Congressman considering Senate race (against Mary Landrieu, D, Louisiana)

Houma Courier ^ | November 8, 2012 | Jeremy Alford

[Synthesist]

But, I don’t think BerniesFriend wants us to just give up. BerniesFriend has a very good point about incumbents being mindlessly reelected here in Louisiana. Sen. Mary L. should have easily lost in the 2008 election when McCain voters here routed Obama with a 60 to 40 percent vote, but way too many of those McCain voters then split their ticket by voting for her instead of Kennedy. Granted, Kennedy was a recent party switcher and therefore a weak RINO candidate, but it still happened…

There really is no place here in our Deep Red conservative state of Louisiana for a F’ing Dem party senator, even if she is an incumbent with lots of name recognition! We have to work harder to bust this stupid incumbent bias.

[Galactic Overlord-In-Chief]

Cassidy actually does have the distinction of beating an incumbent. In 2008, he beat Don Cazayoux, who won the old LA-06 in a special election over Woody Jenkins.

Landrieu absolutely is vulnerable. Incumbency is valuable, sure. I have to admit that she *could* win another term. However, she has yet to top 52 percent in any of her Senate bids. In 2008, she went up against Dem-turned-GOPer John Kennedy (no relation to JFK). Kennedy wasn’t fully trusted by the GOP base, while Landrieu received some good will following the Katrina aftermath (she won the conservative coastal parishes in the N.O. area this time), and she still only got 52 percent, the same percentage as in 2002 when she faced off against Suzanne Haik Terrell in an ultra-competitive race. It wasn’t that she did better, it was that Kennedy did worse (he got 46 percent as opposed to Terrell’s 48 percent).

A more competent and trusted Republican with the party united behind him (party disunity hurt Terrell) should be able to beat Landrieu. But I’m under no illusions that this will be easy.

[TNCMAXQ]

I hope you are right. You think Jindal might run for the Senate too? That would be interesting.

I forgot to mention NC in my previous post. Kay Hagan ought to be vulnerable, especially since the GOP did pretty well there this year. Sounds like she is way too liberal for that state.

I would have hoped Jean Shaheen in NH would be beaten but after the Demo tide up there this week it looks like they are moving to the far left. They might as well change the state motto. Only 2 years ago the Republicans swept the state (except in the governor’s race) but this year they lurched way back in the opposite direction. I just hope Sen Kelly Ayotte can win again in ‘16, unless she runs for president!

[BerniesFriend]

Thanks Synthesist..I would love for landrieu to be voted out of office..but having seen her been re-elected with the help of an ignorant gop minority, albeit stupid, coalition, I have little faith she will be voted out..

[abb]

You think Jindal might run for the Senate too? That would be interesting.

Not likely, since Timmy Teepell (Jindal's former chief of staff) is working for Cassidy now. One thing to remember is that Teepell has good connections with the with evangelical (Pentecostals, etc) groups here in Louisiana.

[MitchellC]

the GOP WILL take the Senate in 2014.

Seriously? Are we going to go into 2014 like we did 2012, assuring ourselves that victory is certain like it's the law of nature?

Come on. Unless we start busting our asses now, the majority will be perfectly content to remain stuck on stupid.

[MitchellC]

I’ve assumed that Jindal would be running for this. I recall some scuttlebutt on Twitter that the Lt. Gov’s race was so important, precisely because Jindal wasn’t expected to complete the term, hint hint. And this was from folks working in the Lt. Gov. campaign.

[MitchellC]

I expect, however, there will be enormous pressure on all Senate Dem incumbents to stay put in 2014

That would go against the Dem strategy of the past two elections, wouldn't it? The Dems know it's often easier to win with a blank slate that can promise anything than it is to defend an incumbent who has ruined his reputation by actually voting like a Democrat.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Ultimately, had the incumbents run, it may not have turned out any different.

[fieldmarshaldj]

I don’t know, for some reason, I’d be surprised if he did. If anything, he may run for President in 2016, and the Senate race would be a distraction, since he’d have to start campaigning for President almost immediately upon taking office (and the Dems could use it against him that he wouldn’t be a “full-time” Senator). Even Zero couldn’t have jumped from one to the other that fast.

[MitchellC]

Hate to say it, but he just looks too dorky to run for President. I think he’s the best bet to knock off Landrieu anyway.

Whatever it is he does, I would be willing to bet on one thing for certain: the Dems will get Kal Penn to do an impersonation of him, probably an OFA web ad like the one they did with the dykey slut. And, it’ll be vicious as hell, even allude (if not state outright) that Jindal is a sell-out.