HOW CAN LOUISIANA BECOME A PLAYER IN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION?

February 21, 2019

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

HOW CAN LOUISIANA BECOME A PLAYER IN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION?

Presidential election season has kicked off earlier than usual with new democrat candidates appearing almost daily.  Fourteen announced candidates so far with others like former Vice President Joe Biden waiting in the wings.  The President is unopposed for now, but anti-Trump forces are searching for several good candidates.  So how relevant is Louisiana to the presidential primary process? Not much. But that could change.

Right now, Louisiana is scheduled to hold its presidential primary on March 7^thof 2020, a month after the Iowa Caucus and a week after Super Tuesday.  Fourteen states hold elections before Louisiana, and the Bayou State often becomes an afterthought.

So, is there anything Louisiana can do to have a significant impact on who will be the next president? Yes!  And at no cost!  Louisiana is the only state in the country that has a late 2019 election already scheduled.  It’s the regular gubernatorial election where many races will be on the ballot with a significant statewide turnout.  Therefore, the Bayou State could be the first in the nation to have a vote on who will be the respective party nominees.

It need be only a non-binding beauty contest. Both Republicans and Democrats could hold caucuses and primaries in the spring of next year to pick their respective delegates. But as far as giving the nation an indication of how voters are thinking nationally, Louisiana could, at no cost, be the first state to hold a presidential primary.

It would be an understatement to say that the candidates from both parties would flock to the deepest of the deep southern states. It would be the first chance, particularly for the current long list of democrat presidential wannabes, to build momentum and show strength.  It would be unwise for any candidate, to pass up making a significant campaign effort in Louisiana.

A Louisiana presidential election tied to the gubernatorial election this fall would also put some additional heat on the candidates to focus on Louisiana issues.  Put them on the spot when it comes to drilling in the Gulf, revenue sharing, and coastal erosion.  Here’s what the speaker of the Florida House of Representatives had to say in commenting on Florida moving its primary up to next January: “Moving up the primary would force presidential candidates to pay more attention to issues that are important locally, like soaring property insurance rates.” Hello! Sounds like what Louisiana officials should be saying.

Iowa has the process of sucking in presidential candidates down to a science. But they go one step further by having a second “mini-caucus” in August.  As Mike Murphy in Time magazine wrote this week: “It’s an essentially phony contest that forces the candidates to start earlier, visit more often, book more hotel rooms and put more friendly Iowans on the payroll to organize the vast logistics of getting all those would-be voters…” out to vote. 

If Iowa can get the various candidates to genuflect all over the Hawkeye state and garner huge media attention over 10,000 voters at a caucus, it would seem for Louisiana to be a no brainer to tie in a straw vote for president at the same time as this fall’s gubernatorial election.   The Louisiana legislature will soon be in session. A simple minor change in the election law will allow the presidential straw poll in November, pull millions of dollars into the state, and cost the taxpayers nothing. No other state has such an opportunity.

Just how much could Louisiana gain by holding the first in the nation presidential primary? The candidates campaigning in the state of Iowa spend over $ 200 million. Media outlets, consultants and campaign volunteers run up a similar amounts. Economists often quote the “economic turnover effect” of dollars spent in a local or state economy as anywhere from six to seven times. So, $200 million dropped into the Louisiana economy that turns over 5 times!! That’s ONE BILLION DOLLARS!!

Under the current system, Louisiana will be merely a footnote when the campaign comes to an end. Once again, a lack of will could cause the Bayou State to be irrelevant in deciding who will lead the country.

 But, at least, you can go to Iowa. That is, Iowa, Louisiana. It’s one of the last stops traveling I-10 on your way to Texas. But don’t expect to see anyone there campaigning for president.

Peace and Justice

Jim Brown

Jim Brown’s syndicated column appears each week in numerous newspapers throughout the nation and on websites worldwide.  You can read all his past columns and see continuing updates at http://www.jimbrownusa.com. You can also hear Jim’s nationally syndicated radio show each Sunday morning from 9 am till 11:00 am, central time, on the Genesis Radio Network, with a live stream at http://www.jimbrownusa.com. 

