Crystal Wright - What GOP can learn from Cochran’s use of blacks to win

Crystal Wright, the black conservative firebrand pens an op-ed for CNN's Opinion section on the recent Republican primary runoff for Mississippi's U.S. Senate seat. 

She writes:

"Black voters allowed themselves to be used by Sen. Thad Cochran to win the Republican primary runoff for Mississippi’s U.S. Senate seat.

Cochran beat state Sen. Chris McDaniel by targeting black Democrats and getting them to vote for him in a tight race. It was a brilliant political strategy in a state that allows open primaries, where voters can cross party lines to vote. It also showed blacks — and the Republican Party that ignores them — that black voters can wield political influence.

Cochran won the runoff by a little over 6,000 votes. The runoff was triggered because no candidate garnered 50% of the vote in the first primary, which Cochran lost to McDaniel by some 1,000 votes.

But make no mistake, Cochran appealed to black Democratic voters out of desperation. When was the last time we heard Cochran reaching out to ask for the black vote in the last six terms he’s served as senator?"

Read complete article here.