With the election one week from today, here are a couple of thoughts that you can take for what they’re worth.

For Governor. Both Barbour and Eaves claim to have been ordained for the task. John Arthur Eaves claims to have been ordained by God. Haley Barbour claims both God and the George Bush cabal. You hold your nose and you make your choices.

For Lieutenant Governor. Here’s where voters can make a difference to keep this state from falling to into the Republican juggernaut that wrapped up this country in 2000. Now that we’ve had seven years to see where that’s got us. Now that the rest of the country has begun to catch on that maybe Republicans in control of everything ain’t such a great idea after all, Mississippi is still in danger of falling for it.

With a Republican governor, lieutenant governor and the Republicans controlling both the state house and senate, they will screw us to the wall.

We need to catch on to this and elect the Democrat Jamie Franks as lieutenant governor. His power as president of the state senate will help offset the Republican majority likely to  land there.

Sorry, Monty. I just can’t accept the assertion that God Himself is a Republican. My theory is that you can not trust either party so you had best hope for a balance to keep either side from getting too much power.

For State Commissioner of Agriculture: MOOO! Need we say more?

And how about that Mike Sumrall, the Democratic nominee for State Auditor? His pedestrian approach to state political office has been the most refreshing political story in recent memory. No money, no intentions of using the auditor’s office as a rung in the ladder of upward political mobility. Just an experienced and  regarded auditor who wants to be the state’s auditor.

Meanwhile, Republican Bobby Jindal was elected Governor of Louisiana without a runoff. (That state’s open primaries pit them all against each other without regard to party affiliation, majority winner take all. And he did.)

Jindal is the first Republican elected governor in Louisiana since Reconstruction and the first Indian — as in the Asian subcontinent, not native American — ever to elected governor of a U.S. State. Stay tuned.