  Having grown up in Mississippi, I can say with some certainty that I agree with my future husband about his assessment of Lott. He is intelligent and charismatic -- and ignorant as Mississippi Mud. And I believe he, like many whites (and blacks, for that matter) from the Deep South, have latent issues with racism.
But I also agree that it's a social, not political issue. Mississippi & Alabama really are almost different worlds from what goes on closer to the Mason-Dixon. I had never seen such unconscious segregation until I moved there. I am very happy to be further north now. Remember also, Chris...that while Lott was attempting (poor thing) to cover his ass on BET (once again, having grown up in MS...BAAAAAHAAAAA! you have no idea how funny THAT was for me)....he was asked why he voted against making MLK day a national holiday...and he responded by saying (this was voted on in 1983 or so, mind you) something to the effect of having not realized MLK's social-political-historical significance at the time.
What a jackass. As for his future in the Senate, I don't really shive a git. I don't live in MS anymore and am no longer directly affected by his decisions. If government is what it was built to be, i. e. an accurate representation of its constituents, then Lott is a perfect representative for Mississippi and its beliefs. So there ya go. I'm done. 
