Right-wing Republican Jeff Landry was elected by 52% of the voters in the election this past weekend. Landry held a significant lead in the polls from the beginning. According to some listeners calling into our talk show this afternoon - Landry's lead was so substantial that some voters did not bother voting.
Elections might turn out differently if there were no polls and no one knew who was favored. There is a tendency to "follow the leader" and a desire to vote for the winner and polls probably have a significant impact on voting. Without guidance from polls in any election - citizens would have to make up their own minds about who to vote for.
As Louisiana's Attorney General - Jeff Landry promoted an ultra-conservative agenda that seemed to ignore the Constitution. The idea of a group of right-wing parents deciding what books should be in libraries bordered on violating free speech.
Landry promoted the criminal prosecution of women who travel to another state for an abortion. After the U.S. Supreme Court essentially overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 - America's backlash was quick and definite. Even Republican voters were outraged by the court's decision.
With so many Republican voters standing against the loss of abortion rights - the Republican talking point suddenly turned to "the Court did not overturn Roe v Wade - all the Court did was turn the abortion issue over to the states. I always thought that was ridiculous since the pro-life movement's mantra was to stop the "killing of babies." So now it was okay to "kill babies" in some states but not other states? That's essentially what the Republican talking point was implying. But if the decision is left up to each state and the voters of a state support abortion rights - how could Jeff Landry call for the criminal prosecution of any woman who travels to another state to have an abortion?
It's sad that it is seemingly easy to convince American voters to support the wrong thing - but that's the America we live in.
We should all accept the results of the election and approach Jeff Landry's position as the new governor of Louisiana with respect and an open mind - but if Jeff Landry starts defying the Constitution in favor of implementing a radical right-wing agenda and threatens to replace free speech with the voices of right-wing parents - I will help lead that conversation.