Today we continue our Road to 270 series with the Pelican State, Louisiana.
CAJUN BAYOU TABASCO RED, Louisiana appears this year to be on pace to break its streak of supporting every presidential winner since 1972. Since 2004, Huey Long's home state has been ravaged by hurricane damage and lost a significant segment of its population. It's also seen political scandals and widespread graft in the FEMA rebuilding effort, so the relationship with politics may be a little skewed and hard to be certain of how the effect will play in Louisiana, land of Avery Island red gold.
Key Demographics
Note: Factors colored in red can generally be thought to help McCain. Factors in blue can generally be thought to help Obama. Factors in purple have ambiguous effects. Except where otherwise apparent, the numbers next to each variable represent the proportion out of each 100 residents in each state who fall into that category. Fundraising numbers reflect dollars raised in the 2008 campaign cycle per eligible voter in each state. Figures for seniors and youth voters are proportions of all residents aged 18+, rather than all residents of any age. The figure for education reflects the average number of years of completed schooling for all adults aged 25+. The figure for same-sex households reflects the number of same-sex partner households as a proportion of all households in the state. The liberal-conservative index is scaled from 0 (conservative) to 100 (liberal), based on a Likert score of voter self-identification in 2004 exit polls. The turnout rates reflect eligible voters only. Unemployment rates are current as of June 2008.
What McCain Has Going For Him
In Louisiana, site of his infamous June 3 Lime Green Speech, John McCain actually led Barack Obama in fundraising, and the white evangelical vote is strong here, as is customary in Southern states. Louisiana ranks in the top third of gun-owning and "American" ancestry states and factors that would ordinarily favor Obama -- high unemployment, high education, or even the vaunted Starbucks:Walmart ratio -- are all lagging near the bottom in Louisiana. The state ranks on the conservative end of the Likert scale, and indeed voted for George Bush twice, the second time by double digits. McCain should continue the Republican trend in the state by taking its 9 electoral votes.
What Obama Has Going For Him
Louisiana has the 2d highest percentage of African-American voters, and a high percentage of female voters. However, Louisiana lost a significant number of black voters after Katrina forced relocation, and this small but significant shift in demographics doesn't help Obama. Registered Democrats outnumbered registered Republicans in 2004, and in fact Dem registration was the 5th highest of any state in the nation. Louisiana has the 7th highest percentage of voters under 30. The Catholic vote is high and there aren't as many military vets, a factor that would tend to favor John McCain if it were higher. Obama organized here in the primary, which gave his campaign a head start.
What To Watch For
John McCain has been over 50 in nearly every public poll conducted in Louisiana, and though our projection for the state keeps getting closer, Barack Obama will only win the state if he gets into the 400 EV territory. Originally, Mary Landrieu's Senate seat was seen as the most vulnerable Democratic Senate seat, but it's clear she will cruise to re-election and Republicans will not add seats. The guy with the hookers isn't up for Senate re-election until 2010. But William "Cash Bricks" Jefferson is, and will likely continue to be an embarrassment for Democrats.
In Louisiana's 6th district, Don Cazayoux will try to hold on to the seat he won in the spring during one of those portentous special elections Democrats swept in deep red districts. Despite guilt-by-association-by-association attempts (Cazayoux-Obama-Wright), voters rejected the negative campaign and Cazayoux won by less than 3%. Will he win again in a regular election?
*_*
This has nothing to do with Louisiana, but Brett loves his teasers:
10.14.2008
Road to 270: Louisiana
@ 11:35 PM
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74 comments
first?
McCain Flirting With Teens.
According to Intrade, McCain is hovering around 20.
I saw "McCain Flirting With Teens," I thought he might be thinking of changing his vice president!
I'd really like to see a profile of Georgia. I think that could be a surprise pickup for Obama if this margin holds.
McCain has a habit of trading in his wives for younger models, so you never know.
May be he'd be better off with Bristol instead of her mama.
