Vitter’s gubernatorial fundraiser gives Dardenne heartburn
20th January 2015 · 0 Comments
By Christopher Tidmore
personal loan companies lawrenceville ga Contributing Writer
With just one year left in the administration of Bobby Jindal, one would have thought the big political news of the week would have been the $1.5 million raised by his chosen successor, PSC member Scott Angelle. Or, the confirmation that another one of his appointees, the warden of Angola, was seeking the governor’s post as well.
No, instead headlines highlighted the world’s most expensive Popeyes Fried Chicken dinner—or more particularly who was eating it.
A fundraising invite went out from U.S. Sen. David Vitter’s gubernatorial campaign last Monday inviting his supporters to a D.C. townhouse at $1,000 per head to see whether they like Popeyes’ spicy or mild.
What was being served was not the only point of intrigue that drew gasps. It was the fact that the invite stated in bold, “….with special guest, Senator Bill Cassidy.”
That the Baton Rouge native had declared his greenwich council emergency loans preference for Vitter over Red Stick standardbearer Lt Gov. Jay Dardenne sent shockwaves through the local political nethersphere. LApolitics’s Jeremy Alford noted, “It’s no big secret that Vitter, a Metairie attorney, was a serious force in Cassidy’s campaign last year, and that the junior senator very much owes his senior senator. From loaning a longtime staffer to run Cassidy’s campaign to helping recruit national influencers and forcing out competitors, Vitter’s payback is unlikely to end with a chicken dinner.”
“The real question is just how far Cassidy is willing to go to help Vitter, specifically in his hometown of Baton Rouge. Right now the race for governor is being played out on the back of an envelope—or a Popeyes napkin, if you will.”
Jay Dardenne has predicated his gubernatorial strategy on overwhelming returns in October from his home base in Baton Rouge. The lieutenant governor has strong roots in the capital city that cash loans onehunga fueled his successful bids for State Senator, Secretary of State, as well as his current job.
The moderately conservative Republican also easily could garner Democratic votes to defeat Vitter in a runoff, and thanks to unified backing in his Baton Rouge base, had seemed like the sole GOP contender able to beat out Democrat John Bel Edwards to get there.
The fact that Cassidy, who succeeded Dardenne in his State Senate seat and went on to represent the Baton Rouge metro in the U.S. House of Representatives, could break the lieutenant governor’s ubiquity of support in the capital region has turned the race for the executive mansion upside down—in a week when Dardenne should have basked in media accolades for an internationally hailed Bicentennial of the Battle of New Orleans success.
Instead of praise for drawing visitors and reporters from around the world at .01 percent of the cost to cash loan places in oshawa the state treasury of Maryland’s $40 million bicentennial, Dardenne spent the days found himself squashing rumors that he planned to drop out of the governor’s race and stand again for Lt. Governor; so powerful was the aftermath of Cassidy’s decision for Vitter.
Dardenne emphasized to The Louisiana Weekly that he is running for governor “no matter what.” Nevertheless, even if his plans remain unchanged, it is hard not to conclude that the Popeye’s debacle directly benefits, not only Vitter, but the two other principal gubernatorial contenders—Scott Angelle and John Bel Edwards.
The $1.5 million raised by the former St. Martin Parish President and Jindal Administration Natural Resources Secretary highlights his strength. Moreover, Angelle’s relatively recent switch to the GOP has done little to blunt his historic Democratic support in Acadiana, despite serving on the Public Service Commission as a Republican.
Still, regardless of how much money the PSC commissioner raises, Angelle does not enjoy terribly good statewide name recognition, unlike Dardenne or Vitter, so his only chance of breaking through to a runoff slot is dependent upon the base coalitions of one of frontrunners faltering. In other words, Cassidy’s choice helps Angelle’s narrow pathway into a runoff slot by breaking Dardenne’s lock on BR.
The newly elected Republican U.S. senator also inadvertently has aided the likely Democratic gubernatorial nominee massively. State Rep. John Bel Edwards removed any doubt about the seriousness of his bid over Christmas by buying billboards across the state highlighting his candidacy.
Even in an increasingly red state Louisiana, a Democrat can usually earn enough of the vote to make a November runoff no matter how strong the field of GOP contenders may appear. When that Democrat is a West Point grad with a sparkly résumé, whose face greets motorists electronic credit on their way to downtown New Orleans every day, he will be able to motivate the Left to cast a ballot in October, no matter what his chances might be in November.
Political pundits believe Dardenne needs a Republican from Jefferson Parish to run who already enjoys wide support from the local electorate, possesses the campaign funds already to be strong statewide contender, and maintains enough of a personal animus to stand against Vitter without risking any elected post he might already occupy.
That person could possibly be Sheriff Newell Normand. It is reported that like his mentor, the late Harry Lee, Norman is not a David Vitter fan. Even if all that is true, the Jefferson Parish sheriff is unlikely to give up his current job, which is on the ballot at the same time, in order to pursue such a quixotic bid.
This article originally published in the January 19, 2015 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
