Early poll shows Blanco leading in governor's race (Louisiana)

The Associated Press ^ | 4/1/03 | Adam Nossiter

[LdSentinal]

BATON ROUGE, La.(AP) -- The first poll to include all 12 candidates in the Louisiana governor's race shows two veteran politicians -- Lt. Gov. Kathleen Blanco, a Democrat, and Republican former Gov. David Treen -- at the top of the pack.

The independent poll showed Blanco in a slight lead with 14 percent of the vote to Treen's 10 percent, with a 4 percent margin of error.

The biggest surprise was that Bobby Jindal, a youthful former top aide to Gov. Mike Foster and the governor's favorite, finished fourth -- ahead of a number of longtime state politicians.

Jindal, a recent entrant, was supported by 6 percent of the 700 people polled in mid-March by Southern Opinion and Media Research, Inc., of Baton Rouge. Attorney General Richard Ieyoub, a Democrat, had 8 percent.

Jindal's score is better than of current and former state Senate presidents John Hainkel and Randy Ewing, Legislative Auditor Dan Kyle, former U.S. Rep. Buddy Leach, state Treasurer John Kennedy, former state House Speaker Hunt Downer, Public Service Commission chairman Jay Blossman, and state Sen. Ken Hollis. They all received less than 5 percent of the votes.

Thirty-nine percent of the respondents said they were undecided, did not know who they would vote for, or would not say.

"I think with 12 candidates, nobody's got momentum," said pollster Bernie Pinsonat. But Pinsonat also suggested that it was perhaps too early for the public to be focusing on the governor's race.

"Until the public is less enamored with the war, the public is not going to pay attention," Pinsonat said.

Blanco scored particularly well with women, netting 15.5 percent of women questioned, and she did well in Acadiana, where she drew a thumbs-up from 25 percent.

These two segments of the electorate -- women and residents of Acadiana -- are crucial to her success, in Pinsonat's view.

Blanco -- her middle name is Babineaux -- has been treading a delicate line in the controversy over whether French President Jacques Chirac should be disinvited to the state's Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial celebration. She has said it is a diplomatic matter up to President Bush.

Treen's second place finish is "primarily a factor of name recognition," according to Pinsonat. Treen is pushing an oil-and-gas transportation tax, a risky proposition with the Republican electorate, Pinsonat suggested.

The pollster cautioned against over-interpreting this early sampling, but suggested the poor results of candidates like Hainkel, Hollis, and Blossman were ominous signs them. "They're not doing very well."

[JohnnyZ]

ping

Looks like good news for Piyush "Bubby" Jindal. I think he has a good chance of getting into the runoff.

The poll shows 40% still undecided.

[Ebenezer]

FReepers interested in Louisiana politics are invited to access the website of Jeff Crouere (pronounced "crew-AIR"), a local political commentator, TV/radio personality, and committed conservative.

http://www.ringsidepolitics.com

[JohnnyZ]

That should be Bobby, I think.

Apparently he and Jay Blossman are cut from the same cloth. Almost makes one think we don't need both in the race, and whoever can't hack it should endorse the other.

[Ebenezer]

Republican Bobby Jindal boasts an impressive résumé, considering he is only 31 years old. He has served Louisiana as Secretary of the state Department of Health & Hospitals and as President of the University of Louisiana System. Until recently, he worked on the Federal level with the Department of Health & Human Services. The last I heard is that incumbent Governor Mike Foster, who has served two terms and is barred from running for a third by the state Constitution, is supporting Jindal.

[fieldmarshaldj]

They need to get Treen out of the race, and most of the Republicans, too. Jindal should be our guy.

[JohnnyZ]

They need to get Treen out of the race, and most of the Republicans, too. Jindal should be our guy.

I know, right? Treen and Gary Hart and Walter Mondale can get together and start lobbying for the AARP or move to Florida or something.

[fieldmarshaldj]

"I know, right? Treen and Gary Hart and Walter Mondale can get together and start lobbying for the AARP or move to Florida or something."

Yup, yup, yup. I know I'm preaching to the choir around here !

[Ebenezer]

I agree that the herd needs to be thinned. Right now, this multi-candidate campaign sounds like something out of Italian politics.

[fieldmarshaldj]

It wouldn't be as much a concern if we didn't have an all-party primary that would guarantee a slot in the runoff. If Treen is considered the front-runner for us, that is a disappointment. He was not a particularly successful Governor 20 years ago, although I did support him when he ran to replace Bob Livingston a few years ago, but absolutely not now. He turns 75 in July, yet another mark against him. He has got to realize his presence in the race is only going to serve to help the 'Rats. The GOP does need to get together privately or perhaps hold a public straw-poll to decide who to get behind, but it should be someone young and energetic, and I think Bobby Jindal fits the bill.

[Ebenezer]

I agree. New blood for Louisiana. Clean slate. Let's elect someone who is not part of the old, tired political dynasties in the state. So far, Jindal doesn't show himself to be a do-nothing or a corruption-prone opportunist. The state has had too much of either.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Yup. The lone problem for Jindal, set aside the usual stuff (age, never previously ran for office) is that he's being backed to the hilt by Gov. Foster, so some are claiming he's nothing but some puppet/crony. Jindal needs to come out strong against those claims and make it plain that he is his own man.