Dems outmaneouvered GOP in Louisiana

The WPost takes a look at the LA Senate race: GOP outmaneouvered in La. Runoff. According to this story, Landrieu's victory was a result of:

• John Breaux, whose tireless campaigning on behalf of Landrieu offset the "Bush Factor".

• Focus on local issues, like sugar.

  The sugar ad was critical in reassembling the Democratic coalition in Louisiana of working-class whites, especially farmers, and urban blacks, about 90 percent of whom are believed to support Landrieu. And it played on the populist traditions of a poor, small state whose more indigent residents have traditionally seen Washington and big business as hostile forces.

• The GOP's reliance on a flood of negative ads, which appeared to galvanize black voters.

So Landrieu swung left, emphasized economic issues, hammered Bush for policies that hurt Louisiana's poor, and got her base to turn out.

And for everyone who bashed Landrieu for being a DINO, she appears to have taken Bush's efforts against her personally:

People in Louisiana have maybe had it harder than most. They can recognize injustice. Because we are a poor state, people really do depend on the government. They are very disappointed at what they are seeing coming out of the White House, and they just expressed that anger.

It looks like we'll be seeing a more aggressive Landrieu from here on out. Good, the Senate could use more strong voices on behalf of the poor. And given Bush's efforts against those Democrats that most supported him, I don't think anyone will be too charitable towards the president over the next two years.

Posted December 09, 2002 11:14 AM | Comments (43)