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Louisiana hopefuls' day arrives - Parties to monitor turnout today in tight runoff for Senate seat
Associated Press ^ | December 7, 2002 | Associated Press Staff

Posted on 12/07/2002 3:06:01 AM PST by MeekOneGOP


Louisiana hopefuls' day arrives

Parties to monitor turnout today in tight runoff for Senate seat

12/07/2002

Associated Press

While Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu and Republican challenger Suzanne Haik Terrell made final campaign sweeps across Louisiana, supporters continued to work hard to nudge voters to the polls for Saturday's runoff.

The latest statewide poll, issued Wednesday by Mason-Dixon Polling and Research of Columbia, Md., showed the race too close to call.

During final campaign appearances Friday, Ms. Terrell - the state elections commissioner - urged supporters to get others to go to the polls.

"I am asking you to spend the next 36 hours calling friends and family and getting out the vote," she said during a rally at the Lake Charles airport.

Several hours later, during a rally at the Port of Lake Charles, Ms. Landrieu touted her experience, while Sen. John Breaux, D-La., repeated a campaign theme that Ms. Landrieu's Senate committee seniority was too much for the state to risk losing.

Ms. Landrieu also criticized Ms. Terrell for relying on out-of-state Republicans - including the president - to tout the challenger.

"My best relationship is with Louisiana elected officials," she said.

Ms. Landrieu, first elected in a close 1996 runoff and the daughter of former New Orleans Mayor Moon Landrieu, finished well ahead of the field on Nov. 5 with 46 percent of the vote. Ms. Terrell won 27 percent but had to contend with two other well-known Republicans.

Control of the Senate moved to the GOP after Nov. 5 elections around the nation, but Republicans want the additional seat that Ms. Terrell's victory would bring.

Behind the campaign scenes, both sides were pulling out all the stops in an attempt to make sure that no vote is left unsolicited.

Telephone banks have been humming for days, some with recorded calls from national political celebrities.

While Ms. Terrell enjoyed well-publicized boosts from the president and his father, former President George Bush, members of the Congressional Black Caucus have been quietly flooding the state to energize carefully targeted groups of likely Landrieu voters.

Analysts have said that a strong black voter turnout is needed for Ms. Landrieu to win a second term. The Mason-Dixon poll showed nine of 10 black voters were for Ms. Landrieu in the primary.

The Republicans are using the "72-hour task force" that proved successful in last month's elections, a strategy used by Democrats and organized labor in the 1990s to overtake Republican candidates who had a slight lead just before the balloting.

The plan puts a premium on likely supporters with specific themes and maintains regular contact until the person votes or the polls close. The names of likely voters are gleaned from membership lists provided by groups such as churches, anti-abortion organizations and gun-rights activists.

The GOP has targeted hunters with direct mail that touts Ms. Terrell's commitment to the right to bear arms and automated telephone messages from Vice President Dick Cheney, an avid outdoorsman. Also, hunters were urged to cast absentee ballots for fear that a clear, cool morning could lure many into the woods Saturday.

Barbara Bush recorded a phone message for senior citizens, and Bob Dole was used to appeal to veterans.

Democrats also directed their messages to target constituents.

The Louisiana Federation of Teachers and the Louisiana Association of Educators, with a combined total of 37,000 members, have been contacting their memberships. Trade union locals are calling members to go to the polls before going hunting.

Some black leaders are worried about enthusiasm in their communities. State Sen. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, whose endorsement of Ms. Landrieu two weeks ago was considered critical, said he is optimistic of a victory but does not have a good feel for how many voters will turn out.

"I don't see the fire I was hoping to see by now," Mr. Fields said.

Get-out-the-vote efforts were expected to continue Saturday.

Democrats will track turnout at the polls at noon. If the turnout in a key stronghold is low, the party will aim its phone banks at that area during the afternoon. Another check on turnout will occur about 4 p.m., said Jim Nickel, former chairman of the state Democratic Party.

Republicans have lists of expected voters and will check off names as they show up at the polls. If expected voters don't show up, some will receive a knock on the door, party officials said.


Online at: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dallas/tsw/stories/120702dntexlasenate.a3e6c.html


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: District of Columbia; US: Louisiana
KEYWORDS: louisiana; marylandrieu; senaterace; suzanneterrell
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To: cajungirl
Cajun girl,
What is the time difference beween LA and CA?
21 posted on 12/07/2002 10:39:51 AM PST by CaliforniaOkie
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To: deport
Thanks, deport. I feel good about it, but am nervous over the turnout. Hopefully it will be light in Orlens Parish or if it is heavy it will be balanced by heavier turnout in Jefferson and St. Tammany. I will keep you and the rest posted on anything I happen to hear.
22 posted on 12/07/2002 10:40:40 AM PST by Brices Crossroads
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To: cajun-jack
conservative district?
23 posted on 12/07/2002 10:40:58 AM PST by rwfromkansas
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To: Brices Crossroads
Several reports from Orleans on another thread indicate at least some portions of the parish are having a light turnout.
24 posted on 12/07/2002 10:44:12 AM PST by rwfromkansas
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To: rwfromkansas
very conservative.....i think we are in the money (no dem pun intended) here
25 posted on 12/07/2002 10:54:04 AM PST by cajun-jack
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To: rwfromkansas; deport
That's good news....but the Demos tend to vote late down here...when they see how many votes they need (to manufacture) LOL. Here's hoping it is too cold tonight to draw very many to the polls. I feel like the biblical figure waiting for the sun to set. Set, sun, set!!!
26 posted on 12/07/2002 11:07:07 AM PST by Brices Crossroads
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To: cajungirl
That's great news. That wouldn't have been Rummel, would it? I am worried about the Jefferson Parish turnout.
27 posted on 12/07/2002 11:11:14 AM PST by Brices Crossroads
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To: Brices Crossroads
I had a feeling that might be the case.......we have got to keep a steady stream of good white turnout it looks like. If the whites stop voting in the afternoon and the blacks start, we could be in trouble.
28 posted on 12/07/2002 11:22:04 AM PST by rwfromkansas
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To: CaliforniaOkie
2 hours difference
29 posted on 12/07/2002 11:30:31 AM PST by Mudbug
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To: rwfromkansas
Several reports from Orleans on another thread indicate at least some portions of the parish are having a light turnout.

