EXCLUSIVE -- Blanco is out in 2007.
It’s official….well kind of.Yesterday, I spoke with a top official from the Louisiana Democratic Party (who wished to remain anonymous). They confirmed for me that, indeed, the speculation is true. Although she will not announce it for quite some time……
Governor Kathleen Blanco will NOT be running for re-election in 2007!
Now, many could have guessed this. After all, many criticisms for failures post-Katrina were passed off on Governor Blanco. Fair or not fair, she took much of the heat.
Even though she is not running, does it really matter who the Democratic candidate is? Could they ever really win? After all, the Democratic Party has lost a lot of their voters in the evacuees from New Orleans. The numbers, no matter the candidate just may not be there.
So what Democrat will be brave enough to run?
This source mentioned that Lt.Gov. Mitch Landrieu was/is contemplating running for Mayor of New Orleans. However, Jimmy Fahrenholtz (a member of the Orleans Parish School Board) has also shown interest in running as the Democratic candidate. If he does, my source tells me, it is likely that Mitch Landrieu will run for Governor because Landrieu’s aunt (Phyllis Landrieu) is on the school board with Fahrenholtz and would likely want to support him. Additionally, the Democratic Party would not want two white males competing for the top spot, says my source. Very interesting!
posted by Jessie Tucker @ 12/01/2005
6 Comments:
WOW--you news-breaker you! Great job. Worth speculating on how this, if true, affects reconstruction: image and support from outside.
Why would democrats lose more of their votes than republicans? I think Bush's mistakes overshadow hers...
anonymous,
Democrats will lose more votes than Republicans (hypothetically) because the majority of those evacuated from the city of New Orleans were Democrats (African Americans typically are).
Blanco has just as much blame in this as anyone else. Compare how she responded to this crise to how Guilani (sp?) did in New York. No comparison. No sense in her running in 2008, because she wouldn't be elected anyway. The politicians at all levels from local government up to Bush let people down.
Mike,
Although I agree with you that Blanco would never get re-elected, it is still important to clarify that she will not be running.
Also, it should mentioned, in the latest reports from the state released documents it looking more and more like she did everything she claimed and we were let down on a federal level. (look for this in one of my up and coming blog post).
Who knows? Maybe the blame will shift back to Bush? It seems unlikely but stranger things have happened.
policybyblog,
Thanks! See this post as a response to your request for more speculation (http://thenewneworleans.blogspot.com/2005/12/blanco-follow-up.html).
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