Posted on 03/07/2006 8:15:46 PM PST by ncountylee
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin again brought race to the forefront of the mayoral campaign when addressing displaced New Orleanians this weekend at a gathering organized by the NAACP in Houston.
Nagin urged the mostly African-American audience to vote in next month’s election and he pointed out that he faces a long list of challengers, including many white candidates.
“There was all this talk about this being an opportunity to change New Orleans forever and maybe everybody shouldn’t come back, and maybe this is an opportunity to kind of change New Orleans and go back to what it used to be,” he told the audience. “I have 23 candidates running for mayor and very few of ‘em look like us.”
Nagin’s comments came about six weeks after he upset many white residents by saying that God wanted New Orleans to be a majority African-American city and by saying he wasn’t concerned what Uptowners had to say.
Nagin later said he wished he hadn’t mentioned God and that he was sorry he said he didn’t care about what the people living Uptown had to say.
Pollsters viewed Nagin’s latest remarks as a way to try to secure some African-American votes as the base of white supporters that helped carry him to victory the first time, seems to erode.
"The first time he ran, he won with white votes,” said Loyola political analyst Ed Renwick. “About 85 percent of the whites voted for him. His white vote has deteriorated significantly, so he has to pick up black votes to replace them."
Political pollster Silas Lee said Nagin, like all candidates, is trying to tailor his remarks to their audience.
"The challenge for Mayor Nagin is that everything he says is going to be evaluated in a post chocolate city environment," said Lee.
Eyewitness News talked to a few residents rebuilding in Gentilly, who said they didn’t appreciate race being so prevalent in the election.
“I think it’s separating and we don’t need that,” said Vaughn Barbarin, who was working on his gutted house with relatives and friends.
Barbarin said he didn’t vote for Nagin last time and said he wasn’t sure who would get his vote this time.
Gloria Barbarin said Nagin would get her vote, but she is not happy about his latest remarks.
“As a voter, I really don’t care about the people looking like me,” she said. “I will vote for Nagin and I hope he never makes another statement like that because it’s an insult.”
Damn, you owe me a keyboard after that...
Damn, you owe me a keyboard after that...
LMAO!!!
It's only racist if a white person is saying it about nonwhites....
LOL !
Let's see, he got voted into office by whites, moved his family to a white town when the going got rough, leaned on whites for donations to the most corrupt city since soddom and gomorra,then blamed whites for N'awlins ills,blamed Bush and white folks for an act of God (and his own stupidity and ineptitude afterward)and
concocts conspiracy theories about the levees being blown up by whitey! Whew, good luck gettin the white vote, JACKASS!
Guess we'll have to see how the 'ahem' multi-state "I ain't got no I.D." VOTING goes...
who is nagin?
"The challenge for Mayor Nagin is that everything he says is going to be evaluated in a post chocolate city environment," said Lee.
This is perhaps the most screwed-up statement I've ever heard from a political analyst.
ping
Because they looked at him AS A MAYOR, NOT A BLACK MAN!
"His white vote has deteriorated significantly..."
Ya think?!? LOL!
Heck, I'd imagine most Blacks are cringing when this fool opens his mouth. They want NOLA back and to live in peace with each other, and Nagin's turned it into a racially tainted issue which serves no one.
Best of luck to our NOLA FReepers. I hope you actually have elections and find a leader among the choices.
Simply put ... It is the only card they have.
While most everyone else in the world is dealt five cards in the game of life, the poor Naginites only get dealt one.
I'll see you, and raise you $1,000.
Race baiting is all Nagin has to offer.
This comment was from a black city council member was it not?
My bottom-line on this: Nagin is not deserving of any vote, but those who vote for him will get exactly what they deserve!
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