Election talk is cropping up in the media, and the Bayou State is in the spotlight yet again.
I’m not talking about the 2016 presidential election — where, by the way, Gov. Bobby Jindal is failing spectacularly. He placed 12th in the high-profile Conservative Political Action Conference straw poll. He beat out Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee, who are more famous for being on Fox News than for being governors.
I’m talking about the Louisiana gubernatorial elections. Jindal hits the term limit at the end of the year, and Jay Dardenne wants to take his place, so it’s time for another couple of politicians to milk the state for all it’s worth.
You wouldn’t know this from NOLA.com | The Times- Picayune, who recommends instead reading about Tom Benson’s estate drama and a nudist colony trying to stay afloat. The news that does appear on the site are mostly recycled Associated Press stories about Jindal’s blatherings.
One possible reason for the lack of coverage is it seems like the election is already won. Studies show that the closer an election seems, the more coverage it receives.
In this case, there is a clear front-runner in the staunchly conservative Sen. David Vitter.
You might remember Vitter from his prostitution scandal in 2007. After denying having relations with a New Orleans prostitute, his phone number showed up in the records of the infamous “DC Madam.”
He’s a massive a hypocrite for promoting family values while hanging with hookers. When Monica Lewinski was a household name, Vitter called on then-President Bill Clinton to resign. He refused to give up his seat after his “sin.”
In addition to his well- documented hypocrisy, Vitter’s also got an Oedipal complex. He allegedly liked wearing diapers while he cheated on his wife. Apparently spitting in God’s face wasn’t kinky enough for him.
Despite the scandal, the man-child has endorsements from national conservative leaders like Chris Christie, Rand Paul and George H.W. Bush. In addition, he leads in nearly every poll so far and would probably look even better if other candidates weren’t splitting the Republican vote.
Two other Republicans look to challenge him: current Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne and Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle. The two have been involved in state politics for a number of years and have a solid support base, but they can’t compete with Vitter’s influence.
Vitter also holds a substantial monetary advantage over the two. The senator reported $3.5 million on hand to begin 2015, more than Angelle and Dardenne combined.
The only viable Democrat in the race is state Rep. John Bel Edwards — thankfully no relation to Edwin Edwards. The former West Point graduate is billing himself as a conservative Democrat and has the views to back it up. He’s anti-abortion, against gay marriage and supports gun rights.
It’s a terrible strategy. Edwards is going to be up against candidates with stellar conservative voting records, like Vitter, so he won’t win on that front. Dardenne is known as a centrist Republican, so any hope for independent votes is gone. Finally, it’s going to be hard for him to get Democrats to vote for him when they can vote for Angelle, a former Democrat, who voters will see as having a better chance of winning than Edwards.
The only way I see Edwards having a shot at the governor’s seat is if he runs hard against Jindal’s record the past eight years. Of the four major candidates, he seems to have the best shot at capitalizing on the anti-Jindal sentiment, having opposed many of his policies in the state legislature.
It worked for Republicans in the 2014 midterm elections, so why not for Edwards?
Regardless of who gets the most votes in October, it’s clear Louisiana’s political climate hasn’t changed much. Even though everyone hates Jindal, the main candidates sound very similar to him in rhetoric and record.
James Richards is a 20-year-old mass communication sophomore from New Orleans. You can reach him on Twitter @JayEllRichy.