Ms. Deslatte begins by quoting Julie Vezinot, a spokesperson for the Louisiana Democratic Party. Vezinot candidly explains why the Democratic Party has not attracted candidates for the two positions but then argues that candidates still have plenty of time to qualify, a quote that is placed at the end of the article. "It's really up in the air until qualifying because you just never know," Vezinot said. After hearing from Ms. Vezinot, Ms. Deslatte seems to have called up right-wing blogger and pundit, Jeffrey Sadow. Predictably, though, Sadow is not quoted as a "conservative" or a "right-wing" blogger; he is simply referred to as "an associate professor of political science at Louisiana State University-Shreveport." Sadow's on-going role in supporting a Republican majority is not even given a mention. To the uninformed reader, Sadow appears exactly as he would like-- an academic bystander, an objective observer. Deslatte writes: "This could be a difficult environment for statewide Democrats," said Jeffrey Sadow, an associate professor of political science at Louisiana State University-Shreveport. While the South has become a region of red states, Louisiana has lagged in the shift. Though Louisiana is a conservative state, the majority of registered voters remain Democrats, as do the number of elected officials. But Republican voter registration has risen, and the GOP has gained a number of elected jobs, a strong foothold Republicans hope to further this election season. Sadow said the state has increasing Republican proclivities that were hastened by Hurricane Katrina's displacement of thousands of Louisiana residents who were largely Democratic voters, including many black voters who make up much of the Democratic base for the party in Louisiana. "It could turn into a long-term problem" for Democrats, Sadow said.
Sadow's statements about the Katrina diaspora are constructed around tenuous assumptions. Recently, the US Postal Service announced it is delivering mail to approximately 2/3rds as many households as it had before Katrina; by deduction, one can approximate the population of New Orleans at around 300,000 people. However, there has not been an official census since the year 2000. This is where things become a little more tricky for "scientists" like Sadow. Sadow seems to believe (or hope) that the working-class African-Americans who were displaced by Katrina are now, by and large, living out-of-state. He may look to voter registration rolls in cherry-picked New Orleans precincts as evidence of this, but unfortunately for Sadow, this type of research only paints a partial picture. He should know this. For example, it is not easy to determine the exact number of displaced New Orleanians still living in Lake Charles, Lafayette, Monroe, Alexandria, Shreveport, and other smaller municipalities. In a state in which the majority of citizens are registered Democrat and the majority of elected officials are registered Democrat, it is patently disingenuous to claim that "much" of the "base" was displaced by Katrina. Last year, in Sadow's own "conservative" hometown of Shreveport, voters elected Cedric Glover, a Democrat, as their Mayor (becoming the first African-American ever elected Mayor of Shreveport). One wonders what Sadow thought as he watched the aftermath of Katrina play before his eyes, and one also wonders what Sadow thinks about those who are working to bring back displaced Louisianans. It is sickening and deplorable that any reputable political science professor would ever welcome a partisan opportunity in such a disaster, but given the fact that Republicans have all but admitted their hope that Katrina devastated "much" of the "base" of the Louisiana Democratic Party, this is not surprising coming from Sadow. It is merely a component of the Republican Party's attempt to takeover the State, and it is not going to work. The Louisiana Democratic Party has a wide and diverse "base;" it is not and has never been isolated to a handful of precincts in New Orleans. As reflected in the make-up of Louisiana's State House and Senate, the Democratic Party enjoys support throughout the State. The Louisiana Republican Party and the LCRM are struggling to compete in elections they had once hoped would place them into the majority. Responsible journalists should add a warning label any time they quote from Sadow. Warning: Sadow is a well-known Republican Party activist and right-wing blogger. In the meantime, readers should reach out to Ms. Deslatte and help her add names and numbers to her political rolodex. |
