Pseudo. It’s a word with a clear, definite meaning: “False.” “Insincere.” “Not genuine.” And it’s a perfect word to describe Delbert Hosemann and his career in politics. He consistently refers to himself as a conservative and even a “Reagan guy.” But when the mask is removed he is shown to be far from either one. In fact, in bygone days, Hosemann would have been seen quite clearly as a Scalawag.
Here is a man who had a chance to bring about many meaningful conservative reforms, but chose not to. He had a chance to end the state income tax, yet blocked the bill. He opposed annexation reform, a religious exemption for vaccines, and tried to kill a bill to keep men out of women’s sports (he also tried to gut the bill but now takes credit for it). He opposes term limits but pushed through a pay raise for himself. He appoints Democrats to powerful committee chairmanships, then boasts about being a lifelong Republican.
He has always had a thirst for power. That much is true. Time and again, Hosemann has referred to members of the State Senate as “my senators.” Does he see himself as Caesar addressing the Roman Senate? Surely, he does. And he will resort to any tactic to remain in power.
To cover for his shortcomings, and keep his position, Delbert immediately resorted to nasty campaigning. He is a textbook example of psychological projection, a defense mechanism whereby one will project their own failings, weaknesses, and shortcomings onto someone else, in this case his political opponent, Senator Chris McDaniel.
Right out of the gate, Hosemann’s wily team of bomb-throwers and agitators scooped up mud and slung it in McDaniel’s direction, taking potshots rather than opening up a dialogue on true conservatism and the future direction of the State of Mississippi. Then they had the audacity to blame the negative tone of the campaign on McDaniel.
The differences between the two could not be clearer: Chris McDaniel never changed parties for political expediency; Delbert Hosemann did. McDaniel never engaged in dirty mudslinging to cover up a terrible track record; Hosemann did. McDaniel never ducked a debate because he was afraid of his own record; Hosemann did.
In fact, throughout the campaign, many invitations for debates were sent to both candidates. Chris McDaniel accepted each one; Delbert Hosemann refused each one. And here is a major difference between the two: You never see true conservatives ducking debates; only pseudo-conservatives do that. Why? Because their whole campaign is a lie. They can’t defend their record and a candidate who won’t debate should never be elected to anything.
Chris McDaniel is a true conservative, not a false one. He will tell you what he believes and what he wants to do as Lt. Governor. He stands for fiscal responsibility, eliminating the income tax, ending the tax on groceries, term limits for the legislature, reforming education and ending the woke culture that pervades colleges and universities, and standing up to Joe Biden and Washington DC. He has made himself available to the people of Mississippi. He has campaigned across the state, answered the questions of voters, and hosted virtual townhalls on social media.
Yet Delbert Hosemann has run a campaign based on money from PACs and corporations, negative ads, and spotty campaigning, much like Biden’s campaign in 2020. He has not told the voters anything about his future plans for Mississippi. Of course, he and his team have lied and spoke half-truths about what he has accomplished in Jackson, but he does not have platform of his own. In his entire speech at the Neshoba County Fair, he did not lay out a vision for the next four years. Because he’s not a conservative and doesn’t have one.
Chris McDaniel has been labeled a conservative throughout his career. There is no denying that. He was called a “conservative firebrand” by CNN, NBC News, and the Washington Examiner. The New York Times referred to him as “a hardline conservative.” ABC News called him an “ultra-conservative, anti-establishment Republican.” There is no doubt what Chris McDaniel believes.
But who does the media not use those labels to describe? Delbert Hosemann. The only moniker the media has used for Delbert is “moderate,” but never conservative.
Don’t let them fool you: Delbert and his team are not true conservatives. They are, in truth, moderates at best, Democrats at worst.
The only true conservative in the race for Lt. Governor of Mississippi is Chris McDaniel.
Ryan S. Walters 
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