Posted on 12/07/2008 2:51:46 AM PST by flattorney
In a shocker, there will be a GOP Rep. in New Orleans. In a surprising twist, GOPers won a sweep in LA tonight in two general elections, picking up embattled Rep. Bill Jefferson's (D-LA 02) seat in New Orleans, and holding retiring Rep. Jim McCrery's (R) seat in the Shreveport-based Fourth District. But the surprise of the night, and possibly the cycle, was in the Big Easy. Atty Ahn “Joseph” Cao (R) defeated Jefferson 50-47%. Dems outnumber GOPers here 6-1, and African Americans make up 61% of the vote. But the NRCC must've had an inkling that something was up here, as they dumped about $60K into the CD earlier this week. They attacked Jefferson in automated phone calls for the bribery and corruption charges he faces in an upcoming trial. Dems cried foul, but apparently the message hit home.
While Cao was earning the support of GOPers nationally and in LA -- he was backed by popular Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) -- Jefferson saw no such support from Dems. Indeed, unlike in the GA SEN runoff and in LA-04, Pres-elect Obama stayed out of the contest altogether. The DCCC didn't contribute any funds here, either. This race was all about Jefferson's ethics problems, and Cao ran a very effective campaign to take advantage of the Dem's weaknesses. While the odds are stacked against Cao holding this seat past the '10 cycle, this win has got to be a shot in the arm for GOPers looking for a morale boost after two disastrous cycles.
In the other LA race that was supposed to be the marquee matchup tonight, physician/Subway restaurant owner John Fleming(R) leads Caddo Parish DA Paul Carmouche(D) by 356 votes, will all the precincts reporting. The AP has yet to call the race, and may wait until provisional ballots are counted to declare a winner. Dems had hoped that Carmouche's social conservatism, along with the law-and-order credentials gained as DA, would carry him to victory here. But while Carmouche performed better than most Dems -- he carried six of the CD's counties, while Obama carried just one -- it still was not enough to overcome the huge GOP leanings of this CD. On 11/4, John McCain carried it by over 60%.
The race featured two very high-profile surrogates that potentially could match up in '12 WH race. Obama recorded a radio ad for Carmouche, and claimed that, "To change America and to get Louisiana's economy back on track - I need leaders like Paul Carmouche working with me in Washington." Obama's camp also sent out a call for volunteers and a fundraising e-mail to their LA list. Meanwhile, popular LA Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) endorsed Fleming, which Fleming touted in a TV ad during the campaign's final days. In spending nearly $1.2 million, the DCCC drubbed Fleming on a familiar topic -- his support for a 23% nat'l sales tax, or the "Fair" tax. Dems have been successful in ID, PA and VA in using the issue to turn the tables on the GOP, who usually own the tax issue. The NRCC, which dumped over $970K into the CD, hit Carmouche for his tenure as Caddo Parish DA. In one TV ad, the committee hit Carmouche for not prosecuting a criminal, who was arrested 53 times, under the state's repeat offender law. After his release, the criminal committed 20 more crimes in the span of the next three weeks.
But despite the efforts of Carmouche and Dems to portray Fleming as out-of-step with even GOPers, he was still apparently able to hold on, albeit by the slightest of margins. With these results, Dems have gained a net of 19 seats this cycle. They could potentially pick up two more in VA-05 and OH-15, although votes are still being tallied in both contests. Tonight's GOP wins are big for a party that has been demoralized by two difficult cycles. We'll see in the coming months if tonight's results represent a true shift towards the GOP heading into the '10 midterms, or whether they were just a blip on the road to another successful cycle for Dems.
Love hearing that.
The thing I’ve found about the New Orleans Vietnamese is they’re real thrifty, apply ingenuity liberally and will do almost anything with no fuss. The FOB Vietnamese down there tend to move into a house that’s run down with their entire family. They’ll then work like a dog making money where ever they can . If they really do well they’ll probably open their own business. Hell, they’ll open several. One guy I met was real young and ran a tax service and bail bonds with his wife working the front desk.
Then they’ll buy some property. That’s where they’ll get their relatives to help clear the land where they’ll build a new and much better house (thanks to a relatives in the construction business). I think around Willowbrook around Kim Dr are rather testaments to their drive. The sure sign of a Vietnamese house is the wrought iron fence out front.
I got a little teary eyed over his comment. I pray that he is a wonderful example for those in his district. Congratulations! (By the way, how is his last name pronounced?)
“I am utter SHOCKED by this victory.”
If I read that Daley had become a conservative Republican and an NRA member it would be as believable as this election. I am waiting to wake up and find out that Cao is a sleeper agent for the Democrats and will switch immediately on swearing in.
I may go into the city today and watch the Black Preachers commit suicide, “Oh Happy Day when Jesus Washed “Our” Sins Away.”
Probably the biggest thing hurting black progress is that the state and popular culture oppose blacks (or anyone else but especially blacks) having stable families. So many black children grow up essentially being wards of the state and this holds them back and cripples future generations. One of the reasons some immigrant groups do well is that they have stable families where people help each other.
I think Jefferson is really in trouble after Jan 6, 2009, when he will no longer be a MoC.
One less member of the CBC.
“Thre’s a lesson in there.”
One our Medical Technologists came over about the same time as CAO. His family did not speak English. Even though he was not born here he now speaks flawless English, is extremely bright, and very conservative. His father-in-law, also from Vietnam, owns a shipyard, and his brothers own large ocean-going fishing vessels. They really grabbed the American dream and ran with it. It required long hours at sea and the whole family working together but they really made it. The parents still don’t speak English but they made sure all of their kids were well educated. They are very pro-family (large). This group caused a controversy in the eastern section of NO when they arrived and refused government aid. Their independent attitude made the local Blacks very mad since the schools they attende couldn’t participate in several government programs because they didn’t have enough students on free and reduced lunch’s.
Well said!
And Congratulations indeed to Congressman Cao!
Wonderful tagline. Thank you so much for serving our country.
Every talk show today would have commented on this win if the first American-from-Vietnam candidate had been a Democrat defeating a corrupt Republican congressman.
Since the parties are reversed - media silence.
No, having a despicable felon as an opponent is.
This is a great story, but let's not get carried away. This district isn't suddenly GOP territory at all.
Well if half are Catholic the rest will be within a generation or two. The marriage/children rule of the RC Church works wonders in that case.
The real question is that after the census and redistricting how many liberals can be gerrymandered out of their seats.
Was the dem margin of victory comparable to the number of NOLA refugees?
His name is actually pronounced “gow” (rhymes with cow)
only reason why cao won was because of the election day rescheduled due to gustav, and because that nut malik rahim bled votes away from dollar bill to the green party.
if those factors had not been in place, jefferson would have kept his office.
believe me, La.’s 2nd congressional district has a long way to go in its fight against racial identity politics and ignorance.
Nice post. Thanks for sharing.
Sadly people in PA appear to be more corrupt than LA by reelecting mega creeps Murtha and Kajorski.
Did Fleming and Cao run as conservatives?
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