During the last hours of the Jon Bel Edwards vs. David Vitter Louisiana gubernatorial campaign, the Edwards campaign deployed a secret weapon of sorts--mobilize the African American base to get out the vote by using a robo call from Presidnt Barack Obama.
The Advocate reporter, Tyler Bridges discussed this in his recent interview with Bayoubuzz.com, publisher Stephen Sabludowsky.
(You can read the interview below or watch it via caption--see instructional image below)
SABLUDOWSKY: You also talked about the Robo calls from Pres. Obama, why don't you take us through that?
TYLER BRIDGES: That was on Election Day--they had recorded, Pres. Obama had recorded the call to send out to African American households that went out at 5:30 (pm). Why 5:30? Because polls close at eight is so that went out early enough to to get some African-American voters particularly to the polls because there was a fear that the turnout among that group, that demographic group was too low, but they didn't want to do it too early to have the Vitter people find out and use that as a way of tying Jon Bel Edwards to Pres. Obama which had been a central part of their campaign. So we don't know the exact impact of the Robo-call, we can assume that he got some number of voters out there. I don't think it made a difference because Jon Bel Edwards had obtained 56% of the vote but it was probably a smart political move deftly handled by the Edwards campaign
SABLUDOWSKY: Last-minute. Do you know if it had been planned in advanced-- certainly trying to get the president to do a Robo call is something that seems would have to be planned in advanced. Any information?
TYLER BRIDGES: I don't know the specifics at this point.
