORS. WE’VE HAD TWO REPUBLICAN AS FAR
AS AFTER 30 CONSECUTIVE YEARS,
AND I THINK WE’LL CONTINUE TO DO
THAT.
THAT. OVER IF GEORGIA AND FLORIDA, YOU
GOT TWO VERY CLOSE GOVERNORS
RACES, WHERE THE DEMOCRATS HAVE
NOMINATED AFRICAN-AMERICAN
NOMINATED AFRICAN-AMERICAN CANDIDATES WHO ARE GETTING A LOT
A LOT OF OUTSIDE SUPPORT.
THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE IN
GEORGIA HAS HAD ANNOUNCED OR
ACTUALLY GIVEN MORE THAN 35
MILLION DOLLARS FROM VERY LEB
RAL DONORS AROUND THE COUNTRY.
I JUST SAW WHERE GILLUM, THE
CANDIDATE IF FLORIDA ALSO IS
GETTING HUGE AMOUNTS OF.FROM
LIBERAL GROUPS.
LIBERAL GROUPS. THOSE ARE GOING TO BE
COMPETITIVE RACES, AND IT’S
CONSISTENT WITH THE DEMOCRATIC
PARTY’S MOVE TO THE LEFT
NATIONALLY.
NATIONALLY. NATIONALLY.
NATIONALLY. >> GOVERNOR, JOHN MEACHAM.
>> HI, JOHN.
>> TO WHAT EXTENT DO YOU THINK
THIS -- HOW ARE YOU, SIR IN.
>> ALL RIGHT.
>> TO WHAT EXTENT DO YOU THINK
THIS IS A CULTURAL SHIFT AND
WHAT ROLE ECONOMICS PLAYS IN
THAT?
THAT? BECAUSE IN MY HOME STATE, WE
HAVE, SOME OF OUR BIG
INVESTMENTS ARE NISSAN AND
VOLKSWAGON.
VOLKSWAGON. IF SOUTH CAROLINA, BMW.
I’M SURE THERE ARE MISSISSIPPI
EXAMPLES.
EXAMPLES. IT SEEMS TO ME WE’RE IN THE
SOUTH IS IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY
EVEN TOW WHEN IT IS TRACKING
TOWARDS TRUMP, IT TENDS TO BE
SAYING, WELL, ACTUALLY, WEE WANT
TO BE MORE PROTECTIONIST, AT
LEAST RHETORICALLY.
LEAST RHETORICALLY. CAN YOU UNPACK THAT FOR US?
>> JOHN, I THINK WE’RE LIKE
TENNESSEE IN THE SENSE WE HAVE
TOYOTA 50 MILES FROM WHERE YOU
ARE.
ARE. THE NEWEST U.S. PLANT IS THERE,
NISSAN, AIRBUS.
NISSAN, AIRBUS. WE GOT OTHER BIG AMERICAN ONCE
LIKE HUNTINGTON INGUELLSALLS, TH
BUILD SHIPS FOR THE COAST GUARD.
OUR AG CULTURE, WE EXPORT MOST
OF OUR AG CULTURAL PRODUCTS.
WE WERE ONCE THE PLACE WHERE
COTTON WAS KING.
TODAY IT’S SOY BONES AND CORN
AND TIMBER FOR THAT MATTER.
THOUGH THAT’S NOT EXPORTED AS
MUCH.
MUCH. SO, YES, WE’RE A PART OF THE
GLOBAL XI.
GLOBAL XI. I DO THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE IN
MISSISSIPPI, PARTICULARLY
MISSISSIPPI, PARTICULARLY FARMERS, UNDERSTAND THAT THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S MAIN
FOCUS IS TO TRY TO MAKE THE
CHINESE STOP CHEATING.
THE CHINESE HAVE BEEN IN THE
DEBT WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION
SINCE 2001 MORE OR LESS.
THEY’VE CHEATED EVER SENSE.
WE HAD TWO ADMINISTRATIONS, ONE
REPUBLICAN, ONE DEMOCRAT, THAT’S
NEVER DONE ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
TRUMP IS TRYING TO DO SOMETHING
ABOUT IT.