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BLACKFACE, LOUISIANA AND CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES!

February 14^th, 2019

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

BLACKFACE, LOUISIANA AND CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES!

Blackface mania has consumed voters in Virginia and is seeping into other states.  Are their closeted politicians in Louisiana who are perusing their old yearbooks and scrapbooks to see if there are any blackface photos lurking in their past?  Actually, no, since blackface parodies have been part of the Louisiana mode de viefor a number of years.

If you have been down the bayou at your fishing camp and have not stayed current on the national news, there are daily reports concerning the Governor and the Attorney General in Virginia who have admitted wearing blackface in their younger years. Both are democrats, and most of the other democratic elected officials are calling for the two office holders to step down. It’s right down chaotic in Virginia now, since you have the governor and the attorney general admitting blackface, the lieutenant governor is accused of sexual assault, and the next in line Speaker of the House who got his job by having his name picked out of a bowl. They really have it all together in what has been called the most progressive state in the South. If there is a confederacy of dunces, it’s Virginia, not the Bayou State.

The Virginia governor now is backtracking and says that’s not really him in the blackface photo taken back in 1984. Not much of a memory, but other than that, he seems like a decent guy. In his race for governor, he was endorsed by every black legislator in the state. For years, the white Democratic governor has belonged to a predominantly black church with a black pastor.  As a physician before becoming governor, he served in a volunteer capacity as the medical director of a children’s hospice, and as an Army doctor, he treated Gulf War casualties for eight years.  By any reasonable measure, he seems to have made a longtime commitment to racial justice and public service. But it’s all about that blackface, isn’t it?

When l was serving as Secretary of State in the 1980s, Louisiana legislators, at the end of their legislative sessions at the state capitol, performed a self-parody making fun of their work and themselves. It was called “The Opera” where black legislators wore whiteface and white members wore blackface. No one seemed offended, and one of the most enthusiastic participants was Rev. Avery Alexander, a black civil rights leader and the founder of the Legislative Black Caucus. There was give and take, all in good fun.

Mardi Gras Day is just a few weeks away, and one of largest organizations to march through the city of New Orleans is the Krewe of Zulu.  It’s a black krewe that often invites white friends to participate.  But there is one requirement.  A white participant must wear blackface.  A Caucasian friend of mine was invited to ride in Zulu, but he told the group he would not wear black face because he did not want to offend anyone.  Sorry the black organization told him.  No blackface, no riding in Zulu.

In Baton Rouge this week, a 1993 photo was discovered showing two white police officers in blackface. The officers were involved in an undercover narcotics sting operation to get drugs off the streets.  The Baton Rouge mayor was appalled and issued a strong statement condemning the operation. She apparently feels it is better to let drug dealers continue to operate rather than offend anyone.

Here is a short list of entertainers who have worn blackface.  Jimmy Kimmel, Dan Aykroyd, Bing Crosby, Billy Crystal, Ted Danson, Robert Downey Jr., Alec Guinness, Sophia Loren, Bob Hope, David Niven, Will Rogers, Frank Sinatra, Shirley Temple, John Wayne, Gene Wilder, the list goes on and on.  

With a wave of political correctness sweeping the country, blackface on any level would be inappropriate. But should someone today be held accountable for something they did without malice 30 or 40 years ago?  How far back do we go in one’s past before we forgive poor judgment?  Would St. Paul have passed such a test after he admittedly persecuted Jews and followers of Jesus Christ before he became a Christian?  Or should such degraded souls be eternally ashamed and be reconciled to make perpetual amends?

Let me submit that America, with all its warts, is a pretty decent country that has been able to adapt, revise, adjust and yes, forgive.  It’s time for the overlords of outrage to put their intolerance aside let the nation to move on.

