The interesting bit is how the 4 in 10 react down the road.

The poll shows the Democrats' constant problem. Without the black vote they would go the way of the Whigs. But if they run after that vote too hard, they get whites p.o.ed at them.

So far their attempted balancing act hasn't worked out so swell. Maybe they should zero in on the Eskimo vote.

Are earthquakes also caused by "Global Warming"? We'll find out when the next one occurs.

It will be interesting to see how the African-American vote in Louisiana goes in the next gubernatorial race and the New Orleans mayoral race, since both those elections come up before the 2008 general election, which is really the point of all these polls to begin with.

Blanco probably won't run. Why go through the hell all over again?

Will the GOP have a substantial nominee for governor?

Landrieu's seat is more interesting. Her comment denigrating municipal workers is not going to help her, and she will have a tough road when the GOP will probably carry LA 58%+ in 2008. It will be even tougher if the overal population of NO drops by 1/3 or more.

There are reports the NO mayor has bought a house in Dallas and has relocated there. Perhaps only his family is there and he is in NO but hard to see how he gets reelected if he vacates. As for Blanco and Landrieu they relied on the huge inner city vote from NO to get their victories which may not be there when '06 and '08 roll around.

Wonder if Jindal will stay in Congress and then challenge Landreau, or go after Blanco when her term comes up.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, I was driving in a neighboring state on my way an Air Force court-martial. Traffic was waiting up at an intersection while a gigantic Negro funeral procession drove though a red light.

Some flatline guy coming other way on the cross road proceeded on his green light with the predictable result. (We didn't even have cell phones in those days!)

No one appeared to have been hurt in the low-speed fender-bender which followed. Why I remember the incident was the hysterical reaction of the funeral-goers: many were convinced that the accident happened because of prejudice against Black people. I suppose they thought that the driver with the green-light had intentionally kamikazied them, while any reasonable interpretation of the facts would conclude that he had not seen the car. let alone the color of its occupants.

To one who has lived and worked among Black people, this kind of paranoia is not surprising. Fortunately it is fading, just as non-standard speech is fading.

Now politically, there is no hope of reaching anyone that far out from reality. It would be insanity to even try.

Ed - We found out when the Tsunami hit. You already know the answer.

John: "It will be interesting to see how the African-American vote in Louisiana goes in the next gubernatorial race and the New Orleans mayoral race, since both those elections come up before the 2008 general election ....

Not a Louisianan but here but if a was, I darn well wouldn't wait for 2008. I'd be taking advantage of the State Constitution's Recall provision which requires no reason for the recall, signatures of a 33.33% of registered voters for placing the referendum before the public and 6 months to get the signatures.

Blanco's and Nagin's performance was astounding poor. They don't deserve to collect paychecks for another two and a half years, much less allowing them a graceful exit.

Please ignore the typos in my initial phrase. It should be "Not a Louisianan here but if I was,"

Thanks. :)

Dusty, I thought you had a drawl.

Ratbert, I agree, Landrieu's seat is interesting. So's her face.

Lou, what were you being courtmartialed for?

Ed and John, the answer then, as now, was that GWB's response was too slow and stingy.

Everyone, only 6 in 10 is progress.

"GWB's response was too slow and stingy"

Tell that to the conservative sites who are screaming about all the money being spent to fix up NO and elsewhere and that it is all a big govt. waste project.

Interestingly, regarding the money, I had a few beers last Sat night and watched the LSU game with some folks from Baton Rouge who were in town for a wedding.

They kpet flashing the Sun Times edition with the headline about the 91 billion dollars heading their way.

Two were attys from large Baton Rouge firms, and they were rubbing their hands together and talking about how all anyone in BR could talk about was what they were going to do with that money, and how much they could put into their own pockets.