Both a test and a Harbinger of the way things will go in November, Don Cazayoux, a state legislator, defeated Republican Woody Jenkins, a small-newspaper publisher, in the race for a house seat in a Baton Rouge district that was historically a safe red, conservative slot.
This is bad news for the Republicans and good and bad news for the Democrats.
The two parties saw the Louisiana race as an important test for the fall, given how safe the district has been for Republicans for more than three decades. Democrats viewed a potential victory as a measure of Republican vulnerability; Republicans saw it as an indication of how difficult it might be to defend more than two dozen open seats in play in November.
Mr. Cazayoux, a low-key member of the State House and a former prosecutor, fit the conservative model Democrats deployed successfully in the 2006 elections when they took seats from Republicans. He was close to Mr. Jenkins on social issues like abortion and guns; he spoke approvingly of Senator John McCain; he rarely if ever mentioned the Democratic presidential candidates; and he suggested he would buck his party if the district’s interests seemed to call for it.
Mr. Jenkins and the Republicans, on the other hand, sought to tie Mr. Cazayoux to his party’s national standard-bearers at every opportunity, especially Ms. Pelosi. Television advertisements paired Mr. Cazayoux with Mr. Obama, and called him a “liberal” — a description that fit uneasily with Mr. Cazayoux’s voting record in the State House of Representatives. He raised nearly twice as much money as his Republican rival, his fund-raising bolstered by Congressional Democrats eager to take the seat.
For two decades, Mr. Jenkins has been one of the state’s best-known — and most polarizing — political figures. He led an effort in the Louisiana Legislature 18 years ago to enact the nation’s toughest anti-abortion laws, which tore the state’s politics apart. He was the Legislature’s most outspoken across-the-board opponent of taxes and government spending.
It's clear why this is bad news for the Republicans. The Dems have come up with a way to beat republicans. The bad news is the Dems are doing it by recruiting republican-lite candidates who wil almost certainly become bluedog democrats-- the kinds who buck the party's attempts to stop the war or impeach. These are fearful democrats who are not team players, who oppose women's rights to control their bodies. It's easy to imagine them becoming Zell Miller or Joe Lieberman types.
Still, it's better than having a raw meat eating right wing extremist like Woody Jenkins. And it's great to see that the message and policies Jenkins espoused and the attack ads supported were rejected by the people of the district.
The good news is that it seems that people don't want the failed right wing conservative values that Jenkins and his party espoused. That's good for America, good for the world.
But we have to consider a lot of what's happening now to be a step in the right direction. We're far from there yet. We're going to need to put a lot of pressure on legislators like Cazayoux to move further left. Either that or make a major change in our approach to supporting incumbent Democrats-- sort of like what happened with Donna Edwards-- throwing out the ones who don't act enough like Democrats.
Rob Kall is executive editor and publisher of OpEdNews.com, President of Futurehealth, Inc, inventor . He is a frequent Speaker on Politics, Impeachment, The art, science and power of story, heroes and the hero's journey, Positive Psychology, Stress, Biofeedback and a wide range of subjects. He is a campaign consultant specializing in tapping the power of stories for issue positioning, stump speeches and debates. He recently retired as organizer of several conferences, including StoryCon, the Summit Meeting on the Art, Science and Application of Story and The Winter Brain Meeting on neurofeedback, biofeedback, Optimal Functioning and Positive Psychology. See more of his articles here and, older ones, here.
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A few declarations.
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Ashley Casey, a Repub-turned independent candidate took 4% of the vote in this race, the margin of defeat for Jenkins. This is the heart of the story, and a small piece of a picture that is emerging nationally at the local level. Watch the independents.
Nancy
by
The Hankster (3 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 3 comments)
on Sunday, May 4, 2008 at 9:42:00 AM
This happening more and more as Republicans move away from the broken Republican party. Even Bob Barr from Georgia a long time Republican is making noise about running as an independent for president.
by
Gallaher (2 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 470 comments)
on Sunday, May 4, 2008 at 9:17:40 PM
I've heard the same thing is happening in the north east and around the country. Frankly I'm very pleased to see it. It lends faith to my old beliefs that not every republican is a dyed in the wool neocon.
by
Michael Shaw (7 articles, 1 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 292 comments)
on Monday, May 5, 2008 at 10:28:36 AM
While in Washington back in 2003 I got to hear Bob Barr speak at an ACLU convention. He's a strong opponent of the unconstitutional aspects of the USA Patriot Act and profoundly anti-Bush. Makes one realize exactly how bad things are when a conservative-Clinton basher steps forth to criticize this current administration.
by
Michael Shaw (7 articles, 1 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 292 comments)
on Monday, May 5, 2008 at 8:41:43 PM
Here is the essence of politics in the American South: when the Republican Party moved toward freeing the slaves, the South became solid Democrat; when the Democrats pushed to give the former slaves their rights, the South became solid Republican. Everything else is commentary. But the commentary has suddenly become very important.