Peace and Justice

Jim Brown

Jim Brown’s syndicated column appears each week in numerous newspapers throughout the nation and on websites worldwide.  You can read all his past columns and see continuing updates at http://www.jimbrownusa.com. You can also hear Jim’s nationally syndicated radio show each Sunday morning from 9 am till 11:00 am, central time, on the Genesis Radio Network, with a live stream at http://www.jimbrownusa.com. 

GESTAPO TACTICS IN AMERICA?

February 7^th, 2019

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

GESTAPO TACTICS IN AMERICA?

It sounded like it came out of a movie plot.  In the early morning hours, federal agents stormed a home to make an arrest.  They had to be after some major drug lord or a sought-after terrorist.  There were 29 agents all wearing military gear and carrying weapons.  High powered assault rifles were involved.  Seventeen SUVs and two armored vehicles surrounded the home with lights flashing and sirens blaring.  It must be a really dangerous dude.

In a nearby canal, amphibious watercraft charged the home filled with more federal agents.  A helicopter hovered in the sky with long range weapons focused on the home.  As agents approached the house with battering rams, they demanded that the accused immediately open the door and surrender.  The attack on Osama Bid Laden had fewer Navy Seals involved then the number of agents who were sent to arrest this dangerous villain. Was this the seizure of an anti-government leader in Venezuela?  Had El Chapo escaped from prison and his capture was about to take place? Had the feds found Bin Laden’s successor?  CNN had been tipped off and broadcast the whole attack live. What was going on?

lt was none of these, but merely a longtime Trump friend Roger Stone.  He was being arrested for making false statements to a congressional committee.  And he was treated like a terrorist?  Stone is an American citizen and has lived in south Florida for a number of years.  He does not have a current passport.  He has known about this investigation for months, and his lawyers said he would be glad to self-surrender if he were charged with a crime. If Stone had documents to hide or destroy, he would have had plenty of time in the months preceding his arrest. He has never been accused of any crimes and has no violent history.

After his arrest, the judge let Stone out on his personal signature without having to put up any property or money.   It was obvious that Stone was no threat and should have been allowed to appear on his own. So what gives?  Have we been turned into a jackboot democracy?

Here was Stone’s response. “They could simply have called my lawyers and I would have turned my myself in. I’m 66 years old. I don’t own a firearm. I have no previous criminal record. My passport has expired. The special counsel’s office is well aware of the fact that I’m represented. I was frog-marched out the front door barefooted and shackled.  It’s an attempt to poison the jury pool. These are Gestapo tactics.”

Some in the press speculated that the special prosecutor and the FBI were sending a message. They sure were. It’s a message of terror, and fear that no citizen can trust their government. It’s a message that your government is not above using police state tactics, and that the justice system responds, not based on evidence, but based on threats. When thugs come into intimidate, it sends a message that you may not be living in a democracy anymore but a banana republic. It sends a message that no, you are no longer considered innocent until proven guilty in a system that operates in such a dictatorial fashion.

The story gets worse. Stone’s indictment accuses him of making false statements to the House Intelligence Committee, but the testimony is classified so Stone is prohibited from seeing what he supposedly lied about. How is he supposed to defend himself if he cannot even read what he supposedly said? What has happened to the supposed constitutional guarantee of being able to confront your accuser and challenging their evidence?

It matters not whether you are a liberal or a staunch conservative, this is not how justice is supposed to operate in America.  Many Americans will feel that if it is not happening to them then why should they care.  But unfortunately, what happened to Roger Stone could happen to anyone.  Are we not a better country  than this?

Peace and Justice

Jim Brown

Jim Brown’s syndicated column appears each week in numerous newspapers throughout the nation and on websites worldwide.  You can read all his past columns and see continuing updates at http://www.jimbrownusa.com. You can also hear Jim’s nationally syndicated radio show each Sunday morning from 9 am till 11:00 am, central time, on the Genesis Radio Network, with a live stream at http://www.jimbrownusa.com.