As Nate pointed out Obama's lead has continued to grow week after week which is not usually the case. Many link this improvement to the debates and the collapse of the economy. After reading Exley on HuffPost and hekebolos on Kos (links below) I think the fact that the ground game has kicked in after months of organizational efforts is a huge contributing factor. It was at the beginning of September that they moved from focusing on establishing neighborhood teams to focusing on voter contact. This is more likely to explain the consistant groundswell of support.
Yet still I can't uncross all my fingers. Call it PTSD from 2004.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/zack-exley/the-new-organizers-part-1_b_132782.html
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/14/172651/87/37/630505
louisiana is in the bag for Obama
DONE DEAL
interesting. its a shame that Obama cant win a state that he *should* be winning, based on economic issues alone. but people will continue to vote against their wn interests, I guess.
By the way Seann hows it coming, getting me a date with Nate? Get the guy down to TX (I know, it sucks, believe me) and tell him there is a tiny, pale, quiet neuro/cell biology grad student who loves baseball *and* fantasy baseball and really old, black & white movies and is a homebody.
Not that the news is very relevant or unexpected. But in Canada, we have re-elected our Conservative Minority Government.
J-Lon, thanks for the dailykos link. I hadn't heard of that site yet. Cool. More reading to do. Cheers.
Anyone else notice that McCain went 0 for 20 on the RCP polls today?
On the Canadian elections -
Harper increased the Conservative majority against the divided left & the bloc Quebecois - but he didn't get the majority in the one best shot he had to do so.
The Liberals & the NDP have to find some way to work together - the left combined got close to 55% of the national vote.
Anyway, they'll likely have their
4th election in 6 years before our own offyear elections in 2010.
That's conservative minority of course I mean - he won't get his agenda through, fortunately.
My first thought on reading this was astonishment that the Katrina state could actually go for McCain, but then I remembered something someone told me when I was in New Orleans earlier this year. She had said that Katrina had actually been a blessing in the eyes of the locals, since all the "criminals" had to move to Texas.
That was quite an eye-opener for me. OTOH, I liked the T-shirts that said "FEMA: Find Every Mexican Available".
As a Canadian, Im very happy Harper didn't win his majority. Im still disappointed though, as one of you mentioned, that the left wing parties got over 55% of the popular vote but we still end up with Harper as PM.
What I hope for now is that Dion steps down (I like the guy, and voted for him, but he'll never win), and the liberals get a decent leader (Bob Rae?) to re-unite the left.
Or I hope that the Libs, Greens and NDP realize their situation and form some type of left-wing unity party. Harper is really moving us away from our traditional Canadian values of social justice and evironmentalism, and I would really not like it to continue for much longer.
I live along the Louisiana coast. It's been surprising to me how many conservative people are supporting Obama. Hopefully, Louisiana will go for Obama. Not that he will need our 9 EV.
Thanks for the very revealing info. HOwever, i don't think the relocation of Katrina victims was "forced."
I would reserve that language for people move due to threats of violence - like in Burma, where the military government has FORCED over half a million people out of their villages and away from their farms since 1996. About 150,000 of these people are in refugee camps in Thailand, the rest are either in hiding in the jungle or living in relocation villages that lack access to farmland or other necessities.
Maybe the people relocated after Katrina were obligated to move by circumstances, but "forced" is too strong in a world with real dictators who have lots of guns.
Donate to NO on Prop 8
If you care about gay rights, HRC will match your donation
Please do it, if you are like me you've donated the max to Obama and I think this is a VERY worthy cause
1000's of marriages will be annulled if this passes
please help
https://secure.ga3.org/03/caequalpac_match
So I wonder when Chuck Todd and the people at MSNBC will grab their nuts and finally show Florida and/or Colorado as being at least light blue? If course, this means that they would be pushing Obama over the 270 EV threshold, so it probably won't happen until early November.
How many more polls do they need before they can accept that those 2 states can no longer be considered "toss-ups"? Even RCP shows them as "leaning Obama".
