State Political Update – Jan. 11, 2006

Republicans Building Party Machine

The Louisiana Republican Party has worked diligently to develop the organization and the discipline it needs to go head to head with Democrats in an attempt to elect a Republican governor and to establish a majority in the state House of Representatives.

Timing is right for the Republican Party due to outward population migration and legislative term limits. Republican candidates running for statewide office will benefit from Hurricane Katrina because it sent many Democratic voters out of the state. This will make an already tough re-election campaign even more arduous for Governor Kathleen Blanco. Additionally, the GOP, according to LSU-Shreveport political science professor Jeffrey Sadow, could pick up as many as 10 seats in the House this year when veteran Democrats are barred from running for re-election to their House seats because of term-limits.

In contrast to years past, the current Republican Party leadership is motivated, organized and united in its message. In 2006, a political action committee (PAC) called Louisiana Committee for a Republican Majority (LCRM) was formed to begin planning for the 2007 elections. LCRM sent letters and e-mails to Louisiana Republicans (and Democrats who sometimes vote for Republicans) in mid-December to seek funding and support for the PAC. The letter was signed by Wendy Vitter, the wife of U.S. Senator David Vitter—R, Metairie. The letter explains the opportunity created by term limits and asks for contributions to meet a goal of $2.5 million that will be needed to be successful with the 2007 Republican blitz and to gain “big PAC” status.

“This is our chance to take a stand and reclaim Louisiana from the incompetence and corruption of the old-school Democrat machine,” said Mrs. Vitter. “For as long as one can remember, they have controlled our state, raised our taxes, squashed our values, and squandered our future. But their days are rapidly coming to an end!”

The stated long term goal of LCRM is to build Republican majorities at all levels of government, but for the next year the organization will focus on one obvious starting point: the Louisiana Legislature.

Formation of the LCRM proves that even though there are deep philosophical differences between the Louisiana GOP and the Democrats, the Republicans understand that they’ll have to campaign like Democrats in order to win GOP majorities.

The LCRM letter states, “I ask you to remember that the Democratic Party will have something very powerful on their side – insider lobbyists and powerful PACs. They will pour hundreds of thousands of dollars into Democratic campaigns to save them. But with your help, and the help of hundreds of good conservatives like you, we can offset their liberal money.”

The translation for that quote is, “Hey, we’ve got to have a machine too if we want to beat those guys, so please help us fund one.”

The 2007 elections cannot be business as usual for the Democrats. The party will be forced to run smarter, more effective campaigns. In statewide races and in some district races, the Democrats will have to rethink its base in the absence of thousands of minority voters who traditionally voted with them. It will be interesting to observe the party’s strategy aimed at heading off a united, organized Republican party in a post Katrina world.

Ultimately, however, the success of candidates no matter the party, is determined by the voters. The best thing both parties can do to aim for success is to attract and back good candidates. Meanwhile, it appears that the Democrats are no longer the only party in Louisiana with an effective “machine” in place.