With one scandal after another recently, is New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell fueling the fire to bring the recall effort to a boiling point?
WWL consulted with New Orleans top political analyst Clancy DuBos and asked him that exact question. Her response was classic, "I said weeks ago that the best thing the recall supporters had going for them is the Mayor herself. She's been like a one-person campaign in favor of the recall."
It doesn't cut much closer to the bone. But with each subsequent question WWL asked, DuBos explained the Mayor is clearly painting herself into a corner.
What is happening to Mayor LaToya Cantrell's base as she continues to ignore the fact there's a recall effort on going?
"Her base of support which was once women voters, especially African-American women voters have now turned against her and the only cohort of voters she has support of is black men."
Strike two.
What kind of damage has the Mayor done to her political career? A recall effort is underway. That's all you really need to know how far LaToya Cantrell is not the candidate voters went for initially.
"If you look at the outcome of the city charter referendum, the vote of 60-to-40 percent in favor of giving the city council more authority over mayoral appointees very closely tracks the level of negative ratings of the mayor."
DuBos says with all the controversies swirling and the knee jerk reactions to criticism, unpaid taxes, acting entitled over airline seating and living in the Pontalba Apartments rent free, it's clear she's her own worst enemy.
"It's not about what she's doing behind closed doors, it's a matter of what she's not doing. And what she's not doing is her job! And I think that's what's got voters so upset. It's not all the innuendoes about whom she's with or what they might be doing. It's about the fact that she's just not doing her job."