Cazayoux is up double digits in polling...
Regarding the speculation about the 2012 race, I agree with those who predict that the GOP will have nobody any good who would want to get wiped out by President Obama, so Sarah Palin will end up running for President.
Biden may very well want to do something other than run for VP again. Obama will pick the perfect choice to stand with him against Palin -- Tina Fey!
After Senator Franken and Vice President Fey, it will become a tradition for writers on SNL to progress to being cast members and then to service in the Federal government.
Expect the cellphone effect to be especially high in Louisiana as re-locators have had little need to get a land line. A long shot for Obama still, but my money says it will be closer than projected.
So, what effect does the new conservative government have on our election?
Any?
Eh?
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canadavotes/
Tomorrow is supposed to be a very very tough debate. I guess the moderator is going to be very hard on the candidates.
Pretty nervous!!!
who gives a flying f**k about canada?
Rachel
Hope it's not like the Philadelphia primary debate.
Are you referring to Stephanopholous?
Hubby and I just discussed what McCain could do tomorrow in the debate to turn things around. I couldn't come up with something, but my hubby thinks McCain could throw the gloves (after taking them off) and change Obama to a duel right there.
Ô Canada!
Terre de nos aïeux,
Ton front est ceint de fleurons glorieux!
Car ton bras sait porter l'épée,
Il sait porter la croix!
Ton histoire est une épopée
Des plus brillants exploits.
Et ta valeur, de foi trempée,
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits.
This would be an easy state to win for Obama in 2012.
yup. especially since mccain said he's going to bring up ayers. just want the debate to be about the economy and what plans the two have to fix it.
concho,
You should, you ignorant s.o.b. Our largest trading partner, and a nation that does a better job actually trying to live up to the values that we often are content to merely give lip service to. Besides, great cities (Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto), beautiful land (Jasper, Algonquin Nat'l Park), Moosehead, Margaret Atwood - what's not to like, eh?
wow -- the Canadian national anthem is almost as bloody as ours :O
i'd prefer canada over alaska
@Caitlin Victoria,
Couldn't get into the Handmaiden's Tale, but The Blind Assassin is one of the best books that I've ever read.
Well, I am interested in the early voting statistics. The Georgia demographics look favorable to Obama. Are any other states publishing this type of data?
Alamala-
Not really. The French version is worse (the sword/cross lines) than the English, but both are rather tame compared to ours. No bombs bursting or anything.
O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide, O Canada,
We stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
I love you Louisiana, and especially New Orleans. The culture, humor, and relationship to mortality here are overwhelming. Perhaps the politics is out of step, as is everything in LA right now, but it will come back, come back, come back.
Despite what the New Orleans tourist industry would have you believe, the "Big Easy" has not come all the way back yet and is not so "easy" as it was before Katrina. A lot of the laissez faire lifestyle maintained by intellectuals, which was favorable to Dems, has been lost.
The primitive types thinking that "God" actually did punish locals for their lifestyle choices is easier to believe in when you are faced with the continuing devastation everyday.
LA will be more conservative than it was BK for a while yet.
Oh good, I'm finally seeing the McCain/Palin ad.
clickclickclickclickclickclickclick
From your coffers to Nate's wallet.
I just had an epiphany!
After the election, Lieberman and McCain can caucus by themselves -- in the Maverick party!
> As Nate pointed out Obama's lead has continued to grow week after week ... Many link this improvement ... debates ... collapse of the economy. ... I think the fact that the ground game has kicked in
Come now. It's Palin. Do you think she has it easy pretending to be an idiot, acting out religious nuttery, shooting native dogs from an airplane, and foisting lies about her friend Obama??
She's doing it for us. She's an early Obama field worker and volunteered for the role. It took some rather distasteful giggling in front of McCain, but now she's sinking his ship from inside. Palin, you'll go down with the saints for this one, she'll be remembered with song and brave tales told in the windy dark of night.
