Baton Rouge
In the end game, Edwards and Duke see they’ll both make the run-off if they can destroy Roemer — and the new GOP Governor ends up the sole target of negative advertising in the final week.
Additionally, a massive independent expenditure (IE) effort against Roemer is launched in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge markets by Jack Kent, owner of Marine Shale — targeted with fines by reformer Roemer’s state environmental officials.
The significant spending disparity over last 7-10 days and cumulative negative messaging took it’s toll on Roemer in the New Orleans market as Edwards set up his traditional shop at the Hotel Monteleone to direct his cash-driven ‘get out the vote’ effort.
Edwards crushed Roemer in south Louisiana while Duke siphoned significant votes in Shreveport and Monroe.
Back in DC, there was no hand-wringing about fumbling the race away; the RNC sentiment was more disappointment that we got blown out in the end and had no answer to financing our own IE.