On The Record: Jean Whiteside

For this episode of On The Record, we speak with Jean Whiteside, the Panola County Democratic Party Chair.

How did you get started in politics? Did you come to it in your youth or later on?

My political involvement goes back very far. My grandfather was a precinct chair and I grew up in Democratic politics. My family has surrounded me in Democratic politics.

What was your personal progression from the role of activist to the role of County Chair?

The first year I was eligible to vote, I voted for JFK. I wasn’t very active other than voting at that time, but then I began work at the Tax Assessor’s office in the courthouse, and he was a die-hard Democrat.

I was later appointed to the office, and I ran on the Democratic ticket when elections came. Locally, all local offices are held by people on the Democratic ticket. They’re not all necessarily Democrats, but they can’t win without being on the Democratic ticket.

What would you say are the primary issues concerning Panola County?

We have a small county population of around 20,000. We’re an oil and gas town, and our only other industry is the chicken plant, and as long as oil and gas flows, we’re good. The people from town are laborers in the oil and gas fields, and the production companies and management are all brought in from other areas. The oil and gas owners don’t affect our politics because we’ve all been Democrats since the 1950's.

How do local politics affect your family?

Local politics don’t affect us very much, because we’re not a very political county. We have people that vote for George Bush in odd ways and have before. Most vote that way because they have the idea, “If you don’t vote for me, you don’t love Jesus.”

People here are opposed to the war, because they know people are dying needlessly, but about 85% are anti-gay, even though it doesn’t affect them at all. The local voters can’t back that because of their belief for family values. People have an idea that gay marriage breaks up homes, but I have to ask, who do you know that gay marriage has broken up their home? Then I ask them how many homes have been broken up by divorce. Everyone responds that they all know some one who has been affected by divorce, so I say be against divorce.

What would you say has been the single most defining moment in your political life?

I was raised to be politically active, and I’m passionate about my beliefs. I stay active and moving because of my belief in being a Democrat because Democrats stand for good issues.

I believe in equal rights and equal opportunity for everyone, and not so much for the political forces behind it but for what every one should be all of the time.

What advice would you give to young people just getting into politics?

I find this to be true in rural areas, and I think it would translate to a big area as well: if you’re interested in politics and want to go somewhere make sure every senior citizen is on your side. Be respectful, listen to their concerns, treat them right and they’ll support you in your cause.