Now is the time to end this nasty primary

To use Chris McDaniel’s campaign catch phrase, “Now is the time.”

Indeed. Now is the time to put an end to “the nastiest race in America,” the state GOP primary for U.S. Senate between McDaniel and incumbent Thad Cochran. It’s been a long, sorry, tragic affair if ever there was one.

The commonwealth needs resolution and closure to this epic goat rodeo. It doesn’t need weeks or months more of mudslinging or being a national laughingstock.

McDaniel claims Cochran and party leaders stole the June 24 runoff from him with illegal voting and vote buying. Those are serious allegations with monumental repercussions and they need to be dealt with post-haste. If true, they should be provable.

McDaniel claims to have evidence of thousands — 5,000 and climbing — of illegal votes. As a lawyer, respected legislator and chairman of the state Senate Elections Committee, one would assume McDaniel would not be making such allegations without ample evidence.

In a race with a margin of about 6,800 votes, it would appear that if McDaniel has proof of that many illegal votes, and of vote buying, he’s got his case.

There was some doubt cast on that late last week, with McDaniel offering a $1,000 bounty for anyone who can supply evidence of voter fraud. And his spokesman was unsure as of Thursday whether McDaniel or anyone with the campaign had talked with law enforcement about its allegations of crimes. McDaniel has continued to talk about them on national talk shows.

So, let’s be out with it. Get the evidence before authorities and the courts, not talk shows and social media. If it was a “sham” election, then present proof, get it overturned and move forward.

Monday, when the secretary of state’s office receives official vote tallies from the GOP, marks the start of the period for legal challenges. Let’s hope it also marks the beginning of the end for this race.

Otherwise, both campaigns — and particularly their third-party mudslinging stalking horses — need to shut the heck up about each other.

There’s nothing to vote on right now. There’s no high ground to claim. Both campaigns waved bye-bye to high ground long ago.

This is a legal issue, not a campaign. The state electorate is already quite aware that each candidate thinks the other is an incompetent lying criminal.

The toll from this race has already been astronomical, including a life lost.

It was notable that at last week’s GOP executive committee meeting party leaders, fearing trouble, had armed guards outside.

With claims of race baiting, vote buying, voter intimidation and the potential for federal authorities to have to step in on a state election, it appears Mississippi has taken a leap back 50 years with the 2014 GOP primary.

At this point, no matter what happens, it’s hard to see how anyone can claim to be a real winner. The state as a whole certainly can’t.

But there should at least be legal closure.

And now is the time.

Contact Geoff Pender at (601) 961-7266 or gpender@jackson.gannett.com. Follow @GeoffPender on Twitter.