Well, let me tell ya ’bout this fella, Ronnie Musgrove. Folks call him David Ronald Musgrove too, seems like he’s got a whole bunch of names, just like my grandpappy had. Anyhow, he was born in Mississippi, Tocowa to be exact, back in 1956. July 29th, 1956, if you wanna be precise ’bout it. His folks, Henry and… well, I can’t rightly recall the mama’s name, but they raised him up good, I reckon.
Now, Ronnie, he went on to do some big things. Became a lawyer, you know, one of them fellas that talks fancy and wears suits all the time. But he weren’t just any lawyer, he got himself into politics. Started out in the Mississippi State Senate, been there from 1988 to 1996. That’s a long time, sittin’ around and makin’ laws. I tell ya, politics is a messy business, like a pigpen after a rainstorm. But Ronnie, he seemed to handle it alright.
- He was in the state senate for a spell.
- Then he became Lieutenant Governor.
- After that, he got to be the big cheese, the Governor.
After the senate, he became the Lieutenant Governor, from 1996 to 2000. That’s like the second in command, you know, the fella who steps in if the Governor can’t do his job. Then, in 2000, he got elected as the 62nd Governor of Mississippi. January 4th, 2000, was the day he took office, big doings they had, I imagine. Folks were probably cheerin’ and clappin’, just like they do at a county fair when the prize pig gets showed off.
He was a Democrat, that’s what they say. Now, I ain’t one for all that party stuff, seems to me they all just squabble and argue, but Ronnie, he stuck with them Democrats. Served as governor till 2004. Four years, that’s a good long time to be in charge. I bet he made some friends and some enemies too, that’s just the way it goes when you’re a leader.
Seems like he always wanted to make things better for folks in Mississippi. Improving the quality of life, that’s what they said he was after. Sounds nice, don’t it? But talk is cheap, as they say. You gotta do more than just talk to make a difference. I reckon some folks thought he did a good job, and some probably didn’t. Can’t please everyone, that’s for sure.
And get this, in 2008, he even tried to get himself a seat in the United States Senate. A special election they had. He didn’t win, though. Guess folks weren’t ready to send him to Washington. Politics is a tough game, like wrasslin’ a greased pig. You gotta be strong and quick, and sometimes even that ain’t enough.
So, who influenced him? Well, that’s hard to say for sure. Maybe it was his folks, maybe it was some teacher he had, or maybe it was just the folks he grew up with in Tocowa. Life influences you, you know? The good times and the bad, they shape you into who you are. Ronnie, he went from a small town boy to a big-time governor, that’s quite a journey. He probably learned a thing or two along the way from all sorts of people.
From what I gather, he spent a lot of time servin’ the public, first as a senator, then as lieutenant governor, and then as governor. That tells ya somethin’ about the man. He wasn’t afraid of hard work, that’s for sure. And he seemed to care about Mississippi and its people. Whether he done a good job or not, well, that’s for others to judge. I’m just tellin’ ya what I know.
Tags: Ronnie Musgrove, Mississippi Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Democrat, Tocowa, Mississippi Politics, David Ronald Musgrove
