As this 2008 political season comes to an end, Louisiana remained a republican red state, but Louisiana also reelected democrat Mary Landrieu as our Democratic US Senator. How is it possible for Louisiana to vote overwhelmingly against President Elect Barrack Obama and at the same time reelect democrat Mary Landrieu? Simple -- Louisiana seldom votes out any incumbent US Senator. It is unheard of and has not happened in a very long time. After close calls in her previous elections, Landrieu smoked John Kennedy. I doubt anyone was very surprised by Landrieu’s victory – I predicted this outcome in a column for Bayou Buzz in 2007.

Kennedy’s very poor showing as a liberal democrat in the 2004 senate race was always going to be his Achilles heel – his conversion to the republican party would not make that big of a difference. Everyone one but David Vitter and the state republican party thought John Kennedy could beat Mary Landrieu. I knew Kennedy would lose and said it repeatedly – Secretary of State Jay Dardenne was the only republican who even had a shot at beating Mary Landrieu. In retrospect, I doubt anyone could have beaten Mary Landrieu. Landrieu got a big lift from the Barrack Obama’s inspired huge black turnout. The big victory rolled up in Louisiana by John McCain was expected as poll after poll showed Barrack Obama getting only about 17% of all white voters. The Obama campaign claimed they were going to run a 50 state campaign – after I released several surveys by Southern Media showing Candidate Obama getting only 17% of the white vote- I was quoted as advising the Obama campaign to save their jet fuel as Louisiana was going McCain. McCain was going to beat Obama badly as whites were energized to vote against and even match the expected big turnout of the black voters for Barrack Obama. This race was never in doubt from day one. What was up with a poll released by some TV stations showing Obama and McCain in a virtual dead heat / it was only off by about 15 percentage points. 

By the way – in Louisiana it made no difference, if the democratic candidate had been a white Ted Kennedy – he would have been beaten just as bad if not worse than Barrack Obama. Speaking of Senator David Vitter, his reelection will become the big buzz as the disastrous revelation of marriage infidelity with someone ( I am being kind ) makes his lock cinch to be reelected not so certain. It does not take a genius to figure out democrats will make Vitter the poster child of why republicans should not be returned to power. Republicans are in serious trouble and unless President Barrack Obama screws up royally, it will take years for them to regain the dominance they recently enjoyed in the US Congress. Corruption, sexual revelations and bad candidates have decimated their ranks and I see no end in sight for the next four years.  Republicans, being the so called party of family values, unfortunately has David Vitter first up for reelection.  How do you begin the rebuilding of the Republican Party with Vitter and his problems being displayed on the national stage in 2010?

Popular Governor Bobby Jindal is all over the landscape discussing what needs to be done to revitalize the republican party and he is also taking the opportunity to court the family values  groups as he begins his unofficial campaign for president in 2012. Yet back here in Louisiana, Jindal is supporting Vitter’s reelection as he lends a hand to help David Vitter raise money for the reelection effort. Can the republicans risk supporting a damaged David Vitter as the demos will have tons of money to spend trying to defeat Vitter. Can Governor Bobby Jindal continue to discuss the future of the Republican Party and what need to be done for a return to power and campaign for David Vitter? Is family values an issue Senator Vitter will even mention in his reelection bid in 2010? Can the democrats find a viable candidate to challenge David Vitter? Can you even imagine the commercials that the democrats will air attacking Vitter and his highly publicized sexual indiscretions?  You can bet the farm on this – David Vitter’s reelection will be the hot political topic for the next two years!

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