With Republicans unable to find light at the end of the Vietnam II tunnel, with the economy circling down the toilet bowl, with decades of do-nothing Republicans doing nothing except making the wealthy more so, the South is having doubts that God will get them out of this mess before the Chinese come marching into town via Wal-Mart. Hey, even Democrats might be better than being reduced to shin the shoes of the world.
I agree with Rob, a right-wing Democrat is better than a more right-wing Republican. And we need to understand regardless of the results of these elections, we will have to be in top fighting mode. There is no free lunch in America, well unless you are rich and Republican.
The results of this election will shape what our strategy is to end the war in Iraq and fix the economy and get health care and deal with a few other pressing social issues. Our strategy will depend on how many Democrats are in Congress, and who is in the White House. The more Democrats, the better. But we'll have to still battle hard.
by
Stewart Nusbaumer (10 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 17 comments)
on Sunday, May 4, 2008 at 10:04:51 AM
You're joking arent you? Do you actually believe that the democrats are any different than the republicans when it comes to helping the elite steal more from the people. If you do then you are ignoring a lot of reality. I guess this world is doomed because a lot of people can no longer distinguish reality from fantasy..
by
arlen custer (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 6 diaries, 191 comments)
on Sunday, May 4, 2008 at 3:13:17 PM
You've hit the nail on the head. It may as well be the Doempublican Party. This article even acknowledges as much, yet the sheeple are all excited about it. Big deal.
The 3rd parties are the only hope for change.
by
Darren Wolfe (2 articles, 62 quicklinks, 39 diaries, 365 comments)
on Sunday, May 4, 2008 at 4:08:39 PM
More blue dog Democraps. That's no help as you stated, for those of us who are sick and tired of the Repub centrist/Dem centrist/Indep Centrists --all of which want the "New century" to be a ONE party country. Then they can introduce the "Messiah", Reverend Sun Myung Moon as the great savior for America and the world. OMG, I am sick and tired of being sick and tired of the DLC Democraps. I know, I am a Democrat and I shouldn't call myself a Democrap like the republicons call me; however, I feel the Blue doggers betray the stance of the party and the Hillary groupees are those Centrists of Blue doggers and repub lites that are Ruining the STANCE, the mission, and the CHOICE factor from the Democrap Party. Therefore, I feel I have a right to call the democrats, democraps because they are crapping on the true intentions of the democratic party.
A middle finger moment to Howard Dean for going along with the bunch. We thought he was one of us. Well, we thunk wrong!
I was hoping we democraps could have at least a 68% majority in the House and Senate. However, if they are 30% blue doggers or Hillary centrists--repub lites, then what the hell good is it going to do?
I really can't look forward to the NON choice over my body. Rev Moon will LOVE and ADORE that rule, the way he treats women, nothing but "prostitutes" of America.
Beginning of the week, and I am already burned up mad! Thanks Rob for reporting the news even if the news does just piss me off. .....heh heh heh....... LOL.
by
shirley reese (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 198 comments)
on Sunday, May 4, 2008 at 10:13:29 AM
He got into power despite the DLC and he has to deal with a bunch of right wing, cowardly bluedogs. He has to work with the legislators he has and he's stood up to the spineless leaders and done a lot of good work, in spite of them. I want to see a lot more replications of what Donna Edwards accomplished.
by
Rob Kall (721 articles, 3749 quicklinks, 304 diaries, 1482 comments)
on Sunday, May 4, 2008 at 10:36:56 AM
"This is bad news for the Republicans and good and bad news for the Democrats."
