Voters will be heading to the polls in nine days to make theirchoice for officials who will make decisions which affect the dailylives of each and everyone of us. While all elections areimportant, this election may be one of the most important this areahas seen in decades. The winners of these races will berepresenting us at a very crucial time in the history of this stateand country.

After listening to the campaigns, studying the candidates andtrying not to use litmus tests, but looking at the person whorepresents the common sense values that built this country, we aresharing our thoughts on whom we think will best represent southwestMississippi’s interest.

JUDGE KEITH STARRETT

– We have known Judge Starrett for a number of years and havealways been impressed by his deep concerns for the problemsplaguing our judicial system. His level-headed approach todecisions before him as circuit court judge for Lincoln, Pike andWalthall counties has won him praise from his peers and gained himrespect throughout the state. It was Starrett who createdMississippi’s first drug court to deal with drug offenders that hasbecome the model for other such courts not only in Mississippi butsurrounding states.

It is highly disturbing that our Supreme Court races havedegenerated into a political free-for-all of plaintiff attorneysagainst business interests that tarnishes the image and respect ofthe state’s highest court. But that is the system we have in thisstate and until it is changed to some type of process that removesthe politics, our judicial system will suffer.

Keith Starrett is an individual who brings dignity and respectto our highest court.

DUNN LAMPTON

– While a victory by the Republican district attorney from PikeCounty is unlikely against the consummate populist Democratincumbent Congressman Ronnie Shows, it is not a lost cause.

Lampton stands to benefit from the Republican turnout for GeorgeW. Bush and could sneak past Shows should his base not turn out tosupport Al Gore. The Fourth District being historically aRepublican stronghold in presidential elections makes an upset apossibility.

But that aside, when one compares Shows to Lampton, strongdifferences stand out. Lampton seems to align himself with thecommon sense moderate conservative end of the Republican partyinstead of the extreme conservative right. Shows on the other handlikes to portray himself as a conservative Democrat here at home,but in Washington has a history of voting with the liberalDemocrats on the left.

For Lincoln County, Shows has been all but nonexistent duringhis first term. We have hardly seen him since winning the seat in1998, preferring to spend his time and efforts elsewhere in thedistrict. Shows’ only gift to our county is the traffic signalfiasco he forced on Brookhaven while he was Southern DistrictHighway Commissioner.

GEORGE W. BUSH

– This is one that’s not even close. The common sense moderateconservative values of Bush over the liberal values of the man whoinvented liberal values is a no-brainer.

Vice President Al Gore represents those who want to change theface and direction of this country. Gore is for bigger government,higher taxes and more federal intrusion into our daily lives.

Bush on the other hand is for less government, lower taxes andmore individual freedoms. While both come from strong politicalfamilies, it is Bush who is the non-beltway candidate, who has abetter understanding of what is needed to pull this countrytogether. While some may question Bush’s connection to corporateAmerica, one should realize it is the business community that isultimately responsible for the economic prosperity this country hasseen for the past eight years – not the Clinton-Goreadministration.

While Gore is trying to distance himself from themorally-corrupt Clinton era, Gore is a product of Clinton and willcontinue to move this country to the left.

George W. Bush should win the Fourth District, Mississippi andthe Presidency. Hopefully Keith Starrett and Dunn Lampton willfollow closely behind.