We salute you Palin, you are brilliant.
Thanks for the link and the suggestion, markedman. As I mentioned in a different thread, I would love to marry my boyfriend someday. I plead with all my fellow Californians to vote no on Prop 8, and if you can't vote you can at least donate to the cause! :)
Sean, I'm digging the On the Road series and the Road to 270 series is quite informative. I still wish, though, that you would take a basic composition lessons. Maybe on tape or something while you're driving? Of course, I'm an English instructor, so whaddya expect? Thanks for the update, though.
"take a basic composition lessons"
Smooth one, Kerm.
Off to bed all. Keep the faith.
We all still need to vote (except anyone who already did, or aren't US citizens), and those of us voluenteering need to keep up the good work and GOTV.
But for anyone with money to contibute, the Presidential race is now looking solid (and if we do somehow lose it, it won't be for lack of funds). So the next place to contribute is trying to get a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate (with, or ideally without, Lieberman), or at least getting close enough that the number of Republicans who need to break ranks to defeat a Republican filibuster is very small. Otherwise, on past experience, the Republicans are just going to filibuster everything out of spite, and in the hope that if they cause continuing gridlock for next 2 years the voters will get fed up with the party in power and vote Republican.
So the place to contribute is the Senate races for:
Franken (MN) https://secure.alfranken.com/page/contribute
Begich (AK) https://donate.begich.com/page/contribute/cconline
Musgrove (MS) http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/18711
Merkley (OR) https://www.mediamezcla.com/campaign_engine/2.0.4/process_cc.php?code=www&id=www.jeffmerkley.com
Hagan (NC) https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/khagan
Martin (GA) https://services.myngp.com/ngponlineservices/contribution.aspx?X=NqjXO81IXYZntPaqXypreP1LqSo0CHUy
And, on the subject of trying to get a filibuster-proof senate majority, what would happen if then-President-elect Obama offered a Republican senator an important position in the new administration, and the senator accepts? Is there a special election (with no incumbent), or is this one of the situations where the state's governor appoints a replacement?
The Liberals & the NDP have to find some way to work together - the left combined got close to 55% of the national vote.
The Liberals need a new leader, Dion was poor from the outset. Ignatieff or Rae seem to be the frontrunners. The financial woes of the US may very well hit us next year, so I wonder if anyone has the courage to call yet another election if the need arises. However, if the next election results in a Harper majority it may be time to form a left-wing coalition.
As someone who was born in Louisiana and who has lived in Louisiana for all but three years of his life, I have to say that the lack of attention given to my state by both Obama and McCain is disheartening. Another poster pointed out that New Orleans has yet to fully recover from Katrina. This is true. It is also true that many other cities and towns in Louisiana have yet to recover from Katrina and Rita. And the people who live in these areas feel neglected by their government.
But that's not all: weeks after Gustav had fallen off the national news radar, much of Louisiana was still without power. To this day, many homes in south Louisiana sport the infamous blue tarps. To this day, I continue to drive by downed trees and other signs of destruction. And yet neither candidate speaks to the people of Louisiana ... and it's a HUGE missed opportunity in my opinion. Especially for Obama.
Louisiana is a state that has been plagued by a corrupt politics since before I was born. When I speak to friends or family about politics, they usually sigh and say something to the effect of "What's the point?" They feel as if they have no real choice, because frankly they haven't. This is the state that pitted a felon against a Klansman (bumperstickers saying "Vote for the crook" were common that year). Our politicians, to put it mildly, suck. And as a result, Louisianians are discouraged ... and that attitude bleeds into national politics.
With one exception: During the early part of the primaries I was astonished at the number of people that told me how excited they were about "that Obama guy." Louisiana people. CONSERVATIVE Louisiana people. But since then, it's all fallen apart. Obama has been smeared to such an extent by the local media, by local churches, by local conservative politicians, and by a conservative monopoly on local radio stations that many (not all, but many) of those same people who were excited for Obama during the primaries are now telling me that they don't trust him. I think a lot of this has to do with the amount of attention given to Louisiana by the Obama campaign—next to none.