As a Louisianan I fail to see what so great about this "Democrat" win. Now we have a Republicrat to continue ripping us off. Big Deal! I'm not celebrating.
by
Karl Moore (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 15 comments)
on Sunday, May 4, 2008 at 11:00:32 AM
the alternative, a rabid, extreme right winger would have been much worse. It is not helpful to dichotomize. There are gradations-- and a republicrat who most of the time votes with democrats is a hell of a lot better than a fully sphinctered Republican corpowhore.
by
Rob Kall (721 articles, 3749 quicklinks, 304 diaries, 1482 comments)
on Sunday, May 4, 2008 at 11:39:27 AM
I hate to say it, but any Democrat, even Lord Zell, counts towards control of the legislatures. Even Lieberman's presence in congress counts towards Democratic control of the committees and the agenda. Not that Pelosi and Reid are doing anything with the power...
by
GitarChris (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 105 comments)
on Sunday, May 4, 2008 at 12:38:18 PM
Eight years ago there were people who said Gore was no different from Bush -- remember that? Well, ask the more than 4 thousand dead Americans, and the tens of thousands of Iraqi dead, if there would have been a difference in Gore and Bush.
Too many on the Left, like on the Right, are saying my-way or it doesn't matter. Well, there are differences that fall short of my-way and sometimes these differences are important. I'll take a less than extreme Right-Winger to add to a Democratic majority because right now every Congressional vote is very important.
by
Stewart Nusbaumer (10 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 17 comments)
on Sunday, May 4, 2008 at 12:25:34 PM
By the way, I was one of those who eight years ago insisted Gore and Bush were not really different. So I voted for Nader. Last year I got real close to the difference, I spent four months in Iraq. There is no way that Gore would have taken us into Iraq, no way! But Bush won.
by
Stewart Nusbaumer (10 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 17 comments)
on Sunday, May 4, 2008 at 12:32:50 PM
The problem it seems for the democrats stems in the paradoxical ideology that a liberal cannot win in the deep south. Thus the push in a more conservative direction. It was in 1960 wasn't it when the south first took an adverse swing to the right? First the election of a Catholic president, then the actions of that president to desegregate the south. I would even dare say a lot of that trend in going red had to do with big corporations in the north moving south for cheaper labor in the 70's, replacing northern jobs with southern jobs. But now those jobs have gone overseas.
In a state like Louisiana, which has a large black population and plenty of poor whites, you would think the chances of a progressive getting elected there and in other such states would be good wouldn't you? But as we both know Jim Crow is still alive along with other dastardly methods in discouraging or stopping people from voting and no one seems to be able or willing to do anything about it. Certainly not the Supreme Court since like a large portion of the democratic party, they too have been hijacked by the neocons.
It seems to me, because of white racist attitudes brought on first by the civil war and Lincoln and then the liberal Kennedy pushing the southern states subsequently to the right as a result, the DNC decided to play the game of "if you can't beat them join them! It might have won them some seats, but it certainly hasn't won them any results, at least not in the eyes of their essentially liberal base. That's where we are with the bluedogs.
As you point out, that is why impeachment is off the table and also why we can't seem to hold the telecoms accountable concerning illegal domestic spying. It's why we can't stop funding this war and put an end to it once and for all. It's why we can't overturn the unconstitutional aspects of the US Patriot Act or why we can't turn the FCC and make them bring back the restrictions that made the airwaves freer and protected independent broadcasters, instead of putting them vulnerably on the auction block. It's why we will never have a univesal health care plan or a fair tax structure. It is why unfettered financial institutions who outsource our jobs and wellbeing seem unstopable and why we are forced to swallow NAFTA and CAFTA and remain vulnerably at the mercy of disaster capitalism.
It is my view that as democrats, above and beyond anything else, we have to be true to ourselves. Until we have enough liberals/progressives in office, we'll never be able to correct the many wrongs that now stand before us. Even with an overwhelming majority in both houses and a democrat president, as long as the bluedogs maintain a strong percentage of the democrat electorate, the republicans will continue to dictate or maintain policy, even long after George Bush is gone. This more than anything else is what makes both party's look like one and the same, even though there are many significant differences. People expect(and need) results and when results are non existent, these significant differences begin to wane. We need a real and functioning national healthcare plan that covers all Americans and we need to protect our jobs and level the economic playing field. We need to address these issues by making them real. Once we do, all of this game playing to gain seats will become naught since the poor and working classes, the bulk of our population will be voting in droves for democrats again and again just as they did for FDR.
Winning elections is fine and dandy but if we cannot act for the bulk of our constituents, where will that leave us?
