Posted on 02/08/2006 5:45:29 PM PST by Ellesu
As yet another major challenger announces they will be entering the New Orleans mayor’s race the incumbent, Ray Nagin, says he welcomes the challenge.
“The more the merrier,” he said Wednesday. “Let them all come.”
The addition of Ron Forman, the CEO of the Audubon Institute, which runs a series of successful nature parks, adds to the list of prominent names in the race.
Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu, a member of a prominent New Orleans political family that includes former mayor Moon Landrieu and current U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, said he will make a decision on running sometime after the current special session.
At least five other candidates, including former councilwoman Peggy Wilson, have announced they will challenge Nagin, but Forman’s alleged war chest immediately moves him to among the top rivals.
Forman claims to have cash and pledges of up to $1.6 million and he says money won’t be a problem. That number stacks up favorably with what Nagin has and actually got the incumbent’s attention.
“I think it’s amazing he’s making that claim,” said Nagin. “If he’s got that kind of money in the bank, God bless him. We’re gonna find out once the campaign reports start being filed.”
In another twist, Nagin’s communications’ director is Forman’s wife Sally, though she has stepped down in light of her husband’s candidacy.
So far Nagin, who rode to victory four years ago with the support of business and a high percentage of votes from the city’s white population, has drawn only white candidates to oppose him, though political analyst Ed Renwick said that may well change.
Nagin seems to have hurt himself with business groups and white voters after a recent Martin Luther King Day speech in which he said God wanted the city to be majority African-American.
Despite the challenges, Nagin said he believes he is best suited to run the city because he won’t have a learning curve.
“We don’t have 12 to 18 months to two years for somebody to get up to speed,” he said.
Any freeper that was displaced by Katrina please forgive me but I'm sure you may have found yourself somewhere else and happier by now.
That said the reason of this post, It just dawned on me what to do about two major problems we face about New Orleans and Muslims.
Nobody wants to live in New Orleans and nobody wants Muslims.
Relocate every Muslim in the US to the New Orleans area!
Call it "New Mecca"
Then next time another cane comes, well lets just say the levees weren't exactly maintained very well. And Nagin gets his city of, well sorta voters I guess.
I'm typing this from New Orleans. Care to revise your statement?
"I've got Marion Barry coming here to help with my campaign!"
Because he can't learn?
i am amazed that people cant consider why we love new orleans. If I could get housing down there I would be there in no time. Besides the fact of the artists, food, music,history, nightlife, culture, the Architecture, the different ethnic groups, an vibrant Catholic and Jewish life all in an Southern City why would anyone want to live there. Its a special place.
You are completely misinformed. I am a transplant and I don't want to live here (metro N.O.). However, most of the evacuees who were born and raised here desperately want to move back. They love the city and its culture. I don't understand why; but, they do.
There's a major flaw in your thinking. NOLA is known for it's wonderful cooking and they can't cook without PORK. Muslims don't stand a chance there because well we aren't giving up our bacon, sausage, cracklins, boudin, tasso, gumbo, beans, greens, cornbread (good cornbread has bacon grease) you get the picture? It ain't going to happen.
Didn't the Stones get a similar line censored from "Start Me Up"?
Good one! Or how about these:
"VOTE NAGIN, HE KNOWS MORE THAN HE DID 3 YEARS AGO"
"VOTE NAGIN, HE LIKES CHOCOLATE, TOO!"
"VOTE NAGIN, WE COULD DO WORSE"
"VOTE NAGIN, HE HAS NO LEARNING CURVE"
"VOTE NAGIN, BLANCO IS WORSE"
Vote Nagin, He's Black and Angry At Bush
I think the Mayors race will be won or lost BEFORE and/or AFTER the election but not during the election. The Democrats will try to get as many out-of-town votes as possible and register as many non-whites in the city as possible. If they do so, they'll win, but will it be legal??? This all leads to one outcome............a Florida type finish that will be decided by the courts.
Vote Nagin... the dead do!
BTTT
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.