Wednesday, November 3, 2010
The Louisiana elections in 25 words or less
Posted by Clancy DuBos on Wed, Nov 3, 2010 at 12:12 AM
Why did David Vitter win so big?
Because he succeeded in making his re-election, from the very beginning, a referendum on President Obama — and NOT a referendum on himself.
Why did Charlie Melancon do so poorly?
He got out-spent and out-messaged. He failed to make this a referendum on Vitter, opting instead to keep his powder dry.
Should Melancon have attacked Vitter sooner?
Definitely. By the time Melancon started shooting, Vitter had already blown him apart by defining Melancon as a liberal Dem — before he could define himself.
Does this mean voters don't care about Vitter's sex scandal?
No, it just means they care more about how much they dislike President Obama. In Louisiana, at least, Obama's more unpopular than "serious sin."
Are Vitter's scandals behind him now?
Yes, but he's still not good at "playing well with others." He'll have to work even harder to change that image among his colleagues.
Was Jay Dardenne expected to win that big?
No. He boarded the conservative GOP tsunami late, but he rode it home by linking Fayard to liberal Dems. Kershaw's endorsement also helped among Bubbas.
What's the future hold for Caroline Fayard?
She's Louisiana's rising Democratic star. Nobody knew her 6 months ago, but on Tuesday she got 64,000 more votes than Charlie Melancon. Watch her.
With Jay Dardenne's election as Lt. Governor, what happens to the Secretary of State's job?
Dardenne's top assistant, former state Sen. Tom Shedler of St. Tammany, becomes interim secretary of state. Meanwhile, Gov. Jindal gets to schedule a special election.
After all that rain, how did Cedric Richmond win so big?
Blacks historically vote later in the day, which on Tuesday was after the rain stopped, and he got significantly more crossover vote than Cao.
How important was President Obama's endorsement of (and TV ad for) Richmond?
Extremely important. It transformed the race from "possibly very close" to a Democratic landslide by galvanizing and helping turn out black voters.
Why did Cao do so poorly?
His attempts to mollify Dems by cozying up to Obama turned off hard-core Goopers, giving him his own "enthusiasm gap."
How much black vote did Cao get?
Less than 8 percent. Meanwhile, Richmond got at least 15% of white votes in all-white precincts — and more in racially diverse precincts.
What's Cao's future?
It depends. Will Repubs forgive him for giving Obama several votes? Might Obama appoint him to something to show his own bi-partisanship? Anything's possible.
Speaking of...
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Obama endorses same-sex marriage
Obama's "evolving" position illustrates odd split on topic of gay marriage: While some conservatives like Laura Bush and Dick Cheney have come out in favor of it, some liberals, including Mitch Landrieu, have avoided the topic.
- May 9, 2012
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George Will: Jindal for VP
The venerable Washington Post columnist urges presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney to take a good look at Jindal for the No. 2 position on the ticket.
- Apr 6, 2012
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Going 'birther' in Baton Rouge?
The Independent in Lafayette reports Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler is asking Attorney General Buddy Caldwell to look into “many inquiries concerning President Barack Obama’s citizenship."
- Mar 27, 2012
- More »
Comments (3)
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Melancon never defined himself and was promised support from the DNC for his support for Obama votes. Instead of being a La Dem like Mary he chose to go another route. Of course he's about as stupid as a politician can be and showed it on election night with his incoherent speech.
FWIW Richmond will be Dollar Bill Lite..... and end up in prison with him.
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Melancon continued to pick at Vitter like an angry school child. He didn't have to bring up Vitter's indiscretion - it was already the elephant in the room. He should have endeared the voters to himself. Instead, he made Vitter look even more like the road scholar by playing himself down with his own nasty behavior. No one likes ugly, but they will tolerate a cheater who defends good conservative family values - and that is usually what the Republicans do. Democrats give away the pulpit hoping it will buy them a vote and stability in Washington.
