I'd like everyone to Congratulate Louisiana Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu on winning the New Orleans Mayoral race by a landslide! After 4 years of remorse on the part of the voters who helped send Ray Nagin back into office, mostly due to racial issues, Landrieu won easily this time around with a strong coalition of voters that included massive crossover support from black voters.
http://www.nola.com/...
For those who don't know Louisiana they start complaining about thoughts of political nepotism, talking about how much they hate the Landrieu's, mainly due to his sister Senator Mary Landrieu, dispel all such silly notions out of your head. They are each their own dog, Mitch is not his sister's puppet, and neither is she his. They have independently successful political careers.
The Landrieu's have always worked hard to get where they got, not expecting anything from the voters. They are not the Kennedy's. They've worked their way up the ladder time and again. Mary spent two terms in the State House, and then two terms as State Treasurer before becoming a U.S. Senator in 1996. Mitch spent 16 years in the State House, before being elected Lieutenant Governor twice. This isn't a case where, like Carolyn Kennedy, he just woke up one day and decided to run for a major political position.
Almost everyone over here in the Louisiana, (well technically I'm at college elsewhere, but at heart I'm in Louisiana), is ecstatic about this victory. It means Ray Nagin, the man primarily responsible, more than anyone else was, for mismanaging the evacuation in the lead up to Katrina is finally gone. This white business candidate, funded by the business establishment, and this former Republican, (he switched about one week before running for Mayor in 2002), is finally out of New Orleans. The voters made the right choice not to elect another candidate of the business establishment, multi-millionaire John Georges, also a former Republican, or another candidate waging a racially divisive campaign, Troy Henry.
There is no one better to finish the job of rebuilding and reestablishing the city of New Orleans. Mitch Landrieu is a progressive Democrat, committed to a proactive policy in helping New Orleans put Katrina firmly behind it. Here is a link to one of his major initiatives, http://www.mitchformayor.com/... and please feel free to browse his other plans while on the site.
Here is a section of the New Orleans Times-Picayune's Endorsement:
First as a state legislator and now as lieutenant governor, Mr. Landrieu has demonstrated an ability to get things done. He understands the inner workings of government, and he has the political skills essential to effective governing.
He is a seasoned politician who has honed his craft on both a local and state level. He understands the give-and-take necessary in the political arena. He understands how to work with the City Council, the Congress and the Obama administration. He knows that it is important to enter a state legislative session with a well-honed city agenda that reflects a thorough public conversation about priorities. This is expertise New Orleans must have and that has been lacking under the current administration.
Mr. Landrieu understands the need to build bridges. And he has the ability to reach across the racial and economic divide in New Orleans and speak credibly to all sides in a majority-black city where there is considerable wariness at the prospect of a white mayor. That is important not only to the city's collective psyche but to its ability to work through the difficult decisions inherent in rebuilding on this scale.
More here: http://www.nola.com/...
Mitch Landrieu, is of course, the son of Moon Landrieu, the last white mayor of New Orleans, who served from 1970-1978.
Moon Landrieu is one of the heroes of the Louisiana Civil Rights movement, and that is one of the major reasons the Landrieu's have always been immensely respected in the black community of my state. Moon was one of only two white Democrats to vote against endorsing segregation back in the 1960s, and lost his seat due to his courage. In 1970 he won against an establishment candidate, a segregationist Republican, and a member of the KKK, and he did so with a coalition of 99% of the black voters, and young, more liberal, white voters. Moon Landrieu appointed the city's first black councilman, and was the person who finally tore down the remaining racist walls in the city's establishment.
He was also one of the best Mayors the city ever had, responsible for, among other things, building the Super Dome, revitalizing the French Quarter, and representing the city as President of the National Association of Mayors, (where he also convinced the Federal government to bail out NYC).
Indeed Mitch Landrieu has extended his family's traditionally ability to court voters from across racial lines, winning strong support this time in the black community. From the NYT on his victory:
In a city that is still mostly black, the victory was both startling in its departure from the past three decades of New Orleans history and predictable, in that Mr. Landrieu was the front-runner the moment he surprised the field and entered the race. He ran unsuccessfully for the post twice before, coming close in 2006 but losing the runoff to the current mayor, C. Ray Nagin, who is prevented by law from running for a third term.
Because his father oversaw the broad desegregation of the city, starting with a racially mixed brain trust that helped run City Hall, Mr. Landrieu has attracted strong support from black voters. Many residents also said they were drawn to his long political background, having grown weary with Mr. Nagin’s outsider approach, which has produced a painfully slow recovery from Hurricane Katrina in the years since 2005...
After the departure of Senator Murray, Mr. Landrieu, a state legislator for 16 years, was the only candidate with extensive experience in politics and government. The withdrawal of Mr. Murray, who is black, sent shockwaves through the city’s black professional classes, which had for years seen the mayor’s office as "the franchise," the source of power for blacks who have long felt economically marginalized.
But for many voters, including many of the blacks who supported Mr. Nagin in the 2006 run-off, there has been a sense of buyer’s remorse.
"To me Landrieu is best on the issues," said Jeanette Jenkins, 62, who is black and who voted for Mr. Nagin over Mr. Landrieu last time. "A lot of the stuff that should have been done hasn’t been done."
Rest of the article here: http://www.nytimes.com/...
Mitch looks to be another proud leg of this esteemed political family.
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