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November 11, 2014Lessons to learn from Louisiana’s election
November 11, 2014Election Day was tough for Democrats, no question.
But the days leading up to Election Day were tougher for the rest of us, no question.
But the days leading up to Election Day were tougher for the rest of us, no question.
And with round 2 less than a month away, it likely won’t get any less painful.
Unless you’ve been living in a cave, you know that Democratic incumbent Mary Landrieu is in the fight of her life for her Senate seat. Her opponent, Rep. Bill Cassidy, garnered the most votes in the state. But with Tea Party candidate and race spoiler Col. Rob Maness attracted just enough of the vote to keep either opponent from netting the magical 50 percent-plus 1 required to outright win the seat.
No sooner did the ballot tally end than the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee announced its plans to pull advertising dollars for Landrieu. But don’t expect a void in political ads. In contrast to the Demos, the National Republican Senatorial Committee reserved $2.3 million of broadcast ad time through the runoffs on Dec. 6.
Cassidy has already been hitting the airwaves with promises of an Obamacare-free country.
The DCCC still vows its support of Landrieu. But with only 42 percent of the popular vote, she’s got to further disengage from the White House to convince many voters to swing her direction.
The bigger surprise and, for those of us who remember well his governorships, is the runoff between Garret Graves and Edwin Edwards.
As the votes were counted, it was difficult not to think back to the infamous 1983 Edwardsism: “The only way I can lose this election is if I’m caught in bed with either a dead girl or a live boy.” Amazingly, he handily won that race.
Edwards, at age 87, lauds his four terms as Louisiana’s governor and the experience he gained. He’s less boisterous about the term he spent in prison for wrongs committed during those very same terms in Baton Rouge.
This is Louisiana, however. We know too well, when it comes to politics, anything is possible.
The second round of voting looks to be a true blood sport. Truth be told, would Louisiana voters really want it any other way?
