The race for the United States Senate in
Louisiana
certainly seems like a boxing match.Republican
challenger Suzie Terrell and Democrat incumbent Mary Landrieu have repeatedly
sparred over key issues, differing personalities, questionable statements and
the thorny question of religion.In
fact it got so bad that after one debate the candidates would not shake hands
with each other and after another debate Landrieu told Terrell that it would be
her last campaign, a statement that Terrell took to be a threat.
This campaign has been unusual in many respects. For one,
Louisiana
is having a first ever December U.S. Senate run-off election. The state has a
very unique open primary election process in which all candidates, regardless of
party affiliation, run in the same “jungle” primary and the top two
candidates run against each other in the general election.In the primary election, Louisiana Republicans magnificently employed a
multiple candidate strategy to force Landrieu into a run-off.Terrell emerged as the sole opponent because she was the most aggressive
in attacking Landrieu and because she was able to raise more Republican money,
mostly from the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Yet, after the run-off
was set it became apparent that both candidates were having trouble securing
their bases.Suzie Terrell had a
very difficult time convincing Republican Governor Mike Foster to support her.He finally did come on board, but has been mostly a non-entity in her
campaign.Her Republican opponents,
State Representative Tony Perkins and Congressman John Cooksey half-heartedly
endorsed her and have not been active in her campaign either.On Landrieu’s side, her base vote was in jeopardy because three
prominent African-American State Senators were not on board and were openly
critical of her job performance.Since
that time, the most important of the three, State Senator Cleo Fields, endorsed
Landrieu.Landrieu has also picked
up support from the Reverend Jesse Jackson and will be counting on a strong
African-American voter turnout to win.
In the last days of this incredible race, the two candidates seem to be in a
dead heat.The latest poll, released
by Mason-Dixon Polling and Research of Washington D.C., showed Landrieu ahead of
Terrell 47-44%.Other polls showed
Terrell ahead by a few percentage points.Regardless,
it is close and both camps are working feverishly to maximize turnout in the
last push for votes.Republicans are
receiving get-out-the-vote (GOTV) telephone calls from Vice President Dick
Cheney and African-American Democrats are receiving GOTV calls from former
President Bill Clinton.
Terrell will be employing the non-stop, non-sleep campaign finale used by Bob
Dole and Al Gore in their respective 1996 and 2000 presidential bids.Of course, she is hoping for better results.Terrell is strongly emphasizing her ringing endorsement from President
Bush.His Tuesday campaign visit to
Shreveport
and
New Orleans
has been huge for Terrell fund raising, motivating the GOP faithful and the
campaign’s final television advertising blitz.Almost immediately, commercials with Bush’s forceful pitch for Terrell
were all over
Louisiana
. Terrell has substantial coattails to ride, the very popular President of the
United States
and she is trying to ride them into office.In addition, a Republican Party all-star cast has visited the state:President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Majority Leader Trent Lott, and
Congressman J.C. Watts to name a few.It
is indicative of just how important the Republican Party views this race.
In contrast, Landrieu has asked the national Democratic leaders to stay away
from
Louisiana
.Therefore, no Bill Clinton, Tom
Daschle, Dick Gephardt or John Kerry has been in the state.Mary Landrieu is trying to employ a “local vs. national” strategy
saying she will place
Louisiana
first and Terrell will be a rubber stamp for President Bush.Last night, Landrieu presented an impressive array of local elected
officials on stage with her in a final victory rally at Municipal Auditorium in
New Orleans
.Landrieu has been blasting the
Terrell campaign and the Bush administration for a supposedly secret deal to
import Mexican sugar, thereby harming the 27,000
Louisiana
sugar cane farmers.Landrieu states
that the Mexican media has reported on a deal that would involve the
U.S.
importing 1 billion pounds of Mexican sugar.The White House and Terrell deny that any such deal has been made, yet
Landrieu continues to hammer Terrell on that issue, claiming that the Republican
candidate should have pressed the President on behalf of
Louisiana
’s struggling sugar industry.Other
Landrieu attacks about Terrell’s stewardship of the Elections Commission
office seem to have faded in these final days and the main Landrieu focus is on
the “secret sugar deal.”
The weather will be chilly on Saturday which will depress turnout slightly.Christmas shopping and hunting season will be a distraction for the
thousands of voters in the state.Finally,
the negative tone of the race may keep some undecided voters from the polls on
Saturday.Nevertheless, experts
still predict a turnout of between 40-45% on Saturday.
No Republican has represented the State of
Louisiana
since Reconstruction.Suzie Terrell
could very well make history on Saturday.She
clearly had the momentum earlier in the week with President Bush in town.Because of the fund raising boost from Bush and national Republicans, as
well as spending by conservative special interest groups, Terrell also has the
“cash on hand” advantage in these crucial final hours. Landrieu is trying to
wrestle the momentum from her with the “Mexican Sugar” attack.Will this last minute attack be enough for her to retain her seat in the
United States Senate?We will all
know in a few short hours.