It's a beautiful day here in NO, if a bit chilly. I voted around noon and was the 102nd voter. When I voted before work in November, I was the 46th. It's hard to compare a Tuesday and Saturday election because so many people vote after work on a Tuesday, and might be voting earlier on a Saturday but, unfortunately, it seems higher today.

My precinct is about 14% registered Republican, 69% Dem and 17% other. In Nov, the turnout was about 48% overall for this precinct. At noon, they already had close to 25% turnout. I hope this only means we have early birds in my precinct and not that the overall NO turnout will be higher.

30 posted on 12/07/2002 11:58:48 AM PST by Mudbug
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To: MeeknMing
I voted in Gonzales around 1:00 pm this afternoon. Turnout was brisk, but the line wasn't bad. I saw one other car in the parking lot with a Terrell bumper sticker and none for Landrieu.

I still had three signs in my garage, so I put them at the precinct. I had put another one up on Thursday night and moved a second one from behind a Landrieu sign where an idiot Landrieu type had hid it. I put it back in front of the Landrieu sign. I wouldn't do that normally, but I will do it if it is done first to my sign.

The Landrieu people have been active in posting yard signs around this area. I passed about 30 or 40 along the road to the precinct. There was only one sign for Mrs. Terrell along that stretch of road. Some group has put out signs that say "One Nation Under God" and then "Please Vote PRO-LIFE." I was surprised that the Terrell campaign didn't make a greater effort to match the Landrieu campaign in putting up signs. I called the campaign yesterday asking whether there was anything that I could do, and I would have been happy to participate in a last-minute sign blitz. No one ever returned my call, so I'm guessing that they don't think that signs will be effective.

WFTR
Bill

31 posted on 12/07/2002 1:51:58 PM PST by WFTR
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To: WFTR; Search4Truth
Thanks for the info. See post #14 with the link for returns.

What time do the polls close in Louisiana? Seven p.m.?.....

Hmm? I just remembered - I'll be away from the TV and computer after 5:30 or so, and for a while. Guess I'll hafta catch up to it later on this evening.....

32 posted on 12/07/2002 2:28:42 PM PST by MeekOneGOP
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To: MeeknMing
I think that the polls close at 8:00 pm, but it might be 7:00. I hope that the returns are very slow tonight and that everyone holds their totals until Orleans Parish reports its votes. If Orleans Parish is still out when the others have reported, the Democrats will steal the election through fraud.
33 posted on 12/07/2002 2:38:48 PM PST by WFTR
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To: WFTR
maybe republicans should stop them
34 posted on 12/07/2002 2:42:14 PM PST by dalebert
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To: WFTR
No kidding. We don't need another South Dakota made-to-order, last-minute burst of Democrat fraud.
35 posted on 12/07/2002 2:46:21 PM PST by RodgerD
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To: WFTR
8 pm et
36 posted on 12/07/2002 2:46:29 PM PST by marajade
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To: WFTR
I thought that they didn't report till ALL the polls closed in the state? I'm probably wrong, but if Election 2000 taught us anything, THAT should be one thing!
37 posted on 12/07/2002 3:03:36 PM PST by MeekOneGOP
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To: rwfromkansas; Bogey780; deport
The temperature is dropping fast as of 5:15 P.M. and has been dropping since about 4 P.M. This is going to severely depress any late demo GOTV plans in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans where the 1996 election was stolen.
38 posted on 12/07/2002 3:15:59 PM PST by Brices Crossroads
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To: Brices Crossroads
Well it sounds better as the day has progressed.... I think we'll know the results of this one fairly quickly as it's only one race to tabulate except in the 5th CD. So all should go quickly..... Once statewide results begin to show it won't take long to get a trend....
39 posted on 12/07/2002 3:35:30 PM PST by deport
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To: MeeknMing
I wasn't talking about the TV reports. You are correct that they can't report anything until the polls close. I was saying that when the local election boards start counting votes, they will report to the state. Those are the totals that keep changing through the night of coverage. If the Orleans Parish holds its totals until other parishes have reported, it can fraudulently modify the final results in order to give the election to Landrieu.
40 posted on 12/07/2002 4:14:03 PM PST by WFTR
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