All Eyes on Dixie?

I may be in error here but from a distance it seems that outside of there's not much reporting on this month's governors' races, and with three statehouses up for grabs I'm surprised at the lack of coverage. I suppose the networks exhausted their gubernatorial election coverage funds last month? Do they anticipate the results may be not-to-their-liking, or not Nielson-worthy, and thus worthy of ignoring? Or is it just that flyover country, especially south of the Mason Dixon, just doesn't matter?

Just kidding. Lacking big star power, the state campaigns just aren't all that sexy, are they? So until The Rock (eminently qualified as both a wrestler and a movie star) runs for Governor of your state we'll just have to settle for the mundane.

Take ho-hum Louisiana, for instance, where on the heels of Georgia Senator Zel Miller's endorsement of President Bush comes another endorsement of a Republican candidate by a prominent Democrat. As a former resident of the Pelican State I find this an interesting story:

Jumping party lines, Nagin backs Jindal

In a bold and potentially risky move, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin crossed party lines Monday to endorse Republican Bobby Jindal, who is locked in a tight governor's race with Lt. Gov. Kathleen Blanco, the Democratic standard bearer in the Nov. 15 runoff.

Nagin's announcement marks a historic break with tradition for African-American leaders of the state's largest city and a major advance in Jindal's efforts to reach beyond his conservative base. Democratic candidates for governor in the past have regarded as automatic the backing of the mayor of New Orleans, where nearly seven of 10 voters are registered Democrats. With that history in mind, Nagin, a lifelong Democrat, called his decision "an extremely tough choice" that came only after soul-searching and extensive research.

"We're at a time in our history right now where we can move our state forward as never seen before or we can continue to languish in mediocrity and complacency," Nagin said, flanked by Jindal and his supporters who gathered outside a park across from the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. "I choose to move forward and help write this history, not just be part of it."

<...>

Nagin praised Jindal as an issues-oriented "problem-solver," borrowing language from Jindal's campaign ads.

"Quite frankly, whenever I presented Bobby Jindal with a challenge or a question he replied with optimistic opportunity, not pessimistic posturing," Nagin said, a pointed reference to Blanco's responses. He offered only faint praise for the Democratic candidate, calling her "a very nice lady" who has a "pretty good record of doing things" as lieutenant governor.

But he said it was Jindal's specific plans for economic development, health care and education that sold him. "Bobby and I just got to a little . . . you know, deeper level of detail and specificity," Nagin said.

In recent days, Nagin said he faced considerable pressure from the state Democratic power structure to go with Blanco, citing U.S. Sens. John Breaux and Mary Landrieu in particular.

Without naming names, Nagin said Blanco supporters attached words like "risk" and "consequences" and "repercussions" to the prospect of his backing Jindal.

"They talked about this not being in the best interests of the city of New Orleans and that they would let people know that," Nagin said.

Using what he described as the "hip hop vernacular" favored by his teenage sons, Nagin hinted that Blanco's backers issued threats, indicating that "if we get in we're going to basically ice you out."

Read it all, as we say. (You'll need to provide a fake name and birthday, but who cares?)

A couple things to note regarding Louisiana Politics. One: There's New Orleans and then there's the rest of the state. Although I'm sure all will deny the validity of the comparison a similar situation exists in New York and Chicago. A predictable love-hate synergy results.

And two: no political discussion can be held without race being a major part of said discussion. You'll see a matter-of-fact sort of treatment of the issue in any Louisiana paper, while reporting from national news outlets usually tend to ignore, encode, or downplay it. I was surprised watching Shreveport television coverage from each party's local campaign headquarters in 2000; not a single white face in the Democratic headquarters and not a single black face in the crowd at Republican HQ. I'm sure there are such people, but none were evident in the very large crowds shown then. I am not exaggerating for emphasis, there were no, none, zip, zero, "crossovers".

Jindal, you may know, is the son of Indian (from India) immigrants. His rather "swarthy complexion" defies recent southern Republican stereotypes, and must be giving some Democratic strategists fits. I'd expect these same folks must be apoplectic at the endorsement by Nagin. Still, one could argue that the mayor is merely politikin', (as in covering all his bases) since he can be fairly well assured his town will be well treated by a Democratic Governor once they've "mended fences" (though "ice out" may take some time to get over) should his candidate not win.

The mayor's endorsement is not a "jumping on the bandwagon" maneuver either. If polls are to be believed, the race is neck and neck. (Perhaps in the same sense as the California governor's race?) Which means interesting days to come on the bayou.

OBTW, Kentucky and Mississippi are electing Governors too.

Meanwhile, in Florida:

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Sen. Bob Graham said Monday he will not seek re-election to a fourth term in the U.S. Senate.

"I will not be a candidate for election to a fourth term," Graham announced as he stood in front of a group of students from Lincoln High School in Tallahassee. The senator, who ended his bid for the Democratic nomination for president last month, was at the school for a "work day," in which he was working with construction workers on a new school roof and athletic track.

Did you catch it? Lincoln High School. A subtle endorsement of the Republicans if ever I heard one.

But seriously folks... I've lived in the southern US more then anywhere else over the past 20 years, and I will guarantee you the old stereotypes are fading fast, including the stereotype of the south being a Democratic stronghold. Plenty of folks wouldn't be caught dead registering as Republicans, but what they do in the voting booth is their business. Howard Dean may not know that though, if he thinks he can garner votes from all them rebel flag wavin', pickup drivin', beer drinkin' Lynyrd Skynyrd lovin', World Wrestlin' watchin' NASCAR fans.

Yeeeehaw!

I was considering providing some more serious commentary about all this but then found this guy and his commenters who pretty much said it all anyway.

Enjoy.