Slick video doesn’t hold true to popes’ politics
March 28, 2012CRIME BLOTTER
March 28, 2012
A minority of registered voters became the majority Saturday, as presidential candidate Rick Santorum carried 48.9 percent of Republican ballots statewide, to win Louisiana’s GOP primary election, according to results posted by the Louisiana Secretary of State’s office.
In turn, the former Pennsylvania senator secured 20 of the state’s 46 delegates. The remaining 26 will be selected at the Louisiana state GOP convention in June.
“People in Louisiana came through in a big way,” Santorum told FOX News in Green Bay, Wisc., where he was preparing for that state’s primary contest on April 3. “You didn’t get the memo. We’re still fighting. … I’m not running as the conservative candidate for president. I am the conservative candidate.”
Comparing the Field
On the state level, Santorum was followed by candidate and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, who landed 26.6 percent of the vote. Third place in this contest went to former House speaker and former Georgia Congressman Newt Gingrich with 15.9 percent of the votes. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas secured 6.1 percent of Louisiana’s Republican votes.
The remaining 2.5 percent of GOP ballots were split between four candidates that had previously withdrawn from the race and former Louisiana Gov. Charles” Buddy” Roemer, who had already switched affiliation to become an Independent. Roemer led the list of candidates no longer officially on the primary ballot by carrying 1 percent of the Republican vote.
Regional Results
Tri-parish voters reflected state returns as Santorum secured 51.2 percent of GOP votes in St. Mary Parish, 50.6 percent in Lafourche Parish and 49.3 percent in Terrebonne Parish.
Romney finished with 25.9 percent of the Republican vote in St. Mary Parish, 23.9 in Lafourche Parish and 23.7 in Terrebonne Parish.
Gingrich attracted 19.1 percent of the ballots in Terrebonne Parish and 17.1 percent in both Lafourche and St. Mary parishes.
Paul made his showing among Tri-parish voters by securing 6 percent of the ballots in Lafourche, 5.4 in Terrebonne and 4 percent in St. Mary parishes.
Candidate Appearance
Gingrich’s appeal appeared stronger two days earlier when he made a one-hour appearance at Big Al’s Seafood in Houma.
Led through the crowd of approximately 300 people on lunch breaks and organized Gingrich supporters, the candidate’s handlers pushed away reporters and kept casual diners from greeting the candidate.
Gingrich gave an 18-minute campaign speech in which he blasted Obama’s energy policies, took jabs at Romney, thanked his supporters, but never mentioned exactly where he was in Louisiana.
“This is the most important election of your life,” Gingrich told the crowd. “Stopping Barack Obama really, really matters.”
The bulk of the candidate’s time at Big Al’s was spent posing with patrons that waited in line for souvenir photos with him and his wife, Callista, that Gingrich promised would be posted on Facebook later in the day for free.
Patrons asked about the former House Speaker’s appearance were more impressed that Terrebonne Parish would be considered a stumping location for presidential candidates than who specifically was present at the moment.
“Being a Louisiana small town and having somebody take the time to come to this area is an honor,” said Charlene Roy of Houma who had come to Big Al’s for lunch and was surprised by Gingrich’s appearance.
Mike Taylor and his family were vacationing in Terrebonne Parish from Sallisaw, Okla. They had been told Big Al’s was a good place to try crawfish. “We didn’t know there was going to be all this,” he said.
“This is great for south Louisiana and Terrebonne Parish,” said Big Al’s owner Al Mahler. “I don’t ever remember a presidential candidate coming this far south.”
Mahler said that Gingrich was originally scheduled to have lunch at his restaurant, but was directed back to the campaign bus by his handlers before that could happen – but not before a cup of gumbo could be sent along for the ride.
Limited Participation
Saturday’s voter turnout was extremely low according to Secretary of State listings. With 2.8 million Republican, Democrat and other registered voters in Louisiana, only 11.7 percent of that total participated in the primary election.
In St. Mary Parish, there are 33,364 registered voters, but only 8.1 percent participated.
Lafourche Parish registered 56,213 voters with only 7.6 percent of that number going to the polls.
Terrebonne Parish saw 62,648 registered voters represented on Election Day by 7.9 percent of their number.
Delivering Details
Even with Saturday’s Louisiana results, Romney remains the Republican’s frontrunner and has amassed more than twice as many delegates as Santorum nationwide, with 21 states and the District of Columbia yet to have primary elections. A total of 1,144 delegates are needed to clinch the Republican presidential nomination.
Incumbent President Barack Obama held party loyalties by securing 76.4 percent of Democrat ballots on the statewide level.
Former House Speaker and GOP Presidential Candidate Newt Gingrich speaks to the lunch crowd at Big Al’s Seafood in Houma.