Whether it's television ads or campaign stops—whether it's addressing national issues or local ones—the people in my town see very little of Obama outside of national news and conservative radio. Is there any wonder why McCain has a double-digit lead here? As a southern state, Louisiana isn't the lowest hanging fruit for Obama. But as an extremely diverse and multi-cultural state, it isn't totally out of his reach. If Obama wants Louisiana, he's going to need to reach out for it.
I'll be voting for Obama in November, as will many people that I know, but even in my small, well-educated circle we're a minority. Truth be told, most people that I've spoken to are refusing to vote.
Let's be real here. I'm originally from Louisiana though I've lived for Colorado for four years and Obama will not win Louisiana for one reason: Racism. Southern Louisiana especially is extremely racist, and has not progressed very much from the 60's. This is all a part of the reason I wanted to leave.
It's sad but it is absolutely true.
Hey Nate! You never finished the burrito bracket!
The South made it's deal with the devil back during the 19th century. The White elite was afraid that freed blacks would team up with poor whites and demand a decent life.
So, they came up with Jim Crow and invested working class whites in maintaining it, instead of demanding decent pay, living conditions, education, etc. (Read The Strange Career of Jim Crow for details).
For the last 100+ years every redneck has been able to say "I might not have much, but at least I'm not a damn N----r!"
The dumb bastards still haven't learned a thing. They'll go to their graves believing that being white somehow makes them superior.
This stupidity is as old as the hills. Mark Twain satirized this attitude in Huckleberry Finn in the character of Pap Finn (Huck's father) who complains that he saw a free negro wearing a better suit than a white man, and he heard that up north the negro could even vote!
He said "he was planning to vote if he warn't too drunk, but after he heard that he'd be damned if he'd ever vote again!"
Today the same bastards are a bit more circumspect, but nothing much has changed. They're still hatin' them some "N----rs!" in their hearts.
You could wash away the entire state and they're still too dumb to learn.
Conservatives messed up one of their best chance at winning a majority. If they can't win a majority against Dion (who everyone was crapping on since day 1 of the campaign and who just led liberals to their lowest popular vote in recent history) I don't know how they are going to win a majority.
Liberals have themselves to blame for their losses. Look what happened in Brampton, Ruby Dhalla Liberal candidate from Brampton-Springdale barely squeaked by about 1 point, the Liberal candidate in Brampton West won only by 100 votes. These results are disastrous, both these ridings were won by Liberals by 15+ points the previous election, both these ridings are heavily immigrant populated ridings, Conservaties have been focusing on this voting group very hard and it seems that they have managed to take immigrant vote from 65-35 in favour of Liberals to a 50-50 tie. (This shift alone is probably responsible for most liberal losses in southern Ontario) At this rate Brampton may become a conservative stronghold by next election if Liberals are not careful.
The best thing for the Liberals was Justin Trudeau winning. This man is the future of the Liberal party, he could have stood in a safe Liberal riding and coasted to a win but no, he stood in a rough riding against a Bloc Quebecois incumbent and knocked the Bloc incumbent! He is the canadian Obama; young, hot, charismatic and a great speaker.
By the way my Canadian friends how great was it to see Conservative Rahim Jaffer losing his seat in ALBERTA! Helena Guergis must be pissed. I'm not a fan of NDP but I must applaud them for pulling this rabbit out of the hat. Noone saw this coming.
"You could wash away the entire state and they're still too dumb to learn."
You are not helping.
I think an overlooked issue for Louisianans is how closely tied Louisiana's work force is to oil. A lot of Louisianans work offshore in the Gulf. Even though Obama supports offshore drilling, McCain will clearly allow our country to rely more heavily on oil, which at least in voters' minds translates to keeping their jobs, or perhaps opening the door for more jobs. The fact that Lousiana is full of very low-income white evangelicals is also a big factor.
