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Flashback to 1996: A Day When Buses Were Used in New Orleans
Baton Rouge Advocate | Nov. 10, 1996 | Unknown

Posted on 09/14/2005 11:18:36 AM PDT by pkajj

Political Machine Turned Out Votes N.O. Style 10 November 1996 The Baton Rouge Advocate

NEW ORLEANS - Red beans, parades and a thousand people all were part of the push that got nearly 186,000 voters to New Orleans polls on Election Day and gave Democrat Mary Landrieu a U.S. Senate victory.

Republican Louis "Woody" Jenkins has refused to concede defeat to Landrieu, who had an unofficial 5,899-vote lead after voting machines were opened Friday. The statewide tally released by the secretary of state on Friday was Landrieu 853,076, Jenkins 847,177, the closest Senate election in Louisiana history. Campaign manager Tony Perkins said volunteers will be working all weekend, checking out hundreds of complaints - especially in New Orleans, where Landrieu led Jenkins 143,050 to 42,653.

Bob Tucker, a businessman and close advisor to New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial, said it was Morial's get-out-the-vote teams that won the day for Landrieu, President Clinton and Orleans Parish Leader Harry Connick. "All elections begin and end in the streets on election day. That's where the Clinton, Landrieu and Connick team won Tuesday," Tucker said.

For instance, when the management team got word at 3:15 p.m. Tuesday that a GOP tracking poll showed Jenkins ahead, it was time for an instant parade. "Within 45 minutes, we arranged a motorcade," Tucker said. "We found Mary and Marc, got school buses for workers and sound trucks with music and put on a parade to flush out our voters." Landrieu and Morial waved from campaign manager Norma Jane Sabiston's convertible.

"We moved them into the major housing project areas blowing horns and playing New Orleans music," Tucker said. "We were doing what we do best in New Orleans, having a parade." There were more parades in key areas during "surge time" - late afternoon and evening, when people get off work.

Tucker's teams tracked the turnout all day in target precincts. If the vote was slow compared to past elections, some of the 1,000 street workers were sent there to knock on doors and ask people to vote. A phone bank worked all day, asking voters to go to the polls.

The street workers were divided into two groups of 500 -one for the morning, and one for the afternoon. Those were split into four groups: One to work polling places; one to wave signs at intersections; one to go door-to-door; and one to go to shopping centers and employment centers.

The one time all were together was at lunch, when all 1,000 got a lunch of red beans and rice.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: katrinafacts
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To: gridlock

Moon's daughter is like a female Noah... when her ass is on the line!


21 posted on 09/14/2005 11:33:50 AM PDT by johnny7 (“And now, little man, I give the watch to you.”)
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To: sandbar

Yes, Harry Connick, Sr. was the longtime district attorney for New Orleans. He retired a few years ao.


22 posted on 09/14/2005 11:35:26 AM PDT by Dems_R_Losers (2,4,6,8 - a burka makes me look overweight!)
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To: dfwgator

It must have been a rainy day,


23 posted on 09/14/2005 11:35:33 AM PDT by oyez
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To: gridlock

Where'd they find the drivers and who paid for the gas? I imagine the taxpayers footed the bill. Will MSM pick up on this?


24 posted on 09/14/2005 11:35:52 AM PDT by Dudoight
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To: Roux

Which proves Mary Landrieu can't win without New Orleans.
Probably true of Blanco, as well.


25 posted on 09/14/2005 11:37:01 AM PDT by TX Bluebonnet
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To: sandbar
He is...I saw him on one of the networks, down there helping people (actually helping - not sean penn type 'helping')

It's been reported he's done alot for the area post-Katrina since it is his family home. I don't think it's been covered much because he's interested only in helping - only the finger pointers, race baiters and hypocrites apparently deserve air time.
26 posted on 09/14/2005 11:37:13 AM PDT by PissAndVinegar
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To: Dudoight
Will MSM pick up on this?

How would it help to feed a hungry child? /sarcasm

27 posted on 09/14/2005 11:37:40 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: sandbar

The Democrat machines use school buses everywhere to get the folks from the projects to the polls. The drivers get handsome "tips" for their "volunteer" driving in between school opening and closing hours. The school boards wink and look the other way. I'm just waiting for the day there is a fatal accident on Election Day with one of these buses in Newark, or Philly, or Richmond, or East St. Louis.


28 posted on 09/14/2005 11:38:36 AM PDT by Dems_R_Losers (2,4,6,8 - a burka makes me look overweight!)
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To: Roux

The 96 election was 5,000 votes that is why they padded it more in 2002. I guess they thought it wouldn't look so obvious.


29 posted on 09/14/2005 11:39:47 AM PDT by CajunConservative ("Dem's can bus people to the polls but can't bus them out of danger to save their lives.")
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To: pkajj

"Within 45 minutes, we arranged a motorcade,"

Instead of declaring a state of emergency, they should have declared an election.


30 posted on 09/14/2005 11:40:18 AM PDT by Pessimist
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To: PissAndVinegar
I don't think it's been covered much because he's interested only in helping....

Dontchaknow, one has to take along a personal photographer and PR man to get the appropriate coverage during a disaster.

31 posted on 09/14/2005 11:41:41 AM PDT by Quilla
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To: 2banana
Okay, here's the page:

"Holy cow, this is priceless...paging Rush, paging Bill O, paging Sean H...."

32 posted on 09/14/2005 11:42:17 AM PDT by Eastbound
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To: pkajj

Priceless. Good catch.


33 posted on 09/14/2005 11:42:30 AM PDT by manwiththehands
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To: lysie
Outrageous indeed.

Nice tagline, btw.:)

34 posted on 09/14/2005 11:43:29 AM PDT by MozartLover ( My son, my soldier, my hero. Protect him, Lord, wherever he goes, and keep him strong.)
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To: Pessimist
Instead of declaring a state of emergency, they should have declared an election.

LOL. Line of the Day.

35 posted on 09/14/2005 11:44:16 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: pkajj
in key areas during "surge time"

Foreshadowing?

36 posted on 09/14/2005 11:44:18 AM PDT by Cooter
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To: pkajj

How did you find this story?


37 posted on 09/14/2005 11:45:08 AM PDT by Presby Conservative
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To: razorback-bert
On second thought, did they even pay for use?

That was my thought as well. Here I come from the use of Government facilities or equipment for partisan political purposes is ILLEGAL under the Hatch Act.

38 posted on 09/14/2005 11:45:11 AM PDT by usurper (Correct spelling is overrated)
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To: TX Bluebonnet
Which proves Mary Landrieu can't win without New Orleans. Probably true of Blanco, as well.

Partly true for Blanco. She picked up a good many votes in the more ignorant rural parts of Northern LA, because they didn't want a "foreigner" (Jindal) for governor. She also did fairly well in SouthWest LA, where she is from.

39 posted on 09/14/2005 11:47:44 AM PDT by danneskjold
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To: pkajj

Link to source?


40 posted on 09/14/2005 11:48:18 AM PDT by listenhillary (The MAINSTREAM MEDIA is NOT a branch of government)
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