GOP pours it on in LA( White House-Unless Terrell Screws up/or $$ runs out-Mary will likely lose)

usnews ^ | 12/03/2004 | Staff

[KQQL]

While the polls are mixed on the chances Republican challenger Suzie Terrell has of defeating Louisiana Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu in Saturday's runoff, the White House tells Whispers that victory is theirs if the candidate doesn't screw up and if there's enough money for last-minute advertising.

Which is why the GOP is sending out an all-points-bulletin to regular donors that begs for hurried contributions. "While I hate to ask," says a letter from Virginia Republican Sen. George Allen, "can I count on you again?"

The runoff has forced Allen into action early as the incoming chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the group that raises cash to elect GOP candidates. But he's eager to do it, say allies, because polling already underway for the 2004 elections indicates that with enough money and the sustained popularity of President Bush, the GOP lead in the Senate could grow to eight.

"Opportunities like this," he says in his fundraising letter, "are few and far between–and we must act now."

[KQQL]

11/24-11/27 Terrell 43% v Laudrieu 44% UNO Poll MOE 3.7%
( UNO Poll reflects Black turnout at 29% )
11/20-11/23 Terrell 51% v Laudrieu ??% Ed Renwick Poll #2 MOE 4%
( Ed Renwick Poll #1 reflects Black turnout at 25% )
11/20-11/23 Terrell 31% v Laudrieu 45% Ed Renwick Poll #1 MOE 4%
(Ed Renwick Poll #2 reflects racial demographics of registered voters)
11/20-11/21 Terrell 46% v Laudrieu 42% Marketing Research(R)* MOE 3.5%
( Marketing Research reflects Black turnout at 23% )
11/19-11/21 Terrell 34% v Laudrieu 50% Southern Media & Opinion MOE 4%
( Southern Media & Opinion Poll reflects Black turnout at 28% )
11/20-11/20 Terrell 46% v Landrieu 42% Fabrizio McLaughlin(R)* MOE 4.2%
11/10-11/12 Terrell 48% v Landrieu 40% WRS/SBA-List(R)* MOE 4.4%
11/06-11/09 Terrell 36% v Laudrieu 51% Southeast LA University MOE 4.2%

* - 4% for party polls Also..New MAson_dixon poll will be out on 12/4-5

[KQQL]

Looks like the GOP is already polling for 2004..

[KQQL]

@

[randita]

11/24-11/27 Terrell 43% v Laudrieu 44% UNO Poll MOE 3.7% ( UNO Poll reflects Black turnout at 29% )

I believe this poll is of "registered voters", not likely voters, which spells even more trouble for Landrieu.

[goldstategop]

We have it on good authority from Rush Here's Mary will be looking for another job beginning Sunday.

[Mamzelle]

What fun--what a great game to watch next weekend!!

[cajungirl]

Please don't get overconfident. I am hearing more and more of those commercials for both of them and while I hate to say it, Suzy's are offensive,,she comes across as mean and others are saying the same thing. I think they have overdone it, both of them, there is an endless stream of anti Mary commercials that are too much. And we got a card in the mail for Suzy that was so negative,,had a pic of Mary sort of sneering with Hillary and Bill,,it was a paste up job and it was just plain horrid. Even hubby a repub said he didn't want to vote for Suzy. I think they underestimated the effect of the constant cat fighting. Now don't flame the messenger here,,just saying what I am seeing.

[Brices Crossroads]

I respectfully disagree with you. I think one of the flaws in Woody Jenkins' campaign in 1996 was his unwillingness to be tough on Mary Landrieu's record. Most people don't know of her support for abortion on demand and federal funding of abortion and the morning after pill. Political junkies know about it and we may get tired of hearing about it. But the average citizen is very poorly informed and Landrieu's dissembling about her positions on every issue, especially right to life, have got to be set straight. These are not personal attacks. They don't try to smear her as crooked, as Landrieu is trying to do to Suzie Terrell with that ridiculous voting machine ad.

Don't fall for the liberal/media propaganda that every time a conservative highlights the record of the liberal, it is negative. Terrell is running an issue oriented campaign based on Landrieu's votes and record. What is negative about that?

[Redbob]

"But the average citizen is very poorly informed..."

Really?
In Louisiana?
How can that be, when they've got the Times-Picayune?
</sarcasm>

[Liz]

If the race boils down to a 1-2 point difference, the "Bush Bounce" will lend 2-3 points to a candidate as they found in all of the 2002 races in which Bush campaigned.

Terrell needs to emphasize any Clinton campaigning - supposedly he taped a phone message - b/c this will energize Terrell's base to get to the polls on election day come hell or high water.

[1Old Pro]

I never liked Mary Landrieu because she is corrupt to the core. Losing will be just dessert for her and sweet voctory for W. and the GOP.

[cajungirl]

I really hope you are right but am worried. The card I described was captioned something like do we want hillary's and Bill's values and illustrated by an unattractive pic of Mary and pics of hill and bill looking particularly venal. It seemed unnecessarily crude to me. I think it is the sheer volume of ads on tv, constantly, all the time that is irritating. I hope you are right, believe me, but often I am like a weathervane in that I can feel what the populace is feeling even if unpleasant. I could sense before the last election that the pubs would sweep. And this one has me worried, still.

[gbunch]

I share Brices' respectful disagreement with you about Suzie's ads. I have been EXTREMELY impressed with all that I have seen, including printed, TV, and radio. They have not been overly negative, and in fact have been right on target. Terrell is accentuating her own issues, while having the guts to speak the truth about her ultra-liberal opponent, the truth that some are too afraid or too politically correct to speak.

Landrieu's ads contain outright lies, including the one stating that as elections commissioner Terrell accepted a bid on voting machines that was $1 million higher than the next lowest bid. When grilled about this ad during Monday's debate, Landrieu admitted that the difference was only $300K, that she knew it was wrong, and that she let it continue. (Note: Terrell explained that those machines were far better than the cheaper ones, would better serve the people of Louisiana, and were well worth the price difference. When asked about her own supposedly false ad stating that Landrieu voted for higher taxes 120 times, Terrell stood by the accuracy of her ad, and said she'd provide the details on those votes to prove it!)

I think Terrell and the Republicans are running a superb campaign, and I sense that the momentum is with her. I hope and pray that it will be Senator-elect Terrell come Saturday!

I went to the trouble of scanning some of her very well-done printed materials to share. To see them, click here.

Note: The page is graphics-intensive, and totals about 450K.

GO SUZIE!!!

[Republican Wildcat]

Thanks for those scans. They look like very effective brochures.

[cajungirl]

Again, I hope you are right and I am just having fits of snippiness due to the Christmas rush on snippiness!! I am trying not to get overconfident,,it seems we get disappointed alot at times and this race is just the one I want to go our way!!