Sunday, September 25, 2011

October Races are shaping up

The political races are taking on a life of their own, and the first reports have been filed with the Ethics Board. These don’t necessarily reflect public support, but they aren’t a bad guide either. Go to this website to see the reports.
These are my impressions so far.
Sheriff
Julian Whittington has raised $400,000. Neither Mike McConnell nor John Hall Matlock filed.
This one probably is reflective of the race, look for Whittington by a landslide. I know I have readers who support the other candidates, but it may be time to wake up and smell the coffee.
Assessor
Incumbent Bobby Edmiston has a strong challenger in Ryal Siem. Both are hitting the streets and talking to voters. I give the edge to Bobby.
State Senate District 37
Jane Smith will carry Bossier. I think the election hinges on what support she can pull from Southeast Shreveport. Barrow Peacock has almost won a couple of elections, and this may be the big one for him. I have no prediction here.
Representative District 8
Jeff Thompson has the establishment support, but I believe that Duke Lowrie has the voters. Simply put, Jeff Thompson is being out-campaigned by Lowrie. My prediction is Lowrie in a close election.
Police Jury
I can’t begin to do the Police Jury races justice, but Marty Carlson can. Check out her columns in the Bossier Press-Tribune for ongoing coverage of the Police Jury races.
In the next few days, we will have more comprehensive coverage of the races I outlined today, including at least one endorsement.

42 comments:

  1. Jane Smith needs to be put out to pasture.

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  2. I believe that your predictions are spot on. I wish the sheirff's race was different. I am afraid we are going to elect a Larry Deen clone and I don't think that is a good thing. Someone needs to wake up and smell the coffee and maybe it isn't people opposing the status quo.
    I agree with Anon at 2:31. It is time for Jane to go.

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  3. Yep, get ready for Larry Dean 2.0. More of the same. I'm still voting for McConnell though.

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  4. Strong challenger? Edmiston 70 - 30. I think the rest are right on.

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  5. I agree Edmiston wins but not that much, Mayby 60/40

    Jim is on the mark on the rest.

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  6. Edmiston is going to BLOW him out of the water. Have you seen how many walkers he has EVERYDAY??? I heard they have been walking a subdivision every night! He has a HUGE support base.

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  7. I think all of you Bobby supporters are gonna be pretty surprised come October 22nd.....

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  8. I have a huge question... How does Julian still have a uniform from the sheriff's department when he resigned in April? He was making a commercial out in front of the sheriff's department on Saturday wearing it. I have another question.... What happended to the fued between him and cousin Deen? Deen's campaign gave him $2500 and Julians website even says there was one. Im stumped!!! Is there any doubt who is backing Julian??? Looks like an unfair advantage to me!

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  9. Bill R. The way I see it, this is just another example of what has been going on for years. Larry's chosen one gets an unfair advantage and nothing will be said about it. The good old boy system in full gear.

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  10. Ummm did you see the campaign finance report for the assessor's race???? Who isn't a Bobby supporter???? Sorry but just ain't gonna happen.

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  11. Im not a Bobby supporter!

    I like Ryal, he came by the house the other day and we had a nice long chat. Thats what I like, talking to the candidate instead of someone else who is doing all the work and cant answer my questions. I am an informed voter and it looks like Kartman is too!

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  12. Concerned High School StudentSeptember 26, 2011 at 6:34 PM

    House Bill 112. A bill that would have made it tougher on bullies in schools. A bill that would have protected those who are intimidated to death. You see those stories? The kids who kill themselves because they are bullied day in and day out? House Bill 112 was made to prevent that.

    Jane Smith, former educator, principal, and school superintendent voted AGAINST house bill 112.

    I, personally, cannot support a person who agrees with bullying. My conscience will not allow it.

    I will vote for Peacock.

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  13. In Bobby Edmiston's Campaign finance report it states that Johnny Wyatt's Campaign donated $2,500.00 to Bobby.....

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  14. @ Bill R, you just posted this a few weeks ago:
    Bill R. said...
    Ahhh, aint it great! Thats what I like to see, our First Amendment at work. I sometimes like being the devils advocate and I retract everything I wrote. Just wanted to stir the pot a little... I have met Bobby on many occasions and I like him so dont shoot me just yet... just making things a little interesting. I dont need to say anything about Julian, everyone knows where I stand on that issue.

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  15. Regarding the Johnny Wyatt remark...what's the point????

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  16. Anon 10:28

    My statement is correct, I do like Bobby, just dont support him. There are lots of folks I like but dont support. I like Jimbo, but I dont support him on his views of Julian. Does it make sense to you now?

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  17. The point of the Johnny Wyatt remark?? I remember attending a funeral for Wyatt....Just wondering how he wrote Bobby a check....

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  18. Money from contributors that a candidate has on hand when they pass away doesn't just disappear. It can be used for anything as spelled out in the law, and one of those things is donating to other campaigns.

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  19. How do you vote for someone who was gone a year and drew a full salary from both the Assessors office (tax payers money) and the national guard. Paid for a job not done. Other citizens cannot do this. Ryal has got my vote.

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  20. The way things are done in Bossier these days don't be surprised if dead men vote.

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  21. 8:29,
    He was gone for a year serving our country. ASS.

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  22. Anonymous September 27, 2011 8:29 PM

    said...
    How do you vote for someone who was gone a year and drew a full salary from both the Assessors office (tax payers money) and the national guard. Paid for a job not done. Other citizens cannot do this. Ryal has got my vote.

    It is apparent that this fool has NOT served his country; it is NOT a rose garden being away from your family and country for an extended length of time! Why don't you try it!

