Expect another recount.
President Trump will jet in next week to campaign with Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi in the last undecided Senate race, hoping to carry her over the finish line in a race she sometimes seems intent on losing.
Two foolish caught-on-camera remarks by Ms. Hyde-Smith have imperiled what should have been a cruise to the finish line in a runoff set for Nov. 27, in which she faces former Clinton-era Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy.
In one Ms. Hyde-Smith joked about “a public hanging,” and in the other she quipped about voter suppression, putting her on the defensive against Mr. Espy, who is black, and Democrats are hoping the remarks surge black voter turnout.
Analysts say it’s not likely to work.
“In my opinion, Senator Smith would have to make a far more inflammatory statement or action to dramatically change her level of support state-wide; or I suppose a series of them,” said Joseph Weinberg, an associate professor of political science at the University of Southern Mississippi. “I don’t foresee any major ‘surprises’ from either candidate at this point that could swing the vote to any significant degree.”
Ms. Hyde-Smith, 59, a Democrat-turned-Republican, was appointed last year to fill the seat left vacant when longtime Sen. Thad Cochran retired.
She faced voters earlier this month in an election to decide who would fill out the rest of Mr. Cochran’s term, coming in on top 41.5 percent to 40.6 percent for Mr. Espy. Another Republican, Chris McDaniel, claimed 16.5 percent of the vote, and with nobody clearing the 50 percent mark Ms. Hyde-Smith and Mr. Espy moved to the runoff.
In deep-red Mississippi the outcome shouldn’t be in doubt.
And yet Republicans are deploying Mr. Trump to try to shore up Ms. Hyde-Smith, scheduling two rallies for the day before the runoff.
Her first misstep came before a small crowd in Tupelo. Accepting a speaking invitation from someone in the crowd she admired, Ms. Hyde-Smith said she would “be in the front row of a public hanging,” if he invited her.
Then, a tape emerged on which Ms. Hyde-Smith, speaking to people at Mississippi State University, joked that perhaps it wouldn’t be a bad thing to make it harder for “liberal folks at those other schools” to vote.