Composition of Voters June 27 Will Be Different: It Won’t Be Driven by Anger Against Bill Cassidy

By Woody Jenkins editor, Central City News

A few thoughts on the runoff for Senate June 27…. The composition of the voters on June 27 will be significantly different from what it was May 16. For one thing, many people were drawn to vote to support President Trump in ousting Sen. Bill Cassidy. They weren’t drawn to support Congresswoman Julia Letlow. 

A few people vote in every election. But most people have to be motivated to go vote. Those people usually go because they’re angry or they’re threatened. 

People were angry at Cassidy and felt righteous in going to the polls to help Trump defeat him. 

Mission accomplished! 

That anger is gone for the June 27 runoff election.  Now people are turning to who is the best person for the job. One of the things going against Letlow is her lack of experience and her lack of any sort of statewide grassroots contact. 

People simply don’t know her. 

There is the belief by many that Jeff Landry put her in the race and that he is the one responsible for Trump‘s endorsement. Landry’s stock is very low in Louisiana right now. Her ties to him are too close for comfort. 

When someone is a fresh face, voters will often jump on their bandwagon, but as time passes and they learn more, they get easily disillusioned. We’re in that stage with Letlow right now.  

Who is she really and what does she stand for? 

On the other hand, Fleming is a known quantity. He has a long history of service to the state in Congress and as Treasurer. He is a lifelong family physician, which is one of the few professions that still is admired by people. 

Fleming is a solid conservative. One of the founders of the Freedom Caucus.  He’s had three statewide campaigns. He has a true grassroots effort as exhibited by his 20,000 signs around the state. The last two years he has travelled continuously in every parish of the state and has met tens of thousands of people. He has friends, contacts and supporters everywhere. Ideologically, he is battle tested, and a true conservative. 

The ridiculous attacks against him in the primary did not play well as people discussed them. 

For example, in the last week there was a barrage of money saying that Dr. Fleming was responsible for 9/11 and the attack on New York City!  They said he was a RINO and made many other ridiculous claims. 

His long experience and statewide grassroots organization will really pay off in an election like the one coming up June 27. 

With respect to Cassidy‘s supporters, Cassidy spent many millions painting Letlow as a liberal.  How can Cassidy supporters turn around and support Letlow?

We’ve seen this kind of thing before, by the way. 

In the 1986 U.S. Senate race, Henson Moore was a respected Republican congressman. He got 45 percent of the vote in the primary, but then John Breaux defeated him in the runoff. Our lieutenant governor Paul Hardy went through the same battle in 1987. His opponent got 40 percent in the primary, but he was victorious in the runoff. Letlow may have hit her high water mark on May 16, and objective observers see a clear path to victory for Dr. John Fleming June 27.

Contact the editor at woodyjenkins2020@hotmail.com.