New Orleans Mayoral Run-Off Today
Charlie Burr
It's a beautiful, sunny Saturday in New Orleans -- which bodes well for turnout in today's Mayoral election. The race between the incumbent, Ray Nagin, and the challenger, Lt. Gov. Mitch Landreiu, is really anyone's race, but I'd give Landrieu a slight edge. I'm supporting Mitch and giving him money, so take my predictions with a grain of salt. There's not a lot to compare this race to as displaced voters are spread all over the country, so the polling on the contest is pretty unreliable.
I had the opportunity to organize down there a few years ago during the Landrieu/Terrell US Senate run-off. We went into election day as slight underdogs, but the good weather (and some truly underhanded and stupid Republican dirty tricks) helped things break our way.
Results of this race will be coming in late tonight so stay tuned.
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2:44 p.m.
May 20, '06
Some interesting and goofy stuff happening with fake email broadcasts and such down in New Orleans...
2:54 p.m.
May 20, '06
It wouldn't be a New Orleans election without this type of last minute stunt. Heartwarming that at least some things are back to normal...
I just read about this email a few minutes ago -- it actually kind of reminded me of the fake Voters Guide that Paul Phillips sent out in 2004 for the medical malpractice initiative. I still believe that helped us win that race.
BTW: The stuff the Republicans pulled in 2002 was considerably worse. Basically they went into housing projects with large blocks of black voters and distributed flyers letting people know they could vote on Tuesday if the weather on Saturday wasn't good (they couldn't). Also, they paid workers $75 a pop to do fake protests in key black precincts to depress turnout.
Like a lot of too clever by half election stunts, it backfired and motivated Landrieu voters to turn out to the polls.
6:24 p.m.
May 20, '06
Update:
Polls have closed but I haven't seen any official returns yet. NOLA.com has an open forum with individuals posting returns from their wards, but a lot of the comments -- no real surprise here -- are just the two campaigns taunting each other. Here's the forum.
9:19 p.m.
May 20, '06
Nagin wins 52-48. Here's the election results.
May 21, '06
Good race. Landrieu was a great opponent (for lack of a better word) and offered much to the city. It says much about media hype vs. reality. Yet, I think Nagin is more competent overall with better aptitude/skills/and more importantly - experience - for this job(despite all the vindictive naysaying). A fair election, by most standards - yes. A corrupt election would be . . .oh yes, the one which excluded how many thousands of votes . . . (bush jr - and then we had the low IQ bipolar issues to relect this monkey and his not so brillian admin again. what does this tell you)
I didn't assume Landrieu would win - just due to Nagin's honesty/reaction with fema/feds. he exposed much hypocrisy on the State and Federal level. He also exposed himself - and was honest about his own falibity. 'A lot of integrity.
Unfortunately, I look at the State, Feds/FEMA and nearby parishes (e.g. - Jefferson Parish)and wonder why they haven't had the same sleazoid paparazzi journalism, petty scutiny, and slander. I feel incredibly ashamed that parishes like Jefferson, have not been acountable for there handling of Katrina and its aftermath. This also says tons about the South, corruption, and in general the U.S. It is interesting - that the majority of the world press (BBC included . . .) were appalled by the reaction of FEMA, the Feds, and these inbred parishes while the U.S of A . . . did nothing but blast Nagin - and finally find a fall guy in FEMA . . .Brown. Yet, did you notice, there was not a lot of proactivity after Brown's resignation. hmmmmmmmmmmmmm
May 21, '06
Anyone who makes a comment like a city being a "chocolate" city and that it needs to stay that way is just as revolting as one who would, say, brag that a city is a "vanilla" city and needs to stay that way. In New Orleans, such ignorance has just been rewarded (along with a poor job at responding to and/or preparing for an event like Katrina).
Bob Tiernan
May 21, '06
Bob, New Orleans had the incumbent mayor running against the lt.gov. Who says the state government did a better job than the local government in the aftermath of Katrina?
