It Was A Very Good Year

So what are those guys who create all those positive, life-affirming political advertisements doing today?

"We walk around worrying," said Phillip Kinney, a political consultant with Matrix, satnding on the porch of the huge grey mansion on South Perry Street, where Matrix is headquartered. "We put that (the last political ads) to be Thursday night and the last bit of that."

There's not much they can do now except hope that their efforts proved effective. They can take some comfort from the fact that they were lucrative.

Matrix handled the advertising for several expensive campaigns this year, including Sen. Gerald Dial, D-Lineville, Sen. Jim Preuitt, D-Talladega and Sen. Pat Lindsey, D-Butler. Lindsey, locked in a bitter fight with with Republican John McMillian for his Senate seat, gave $372,593 to Matrix last month for ads. Lindsey gave the company $105,000 on October 27.

"We've done well," Kinney said. "We had some really high profile races -- Sen. Lindsey down there in that part of the state, Sen. (Wendell) Mitchell, (D-Luverne) in this area."

Kinney said the firm will have a quiet couple of days. He'll be traveling to Jackson, Miss. on Thursday to begin planning for Mississippi's legislative elections, which take place next year.

"I've got a mortgage to pay," he jokes.