The coverage of L'Affaire Vitter is just beginning to have its discursive effects: the Republican Party is splintered, and Walter Boasso is experiencing the first phase of what will be an unstoppable surge. According to an Anzalone-Liszt poll cited by Steven Sabludowsky of The Bayou Buzz,
"Boasso has more than tripled his current vote since May, moving from 6% to 21% with just four weeks of a moderate television buy. Currently Jindal leads with 52%, followed by Boasso (21%), Campbell (6%) and Georges (1%). One-in-five voters are still undecided (21%).
Not only has Boasso moved up 15 points, the undecided vote has increased by 7 points, from 14% to 21%. The Boasso television has softened Jindal and Campbell's support and moved some of their votes to the undecided column. (Campbell's support is down to 6%, from 9% in May)."
Walter Boasso educates the voters; Walter Boasso's numbers grow. And I imagine they will continue to grow once voters realize "Bobby" Jindal's misleading message of ethics and change has no real empirical basis. That Foster Campbell and John Georges are yet to air television commercials should be kept in mind. In other words, Jindal will find himself in what will be a bitter but entertaining runoff.
I am actually quite fond of this one minute, introductory commercial: Boasso covers the issues; he announces his party affiliation; the commercial is playful but substantive; Boasso outlines a biography of success, Louisiana style; and it is organized and coherent. What do all of you think? What are your impressions of Walter Boasso?
First posted at Daily Kingfish, a Louisiana political blog started by two SSP members from Louisiana.
This election cycle could not be more frustrating and confusing, and I hope I am the only one who is already exhausted. But at least our state Party has not stacked the deck in favor of one candidate who has a vague campaign message full of platitudes with no solutions and no unifying theme, unless an identity suspended in quotation marks, "Bobby," constitutes a theme. To me it appears to be a floating signifier, a mere vocalization that refers to no mental concepts and to no objects that exist in the tangible world. Republican bloggers must be really bored with the rehashed and revisited rhetoric of 2003 with all the same tropes of Democratic corruption and all the same idle crowing about the wonderful ideas ready to spring from the intelligent mind of "Bobby," as if he were a modern day Zeus. How many times can a blogger type, "It is not who you know; it is what you know?" How many times can one beg readers "not to vote for ideology but for competence?" How many times does one have to avoid discussing the legislative record of someone who mindlessly voted for the national GOP's disastrous policies 97% of the time? How many times can one use the same sheet of toilet paper?
Crossposted at Daily Kingfish, a Louisiana politics blog by and for Louisiana Democrats
Even though the full results have been made available to the media, the Louisiana GOP refuses to read and to acknowledge a Verne Kennedy poll commissioned by John Georges, Republican candidate for Governor from Metairie. The poll of 600 Louisianans conducted 29 March through 3 April yielded some interesting results. According to the Shreveport Times,
When the poll concentrated only on Jindal, Breaux and Georges, the responses to the question about which candidate the respondent would chose if the election were today were 39 percent for Jindal, 30 percent for Breaux and 14 percent for Georges, with 17 percent uncertain.
Here is some interesting news from the Cook Political Report:
February 16, 2007
Breaking News: Former Democratic Sen. John Breaux is seriously considering a bid for Governor of Louisiana. John Maginnis, editor of the highly regarded Louisiana Political Fax Weekly, initially reported the news this morning, and the Cook Political Report has independently verified that it is true. Apparently Democratic Gov. Kathleen Blanco has privately indicated a willingness to step aside if Breaux, or possibly another Democrat, such as Rep. Charlie Melancon, would run instead.
None of this is a done deal, but Breaux is serious, and his candidacy would change the face of the race for Democrats.