I am really thinking the reverse Bradley Effect will exist in states like LA. The internet is shedding light and knowledge in even the darkest coners of racism...
To those eager to dismiss Louisiana as a loss because of racism:
You're wrong. Yes, racism is widespread in Louisiana and it takes on many different forms ... but racism alone will not send the state to McCain.
Obama certainly has an uphill battle here, but the situation is far more complicated than just racism.
If Obama were to swing through Louisiana and address issues such as hurricane recovery, coastal erosion, gross economic inequality, etc. I think he could stand a real chance to win the state.
In Louisiana, the racists don't outnumber the neglected.
Some late SUSA polls:
New Mexico: Obama 52 McCain 45 (Obama up 20 among early voters)
Washington: Obama 56 McCain 40
The Zogby tracker has Obama 48 McCain 44 a two point drop in Obama's lead but this tracker seems to go up and down 2 points on alternate days and Zogby is crap so I'm not going to lose any sleep over it.
Tonight's debate is McCain's last chance to change momentum barring a terrorist attack or an Obama assassination. The big question for the pundits will be whether McCain dares to raise Ayers. For me this is a huge elephant trap laid down by Obama. If McCain raises it, Obama will spend 30 seconds addressing it dismissively before spending a full 2 minutes exposing McCain's deliberate decision to avoid talking about the economy to focus on personal attacks. By the end of it, McCain will look like a small minded politico with no integrity. I cannot wait but my suspicion is that McCain will not raise it unless Schieffer specifically asks (which is unlikely)
If McCain DOESN'T mention Ayers he'll look weak.
Alternatively, if McCain DOES mention Ayers he'll be made to look stupid and uncaring about the economy.
Either way he's FECKED!
Then again, if it looks like McCain is chickening out, Obama can raise Ayers. He has just too many good ways to respond to let McCain off.
What a stupid campaign McCain is running right now. Things could change though..
Zogby dropped a very good Obama day so the drop is not unexpected. Loks like like Zogby will "bob" up and down for awhile as they seem to have alternate good and bad Obama days.
How is that for a shitty poll?.
I think the "American descent" of Louisiana is a bit forgetful of history:
The Cajuns were (French) Acadians forced out of the Maritime provinces of Canada by the British ( to the winner go the spoils ); Acadiana is still the official name of the Louisiana.
And Creole is a mix of French / Caribbean / West African.
People who claim "American" descent just aren't aware of their lineage far enough to see their non-American origins.
While I have researched ancestors in Maryland as early as the late 1600s, they were English.
Had to add a post here, since I'm a New Orleans native. LA is a complicated state, and Katrina changed it in ways that aren't totally clear even now. But it SHOULD, in this year, be a blue state. Here's hoping (kinda the way I hoped the levees wouldn't break back in 2005)...
Sen. Clinton says 2nd White House run is unlikely
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"Chris said...
"You could wash away the entire state and they're still too dumb to learn."
You are not helping."
It's my job to help them now? Help them get over the racism they've clung to since the 17th century?
Southern Whites adopted slavery, not because it was economically the only way, but because they wished to become European style aristocrats.
You should read Mark Twain's Life On The Mississippi for a born Southerner's view of southern culture with it's emphasis on "chivalry" and "aping the manners or a bygone and humbug age."
Blacks were to be the American equivalent of feudal serfs allowing the planter class to live the lives of lords of the manor and poor whites to aspire to become lordly planters.
That sickness still contaminates Southern Society. It's NOT JUST racism. It's authoritarianism, militarism, jingo-ism, love of those in power, and hatred of those social orders below you. It's backwards looking, reactionary and repressive. The North is hardly free of any of these traits, but the South is built around them.
The New Deal failed to completely transform America because the South resisted unionization.
We don't have universal health care because it would require a government run health care system like every other advanced industrial society has -- and the South thinks that's "socialism."
