by dsb nola on February 6, 2010
Mitch Landrieu seems like a great guy, charismatic, knowledgeable, he can sing … there’s a lot to like about him. I don’t have anything against him. I’m not close to being one of those Landrieu haters. If my preferred candidate, James Perry, doesn’t make the runoff, I’ll support Landrieu and I won’t even whine about it.
But you still shouldn’t vote for Mitch Landrieu today.
Mitch has a good shot at breaking 50%, but if he doesn’t, imagine what the runoff would be like if, say, the #2 vote getter is John Georges? Do you believe that would be a productive exercise? Georges would go into full mudsling mode and there would be very little, if any, actual policy debate. How about a runoff with Troy Henry? Same thing but worse. It would be Landrieu-Nagin II, a racially divisive mess. It would be terrible for the city. Landrieu would probably beat both Georges and Henry, but again, the month of debate would be devoid of policy discussion and would only pump up distrust and cynicism.
But if Perry could somehow make the runoff? The city would be treated to a month of adult conversation about the future of New Orleans. In the candidate forum last month sponsored by Musicswingsvotes.org, Perry said he voted for Landrieu in the last election, in part because Nagin ran such a racially divisive campaign. Perry wouldn’t play it like Georges or Henry. The last thing he wants to do is toy with racial animosity, and he clearly respects Landrieu.
A Landrieu-Perry runoff would also press Landrieu to be more concrete regarding his vision for the city’s future. He would be obligated to move beyond happy talk about how he knows how to get things done, which may very well be true, but it would be better for the city if he would make more tangible policy commitments and better explain his priorities. It’s a conversation the city needs and a mayoral election is an ideal opportunity for it. Landrieu has been given mostly a free ride up to this point.
Granted, if Perry made the runoff his campaign could catch fire and he could beat Landrieu. Anything can happen in a runoff. But if Landrieu really does have a more compelling vision for our city’s future and the know-how to achieve it, then in a campaign sure to be celebrated for its civility and wonkishness, his ideas should be able to win the day, especially given his well established political base, and the city would be all the better for it.
Posted 7 months ago at 3:14 am. 1 comment
by dsb nola on February 5, 2010
In last night’s mayoral debate John Georges denied Dambala’s claim (in the person of Roy Couhig) that Georges and his frat buddies at Tulane wore blackface (for annual parties) in the 1980s, or that Georges supervised the wearing of blackface as president of his fraternity. Predictably, Georges went with the bloggers-are-losers defense. He’s cowardly trying to run out the clock. If he gets into the runoff, and if reporters start asking him about it, he’ll probably do a modified Vitty-cent where he admits to a vague sin or two and then clams up. At best. If he doesn’t make the runoff, I bet he’ll never address it.
But how might a white guy own up to such racially insensitive actions from his past and still persuade voters he’s sincere and that he gets it–or, if he doesn’t “get it,” at least show that he knows he’s supposed to?
Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan in 1999 faced just such a situation. It was revealed that he performed in the early 1960s in blackface as part of minstrel shows for annual Kiwanis Club fundraisers. Here’s what Carnahan told an AP reporter:
I regret having been in them and I regret the insensitivity that’s shown, but I do think I have grown. I grew rather quickly, sponsoring civil rights legislation in 1965.
So how’d that play out for Carnahan? In 2000, three weeks after being killed in a plane crash, he was re-elected governor, beating John Ashcroft.
(h/t JC)
Posted 7 months ago at 9:13 am. Add a comment
by dsb nola on February 3, 2010
Dambala is on the trail. Is there anything to like about Georges? Anything?
Though unrelated, I think this sentence by Steve Benen (about disingenuous Republican squawking re: Mirandizing of the undiebomber) could be applied to Georges as well:
Facts just keep getting in the way of a perfectly misleading narrative.
Posted 7 months, 1 week ago at 9:12 am. Add a comment
by dsb nola on January 28, 2010
7:30 p.m. Monday fundraiser at Howlin’ Wolf (907 South Peters St.) for James Perry’s mayoral campaign, featuring:
$20 donation at the door. Or buy advanced tickets.
I took the Glassbooth quiz and Perry was my choice with 79%. Oddly, Georges was second at 78%, and I can’t stand that guy.
Posted 7 months, 1 week ago at 6:02 pm. Add a comment
by dsb nola on January 21, 2010
Leslie Jacobs has endorsed Mitch Landrieu, which makes me even more uneasy about his candidacy, and Dr. John may have spent Christmas with John Georges but he’s endorsed James Perry:
James Perry is the right candidate, in the right place, at the right time. The man is the only person I have met that’s in this race for mayor who is for the people.
Posted 7 months, 2 weeks ago at 1:37 pm. 1 comment
by dsb nola on January 20, 2010
When I read this about Barney Frank’s reaction to the Dems losing their 60th vote in the Senate it gave me that vomity feeling career politicians frequently give me. They can be so cowardly, so lame, suck so damn much. Which brings me to my unfair logical leap. When I read the paragraph below last week it reminded me that Mitch Landrieu, for all his gifts, isn’t what I’m looking for in a mayoral candidate.
Fair-housing attorney James Perry and lawyer Rob Couhig promise complete public access to contracting documents throughout the selection process. Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu and former Civil District Judge Nadine Ramsey stop short of that pledge and stress that the mayor must retain the power to award contracts. Businessmen Troy Henry and John Georges say they support opening all records to the public, but would limit the inspector general’s access to City Hall.
Can anyone offer a defense of Landrieu’s position on this matter? Did anyone give a better answer than Perry and Couhig?
Posted 7 months, 3 weeks ago at 1:06 pm. Add a comment
by dsb nola on January 11, 2010
I went to the MusicSwingsVotes.org mayoral forum at Loyola U. tonight and it seemed pretty clear James Perry and Mitch Landrieu were the most well informed candidates about the local “music industry.” I didn’t take notes so I cannot provide a reliable reportorial roundup to substantiate that claim, but I did hear one sentence that made such an impression I know for sure I heard it. Brace yourself.
John Georges said, “I spent Christmas with Dr. John.”
No questions were taken from the audience, so I didn’t get to ask:
Did Dr. John go over to Georges’ house–or vice versa? Were gifts exchanged? Was Dr. John paid, and if so, how much? How often do they get together? Does Dr. John actually like John Georges? Are they friends? How on earth did it happen?
Posted 7 months, 4 weeks ago at 9:33 pm. 1 comment
