DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE WORKED TO DEFEAT NAGIN

Hilarious link. Thanks.

I hope he turns out to be a good mayor after all.

He was off to a good start before Katrina, which overwhelmed him.

Here's hoping...

Well you can count on 3 more votes from our family. My oldest son just turned 18 and can't wait to vote for a conservative Republican. Who do you think will be the most likely Republican to run against her?

Well, Bobby Jindal is likely to run for governor, so that leaves him out, since we expect he'll likely win. So that probably leaves the task to Rep. Charles Boustany of Lafayette. Tony Perkins may decide for a run himself (He ran against Landrieu in 2002, but he was not as well known then). There'll be somebody, I'm sure.

It is hilarious. Here is one of my favorites:

Amazing! Last week Dean was a homophobe, now he's a racist?

I think you are correct. Jindal will run for gov. and win. Dr. Boustanty will take on Landrieu and likely win as well.

This was interesting didnt know if you saw it at the end of the DU thread. The DU guy references this catholic blog
http://catholicanalysis.blogspot.com/2006/05/explaining-new-orleans-election.html

Explaining the New Orleans Election

Late Saturday night, I was ahead of virtually all of the media outlets in New Orleans in calling the election for the incumbent Mayor Ray Nagin, the one of post-Katrina and "chocolate city" notoriety. The behavior of the New Orleans media reminded me of how the TV networks had to pull back from announcing the Gore victory they so yearned for in 2000. It reminded me how on the day of the 2004 presidential election the media was all agog over inaccurate exit polls indicating a Kerry victory. I called the election for Nagin and did so quite happily and thankfully. It's worth explaining to non-Louisianians because the Nagin victory will likely be in most national headlines on Monday. The first reaction of many nationally will be that New Orleanians made a mistake by re-electing a mayor given to outrageous comments that embarrass the city. That first but understandable reaction would be wrong. Give me your patience, and let me explain why.

Nagin was first elected mayor four years ago as a pro-business, reform candidate. Although a Democrat in a heavily Democratic city, Nagin was indeed the reform candidate who promised to get rid of the cronyism, patronage, and corruption that was a decades-old tradition and even source of perverse roguish pride in New Orleans city hall. The cronyism was just the way business was done, Louisiana and New Orleans style. Nagin ended that perverse tradition well before Katrina hit. Not a few of the rogues were shown the exit door at New Orleans city hall before Katrina.

Then Katrina hit, and you know the rest. Nagin was and is a political maverick who doesn't follow anyone's or any party's agenda, although he is a nominal Democrat by necessity. In my view, when Katrina hit, the liberal Democrat establishment--consisting locally of inept Governor Kathleen Blanco and the Landrieu family, and nationally of the Democrat National Committee--could see that the dispersal of so many black voters was a direct political threat to the reelection of Democrats statewide, such as Gov. Blanco and U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu. And so, in my opinion, the push was on to take control, in one way or another, of the city and the reconstruction effort from the hands of maverick, loose cannon Nagin and put it in the hands of a reliable establishment party-line Democrat. Nagin had earned the distrust of the Democrats when he had previously endorsed a Republican for governor in a previous election. That's not something a Democratic African-American mayor usually does.

What better choice then than the brother of Democratic U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu herself: Mitch Landrieu. And so the national and state Democrats coalesced around the Senator's brother. By the way, the Landrieu family is referred to by the media as Louisiana's equivalent of the Kennedys. Senator Mary Landrieu sure makes them similar to the Kennedys in a way that I and many of my readers will find highly distasteful: she is a pro-abortion Catholic (Senator Mary Landrieu has a 43% pro-abortion NARAL rating; see link). In fact, not too long ago, the Archbishop of New Orleans made it a point to boycott the granting of an honorary degree to the Landrieu family as a whole by the local, of course liberal, Jesuit university because of this Kennedyesque resemblance on the abortion issue. Similarly, a prior Archbishop of New Orleans had expressed the view that no Catholic should vote for Mary Landrieu when she first ran for the Senate due to her views on abortion.

With millions raised and, according to one local political analyst, with Democrat National Committee advice, Mitch Landrieu ran a textbook professional campaign that culminated with a grand outdoor reception, New Orleans-style, with a brass band to boot, for the political and economic elites of the city the day before the election. They came, to borrow a phrase from Nagin, to "kiss the ring." The Landrieu political dynasty was set to take over the second most powerful political office (after the governorship) in Louisiana. The brother would watch out for his sister's political fortunes when she ran again for the U.S. Senate in 2008. He would look out for whoever might be the Democratic candidate for governor in the near future, with the real possibility in mind that he himself might be that gubernatorial candidate. All was set. The plan was well-funded, planned, and rolled-out like the D-Day invasion.

But to the shock, awe, and dismay of the political pundits and powers of Louisiana, unlike D-Day, the plan died on the beaches. Mr. Nagin won with very little money. In fact, one national newspaper had earlier referred to the low-key Nagin campaign as "mysterious" in its conventional invisibility. Another source has noted that Nagin was at a six to one disadvantage in fundraising in the runoff. Whatever the exact proportion, it is clear that Landrieu had an immense money advantage over Nagin.