We are in a dilemma, there is no doubt about it. So what can we do? That is the big question. Yes we can put pressure on some of these bluedogs but if you're a Feinstein it doesn't matter since no one ever runs against you anyway. Yes we have Sheehan running against Pelosi but hate her or not, Pelosi is not a bluedog democrat as is Feinstein and her buddy Leiberman. Her speech and actions that have taken impeachment off the table is the same overall strategy to winning election seats over substance that has given us so many bluedogs in the first place. We are cutting our own throats!
Our current mission is important. We must take the White House and hold an overall majority in both houses. But we must also force our good representatives to pressure the bluedogs into toeing the line and we need them to forceably draw and enforce that line. We should be punishing bluedogs by withholding campaign finance to them and supporting candidates like Dennis Kucinich who has proved a liberal can win in a relatively conservative setting and remain there in spite of such an adversarial environment. That is where I believe the pressure should really go. Either vote with the liberal majority or no campaign finance from the party. The only other option is to encourage the democratic voters in bluedog districts to vote for more moderate candidates, candidates brought forth and supported by the members of the party who really do support the overall best interests of our base.
by
Michael Shaw (7 articles, 1 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 292 comments)
on Sunday, May 4, 2008 at 1:27:56 PM
You're all delusional so I don't want to hear all of you crying when we have had a democratic president for a while and nothing has changed except to get worse.
by
arlen custer (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 6 diaries, 191 comments)
on Sunday, May 4, 2008 at 3:21:24 PM
Well Michael I believe you are delusional because you think there is a substantive difference between democrats and republicans. You and just about everyone else on OEN complain about all the terrible things dubya has done. While I agree I also understand that he could not have done any of it without assistance from the democrats. Being president in America is NOT an all powerful postion. He can do nothing without consent from both houses. And it is just exactly that simple. Dubya can have all the signing orders he wants, but they mean nothing unless the house and senate allow it and back it up. I believe your not a fool so you should know all this. The democrats may throw a bone to the public from time to time, but they are always trivial at best and are gutted to meaningless in the next session. When it comes to helping the elite masters consolidate their control, there is absolutely no difference. I could go into great depth on all the ways the democrats have helped make this mess, but it would take a novel. If at any point even a small minority of democrats would have wanted to stop any of it, they could have. Things are stopped all the time by small groups in the house and senate. That is how the system is set up. As to what should be done about it. Everyone needs to stop believing the BS that a third party cant win, and vote for Nader. As long as the masses believe they have no power, they don't.
by
arlen custer (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 6 diaries, 191 comments)
on Tuesday, May 6, 2008 at 11:50:01 AM
Congress has an approval rating of 22%, even less than Bush. So what happened when Pelosi and Reid would not stand up to Bush on getting out of Iraq? How many of our soldiers have died since the Democrats won a majority in 2006. As long as the old guard has control of the Democrats, the Kennedy crowd who are pushing Obama for the presidency, even if it means that the Republicans will win the Presidency and McCain will appoint the next Supreme Court Judges, as long as they stay in control, it makes not difference to them. If the Rezko shoe falls after Obama is nominated, and I am sure all the dirt Rove has collected will start dripping, dripping, dripping, it could finiish Obama off, but the "elders" would still be in control of the party.
by
TheSeeker (6 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 28 comments)
on Sunday, May 4, 2008 at 6:56:51 PM
The obvious independent strategy is to throw all the bums out by trick or by crook even if it can come by running Republican-types who can syphon of votes. If the Republicans get so smashed they don't know which way is coming in three years a new set of parties could force their way in.
It won' happen over night.
Do the same in 2010, by 2012 the system will be turned into a maleable structure to rewrite the voting rules and practice.
Muck up the tradition!
by
ALONE (112 articles, 1 quicklinks, 4 diaries, 242 comments)
on Monday, May 5, 2008 at 3:24:58 PM
for me it's more like a prayer than enthusiasm. God please help us rid ourselves of the neocons!
As long as the democrats pander to the right it will only get worse. I mean here we are catering to a few right wing bluedogs to simply gain a few seats. Do the republicans ever pander for the left? Not unless we consider being locked out of congressional sessions on crucial legislation as pandering.
by
Michael Shaw (7 articles, 1 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 292 comments)
on Monday, May 5, 2008 at 8:35:39 PM
