“SUGAR” MARY VS
SUZIE “THE GREAT WHITE HOUSE HOPE”
By Jeff Crouere
[email protected]
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.
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