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In fact, New Orleans always votes heavily democratic. That is reality. Trying to use that as an excuse for Terrlel's

Ah, but I do not seek it as an excuse. Read the history of this discussion. You will find that mac_truck has been arguing that the non-black voters outside of Orleans parish voted in a majority for Mary Landrieu and that is simply not so. While it is true that the majority in the rest of the state was too slim to overcome New Orleans' solid Democrat majority, it is not deniable that the majority elsewhere in the state, although slim, favored Terrell.

You will find that mac_truck has been arguing that the non-black voters outside of Orleans parish voted in a majority for Mary Landrieu and that is simply not so.

No. You will find me arguing that Dixie let the GOP down by failing to win the state DESPITE New Orleans. Everyone (except you) knew which way N.O. parish would go.

The issue that saved Landrieu was Sugar, and the conservative white votes that went with it. Apparently proving that confederates don't mind a protective tariff as long as they get the protection.

"the majority outside New Orleans favored Terrell"

You are quite right. My only point is that Terrell, who was supposedly more moderate and electable than the conservative Woody Jenkins actually did significantly worse in the rest of the state, although she did slightly better in Orleans Parish. Some of this was due to Landrieu's so-called "sugar issue" in which socially conservative, normally Republican voters in Acadiana abandoned their moral beliefs to support a protectionist position.

The other nail in Terrell's coffin was John Cooksey's refusal to back her, which cost her dearly in the normally Republican 5th District. Republican turnout in this district was further depressed because of bitter feelings in the 5th District Congressional primary.

Many factors combined to doom Terrell. But they had one thing in common. They resulted in a much smaller plurality for Terrell among white, normally Republican voters, ie-Landrieu got a larger share of normally Republican voters in 2002 than she did in 1996. This would have had to be true because her plurality in Orleans Parish was 20,000 votes less in 2002 than it had been in 1996. If Terrell had gotten the same share of white, normally Republican voters in 2002 that Jenkins got in 1996, she would have won. Unfortunately, much as we might like to blame Orleans Parish for Landrieu's win, it was a failure of turnout on the part of the Republicans.