Yes, they are being dragged kicking and screaming into the 20th century now, but look at the polls! They are fighting desperately and screaming bloody murder at every step!
We won't have a progressive society until entire generations of these idiots die off and are replaced by people who won't just line up and vote based on "identity politics" --- meaning they want to keep the "N----rs from stealing my job!"
Don't kid yourself! After this election, the racist right wing of the Republican party will conclude they lost because they didn't push their opposition to "Amnesty for Illegals" strongly enough! They might not have nominated Tom Tancredo, but he speaks for their hearts.
And because conservatism can never fail, can never be repudiated by the American people, it can only be betrayed --- SO obviously, Bush and McCain weren't "real conservatives."
Well, what's a "real conservative?" For tens of millions, it's going to be "close the borders!" It's going to be a silent deadly fight to prevent whites from becoming the minority, as they are inevitably going to do. It's going to be to "save American [read white] culture."
Yes, for the majority this election will help heal racial divides. But, among angry whites it only reinforces their sense of being kicked while they are down.
You see it in a lot of the comments on this site! Right-wing posters bitter over Obama's victory, vowing to lie down and resist everything. It's going to be an ugly 4 years, because these people aren't going to take "the Blacks taking over" as one man put it to me, lightly.
If you really want a glimpse of the future of the struggle, tune in to Rush Limbaugh on the day after the election! That will be an ear-full (if you can stand it will be very informative).
It will be all about tearing down and de- legitimating Obama's victory.
They will be pushing "cultural" themes that are code words for race "real American" "elitist" "anti-God" i.e. urban cities with their large minority populations.
They've been doing it this entire election and it's not going to stop!
Although I love my state of Louisiana, I'm a outnumbered DEM down here...and often think I'd be enjoying the race even more if I knew more than 8-10 others who are voting for man who will be our next President.
Anyway, I want to thank you for the BEST Vitter reference - "the guy with the hookers" - that I've seen in a LONG time. LOVE IT.
I would also LOVE to see yall do a short profile of the Jefferson-Moreno race. Jefferson's running against a freakin' news reporter chick! And an average news reporter at that! It really blows my mind - either choice is shocking - even when you're use to La politics!!!
UN....wait for it...
BELIEVABLE!!!!
Just as a matter of accuracy, it's "Dollar" Bill Jefferson, not Bill "Cash Bricks" Jefferson. He's been "Dollar" Bill since I was a kid growing up on the northshore watching Garland and Angela on WWL.
I think Northern Louisiana will hurt Obama more than Southern Louisiana. Southern Louisiana is not exactly liberal, but more progressive than Northern Louisiana. We have New Orleans, more younger educated voters, and more diverse voters. We've had a surge in the Hispanic population who were attracted by growing construction work after Hurricane Katrina.
Don't count us out. We've done a good bit of ground work here as well. We may just surprise you and go blue.
Louisiana is not in play
For "demographic purposes," I'm a white female graduate student of Cajun descent who voted for Obama in La. last week!!
Politics is not my area of expertise, but the previous postings on the factors that may affect how voters here will cast their ballots is unfortunately true. Many people here are uneducated and racism is still prevalent. I've also have heard those comments from individuals about N.O. being "cleaned out" after Katrina...It's very disheartening to hear most members of my family talk about the election as they either don't want to vote for a black man or assume he's a closet communist. Fortunately, there are people who do see past this and have expressed their interest in voting for either candidate based on the actual issues .
As a registered independent, I'm glad we've progressed to the point of electing a non-white governor (albeit republican, is doing a great job so far), yet am ashamed of the passive and negative attitudes that prevail among many Louisianians.
However, I do agree that Obama missed an opportunity with the passing of Gustav and lack of attention from the mainstream media, even if this state is not a key player in regards to the election.
Terri's correct, North and South La. are EXTREMELY different (North being mainly Protestant and culturally deprived, while South La. is comprised of a large proportion of Catholics and is home to the Cajun/Creole culture that is associated with this state as a whole...)
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