ABOUT IT. IT’S NEVER GOING TO BE EASIER,
JOHN, BECAUSE TEAR ECONOMY IN
CHINA IS GROWING AND GROWING AND
GROWING AND FOR SOME OF THOSE
YEARS, IT WAS VERY MUCH
APPROACHING CAPITALISM.
APPROACHING CAPITALISM. TODAY, THE COMMUNIST PARTY IS
POWERFUL ALMOST AS IT WAS UNDER
MAO.
MAO. AND IT’S CRUNCHING DOWN ON
AMERICAN BUSINESSES IF CHINA AND
TRUMP RIGHTLY WANTS TO DO
SOMETHING ABOUT IT WHILE WE
STILL CAN.
STILL CAN. >> GAFFE BORE BER, WILLIE GEIST.
WISH YOU WERE HERE WITH US.
I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE
RACE.
RACE. YOU MENTIONED MIKE ESPEY, A LONG
TIME FRIEND THE REPUBLICAN,
CINDY HYDE SMITH AND SENATOR
McDANIEL JOINING US HERE ON SET
SHORTLY, ARE VOWING FOR THE
SUPPORT OF HYDE-TRUMP.
SHE WAS SCHEDULED TO DO AN EVENT
BEFORE THE HURRICANE STRUCK.
HE DECIDED TO STAY HOME.
WHAT SHOULD THEY BE SAYING ABOUT
DONALD TRUMP IN A STATE WHERE HE
IS VERY POPULAR?
>> WELL, LET ME JUST SAY I’M FOR
CINDY HYDE SMITH.
SO IS PRESIDENT TRUMP.
AS YOU SAID, HE WAS COMING TO
MISSISSIPPI ACTUALLY TODAY TO
CAMPAIGN FOR HER.
I’M SURE THAT OR BELIEVE THAT
WILL BE RESCHEDULED.
AND I THINK THAT IS A PLUS FOR
HIM.
HIM. TRUMP IS POPULAR IN MISSISSIPPI.
HE CARRIED MISSISSIPPI BY A
PRETTY GOOD MARGIN.
AND I THINK MOST MISSISSIPPIIANS
APPROVE OF HIS POLICY, CERTAINLY
APPROVE THE TAX BILL AND MORE
IMPORTANTLY THEY APPROVE OF THE
RESULTS OF THE TAX BILL, WHERE
OUR ECONOMY HAS GROWN TWICE AS
FAST AS IT WAS DURING THE OBAMA
ADMINISTRATION.
ADMINISTRATION. FOR A LOT OF THE HEART LAND,
INCLUDING A LOT OF THE
MISSISSIPPI IN THE OBAMA QUOTE
RECOVERY ON PAIN STREET, YOU
COULDN’T TELL A DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN THE RECOVERY AND THE
RECESSION.
RECESSION. WHEN THE NATIONAL XI IS GROWING
2.1% THE COMMISSION OF THE PARTS
OF THE HEARTLAND, BETWEEN THE
BICOASTAL BUILT AREAS, THEY
WEREN’T GROWING AT ALL.
YOU KNOW, FOR THAT WITH THE XI
GROWING 4.2, YOU ARE SEEING
GROWTH OUT IN THE HEARTLAND.
SO THAT’S WHY MISSISSIPPIIANS,
FOR THE MOST PART, SUPPORT
TRUMP’S POLICIES.
TRUMP’S POLICIES. HE SAYS SOME THINGS THAT PEOPLE
DON’T LIKE TO HEAR OR DON’T
AGREE WITH.
AGREE WITH. AND I’M A FREE TRADER, MYSELF.
THOUGH I DO RECOGNIZE THE
CORRECTNESS OF HIS VIEW THAT IF
WE’RE GOING TO EVER MAKE CHINA
STOP CHEATING AND ABIDE BY THE
RULES THAT THEY AGREE TO, THEN
IT’S NEVER GOING TO BE EASIER
TAN TODAY.
TAN TODAY. SO I THINK MOST MISSISSIPPIIANS
ARE LIKE ME IN THAT REGARD.
>> ALL RIGHT.