As one prominent local talk radio station began its election night coverage, its two seasoned political analysts predicted an undoubted Landrieu victory before the first votes were even reported. I recall one of the political "experts" saying that he and others would be "stunned" if Nagin won reelection. There are a lot of stunned important people in New Orleans today. By later that evening, at least one of the radio experts was fumbling for a way to climb out of the hole they had dug themselves into because they were so out of touch with the people of New Orleans.

Why did Nagin win? It appears that he got about 80% of the black vote. Liberal Landrieu appears to have even lost some of the black vote he had gained in the earlier primary campaign. (The final election was technically a "run-off" between the two survivors of the primary election, Nagin and Mitch Landrieu.) Black voters felt it was important to keep a cherished symbol of their political empowerment and not trade it in for a white liberal.

But, most crucially in my opinion, was that Nagin's reelection would have been absolutely impossible without the support of many conservative, Republican white voters. In fact, I participated regularly in a web forum during the campaign in which many aspects of the campaign were debated. I made it a point to explain why Nagin should be reelected. On that web forum, I called the election for Nagin after another forum participant (much more astute than the radio experts) posted the results from some white precincts: Nagin was getting 20% or more of the white vote!

In the primary election that preceded the final runoff between Nagin and Mitch Landrieu, Nagin had received only about 6% of the white vote. Conservative, Republican whites swung to Nagin and handed him the election.

Why? A prominent white Republican candidate, Rob Couhig, who had lost in the primary election (and thus did not make the runoff election) showed great courage and daring by crossing the traditional color line and endorsing Nagin on the airwaves. A group of Republican activists, the Greater New Orleans Republicans, also endorsed and campaigned actively for Nagin. Why? Because Nagin was pro-business and stood out in New Orleans political history for his honesty. And, of course, no conservative wanted to see another liberal Landrieu in power. As one black political analyst put it, Nagin won with a "shotgun marriage" coalition of white conservatives and black voters. That's the nightmare of Howard Dean and the Democrat National Committee. I am sure they are also stunned today.

Personally, I could see how the Mitch Landrieu candidacy would further enhance the political fortunes of a very prominent pro-abortion Catholic Senator. So I did whatever I could, including praying, to enhance Nagin's chances in my own very small way. That's why I argued regularly for Nagin in that New Orleans web forum. There was a great political miracle Saturday night in New Orleans. Some of us prayed for it.

In short, the closest thing to the Republican conservative candidate won the mayor's election in New Orleans. The "dynasty" that is the Louisiana equivalent to the Kennedys was defeated. White conservatives crossed the color line: philosophy overcame any lingering racial prejudices. So I was quite happy to see Mayor Nagin go out of his way to thank President Bush for keeping his promises to aid New Orleans. That public and emphatic thanks must have caused heartburn among the D.C. bigshots of the Democrat National Committee who are planning to use Katrina against President Bush in coming elections. President Bush has an ally in Mayor Nagin who will not follow the playbook of Howard Dean. That's a mighty good thing. Now you know the rest of the story that few in the national media will take the time to tell you

That sums it up nicely. But obviously in an election to govern a city devestated by a hurricane, abortion wasn't exactly the deciding factor. Although, it is always nice to give a kick in the ass to a Catholic pro choice Dem.

I might post that tonight in about 30 minutes. If I see Michelle Malkins article on Nola I will post it lol sooner

It was odd that Clinton's stunt at the Ron Brown funeral never drew the first criticism from the liberal black community, wasn't it? Maybe it knows where its bread is buttered!

Even more odd was the cover up of the plane crash and the alleged whole in brown's skull and the death of surviving the female crew-member after the crash making it suspicious like vince foster's "suicide"!??!

Good to see that How-weird and the DNC have the power to get things done.

Gee. I was feeling a little queezy about the GOP's chances in '06 and '08 until I saw this.

Dean/Gore '08 !

Geez, my gut instinct was right.

This precious piece of iofo ought to set Jesse, Rev. Al and screaming Howard at each others throats.

I'll be surprised if Je$$e and Al say a word about it.

I have known Nagin for a long time. There is not one corrupt bone in his body. He may pander, he may be incompetent but he hates the Louisiana political machine as much as anyone else here. Louisiana style corruption is not in his DNA. So I don't think he needs any justification to stay clean.

Good to hear..looks as if New Oleans might have a chance.

Yes, Dean is a great asset for the GOP and I hope he remains DNC chairman for as long as possible.

It will be interesting to see if Mary Landrieu's enthusiasm wains for getting funds to clean up New Orleans now that Mitch baby is out of the picture.

The Landrieus have stolen Louisiana blind for years.

Better luck next time.

...Clinton's stunt at the Ron Brown funeral....

It is seared, SEARED on my hard drive!

This is going to get very ugly over there real soon when the party realizes that all their money is gone and Dean has been secretly supporting losing candidates using the money. Howard Dean, the gift that keeps giving to the Republicans.

If they remove Dean now the MSM will turn on the Rats because Dean is one of their biggest Sunday Morning mouthpieces.