Is the hurricane cleanup in Miss. going much better than in New Orleans? Isn't Trent Lott fighting insurance companies over what happened to his home which was right next to that Naval shipyard? How many New Orleans residents have the resources of someone like Trent Lott?
2:04 a.m.
May 21, '06
Anyone who makes a comment like a city being a "chocolate" city and that it needs to stay that way is just as revolting as one who would, say, brag that a city is a "vanilla" city and needs to stay that way.
Actually, Bob, the whole dust-up over the "chocolate" thing was a cultural misunderstanding. In New Orleans "chocolate" is what you and I would call "chocolate milk" -- half chocolate, half milk. White and Brown, combined. Mayor Nagin was saying that the city should remain racially diverse, not exclusively black.
As CNN reported, Nagin explained (while apologizing):
9:13 p.m.
May 21, '06
I think the people of New Orleans have a better sense of humor than some of us on BlueOregon. When I was there in April, all of the tourist stores were selling t-shirts that said "New Orleans, the Chocolate City." Or, "The Chocolate City, with Vanilla Flavor."
Considering all the grief the people of New Orleans have been through and are still going through, I don't think Nagin's remark is at the top of their minds.
The other t-shirts said things like FEMA: Fix Everything, My Ass. And that's the one I can repeat here on a "family" blog. And, whoa--you haven't heard the story of Katrina and government mismanagement until you've heard Charmaine Neville sing about it. There are a lot of people down there still hurting. The work to fix the city seems to be getting done one house at a time--by volunteers. I just keep thinking that we could make headway if we, oh...sent 6,000 National Guard to New Orleans.
And I kind of like Nagin, although I don't claim to know much more about him than what I saw on TV. He came to talk to the DNC when we met there, and I later saw him just hanging out in Jackson Square at the music festival. He didn't have an entourage that I could see, and people were just going right up and visiting with him.
1:39 a.m.
May 22, '06
He came to talk to the DNC when we met there
Interesting that a Republican mayor would come by the DNC... oh wait, that's right - he became a Democrat when he first ran for mayor. Had to have his arm twisted hard though to reluctantly endorse John Kerry (since he endorsed Bush over Gore in 2000, as a corporate executive.)
May 22, '06
LT asked: "Who says the state government did a better job than the local government in the aftermath of Katrina?"
Well, nobody. The response by the city was poor; the response by the state was poor; and the response by FEMA was poor. But FEMA has had almost all of the blame thrust upon it despite the fact that it's generally understood that FEMA cannot do much for at least a few days. This is another example of the irresponsibility that is fostered by centralization, i.e. let the Feds do everything, and right away.
Bob Tiernan
May 22, '06
"....half chocolate, half milk".
Oh, it's hardly half and half now, is it? Isn't it more like 90-10? Heck, in the last report put out by a group that tracks diversity of cities, Seattle was called too white (60% or so) tho' it's a better mix than New Orleans (if that's what turns people on) while (and get this) Detroit was called MORE diverse despite having 85% being one racial group! Their rationalization was that, "sometimes, diversity is rooted in one race..." What a crock. Let's see, 85-15 is more diverse than 60-30-10. Hmmmm...
Bob Tiernan
10:58 a.m.
May 22, '06
Interesting that a Republican mayor would come by the DNC.
It's customary for the local politicians to address the DNC. Mary Landrieu was there too. Her brother wasn't.
Bob sez: But FEMA has had almost all of the blame thrust upon it despite the fact that it's generally understood that FEMA cannot do much for at least a few days.
FEMA hasn't managed to do much for NINE MONTHS. That's what is really irritating people.
This is the kind of national disaster that really cries out for a federally-organized response: an Americorp project, the National Guard, the Army...whatever. I'm not knocking the volunteerism of the college students, the church members, or the Habitat for Humanity hammer-wielders, but the scope of what still needs to be done is huge.
11:02 a.m.
May 22, '06