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  23. OHHH MMMM GGGGG!!! There is a FEDERAL law that protects Veterans pay from all ranges... you jack donkey and you REALLY want to try to discredit a VETERAN of our country protecting YOU while you sit at home, watch tv and see your family in the air conditioning??? I am so disgusted by that comment. I bet you would NEVER put your name to the comment would you because you know how disgusting that comment is too!!!

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  24. Here's a question for Julian (if you read this blog, which I'm sure you do). Mike McConnell stated he would have a rank structure, do you plan on doing the same? The luxury with the sheriff's department is you can promote as you wish regardless if your the right man for the job and alot of the supervisors have little experience.

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  25. Lets set things right. All of us respect and love our soldiers that are sacrificing for our freedoms. However if he worked any where else he would at best get the difference from his job and the military pay to keep him at full pay. In his case he drew boths checks, and stated when asked, "Iam elected, I get paid if I go to work or not." While he was gone his Chief signed letters "Acting Assesor. If she was acting why did he get paid on both ends.

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  26. 9:32

    I heard that Mr. Whittington is bringing in Lt. Hollis from the State Police to be one of his Chief Deputies. Makes sense since he is retiring from LSP next year.

    Great, now we have to listen to a car chaser to tell us how to do our job!

    The lack of criminal knowledge around here gets better all the time!

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  27. 9:32

    Sorry, forgot to tell you that you are wasting your time, Mr. Whittington wont answer. He wont answer any questions about his campaign because he wouldn't change a thing with the sheriff's department unless Larry says so. Go to his website, he doesn't say anything about what he would change.

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  28. He served our country running a hotel for dignitaries. Was trained in south Louisiana on how to run a hotel. Drew two checks? What happened to the Bobby blog while he was over there??? Pictures with celebrities and women. I believe this is not a rose garden!!!

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  29. I think that Hollis will be appointed to a position so he will not run against Whittington. I know at one time he was considering running.

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  30. How many times does iit have to be said. Julian Whittington is going to be no different than Larry Deen. Hell Larry Deen will still be running BPSO. Julian has no balls and no backbone. Nothing will change because all he knows and all he has learned is the Larry Deen way. Julian will probably be elected but it will be a disaster. He will be a spineless leader and it will be a disaster. Hell he is too scared to take on Mike McConnell in a debate. You'll see. It is going to be disaster. Remember, he is a "yes man". He has always been a "yes man". They are followers not leaders. Oh, and yes I do know him.

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  31. Republicans are the party of "rich get richer, poor get poorer." All republicans want to do is make sure that wealthy people get even wealthier while the middle class gets disenfranchised. As a member of the middle class, I refuse to vote Republican.

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  32. September 29, 2011 6:28 PM,

    I think your last sentence should've read "as a member of the democratic party..."

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  33. Anon 6:28

    Then you should vote for Mr. Whittington. His post in the online Times article showed that he has no political affiliation. If memory serves me correct, he and cousin Larry were Dems till about 2007 when they changed to Republican. I guess if you cant beat them, you join them and try and win that way!

    Kartman,
    There is no way Hollis would beat anyone.... his reputation would get in the way.... and it aint good.

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  34. Oh, and by the way, if Mr. Whittington brings in Mr. Hollis from the State Police to be a Chief and he gets rid of the Under Sheriff position, but keeps Mr. Dempsey as a Chief (as rumor has it), then what 2 Chiefs is he running off? Hhhhmmmmmm, I like Mr. McConnell's take on it better since hes said hes not firing anyone. Sounds like an honest man to me. Hope all the deputies are reading this blog.

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  35. Why would he keep Doyle Dempsey on as a chief? Oh yea, because cousin Larry probably told him he had to that why. I'll say it again. It's going to be a disaster.

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  36. Smokey in BP,

    How ironic is it that you write a derogatory post about a trooper using the screen name Smokey?

    Your comment about chasing cars was cute. But many of us left police and sheriff's departments to become troopers. And yeah we chase cars, but we don't have to spend our shifts doing vacation watch checks, escorting store managers to banks with their deposits, answering barking dog and loud music complaints at night, running kids off from store parking lots, serving papers, checking the same burglar alarm that goes off five times every night, standing by for an hour for a trooper to show up to work a minor crash or arrest a DWI that you stopped and the long list of other duties you perform daily that do not constitute real police work.

    When we were younger, Hollis and I participated in numerous high risk missions during our time on the SWAT team, and we both spent years in the Bureau of Investigation investigating criminal offenses. When you add this to all of the assignments over the years we have worked in inner-city New Orleans then you would have to agree troopers do more than chase cars.

    For the other readers . . . my remarks were made to make a point. I have many friends who are deputies and police officers respect what they do. I'll admit the state police mission is different, but it has been just as exciting and more rewarding.

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  37. Law Enforcement is Law Enforcement no matter if you are a City Police Officer, a Sheriff's Deputy, or a State Trooper. I consider it a privilege to protect and defend the citizens in the city, parish, state, and this country. We all should support each other, no matter where we enforce the law. We all have different missions and we should be committed to each other and watch each other’s back.

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  38. This is in response to Bill R.'s remark about Lt. Hollis' "ain't a good one reputation". Who exactly are you to speak of anyone's reputation? Lt. Hollis has more than exceeded his performance as a law enforcement officer. I have never seen anything detrimental in the press or for that matter privately against Hollis. His 'aint a good one reputation" does not have anything to do with his ability to perform a job. If you are truly a "smokey" aren't you all supposed to be on the same team? He has never been under investigation as an officer for anything and his reputation stands alone. People's personal lives have nothing to do with how well they perform in their career. Remember people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones!

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  39. Wow, Whittington raised almost half a mil for his campaign! And he spent all of it on those damn signs all over town! His campaign is a reflection of the way the Sheriff's Office has been run while he was there. Spend, Spend, Spend. And when you are done, spend some more. It's a good thing I don't put much stock in statistics, I'm voting for the guy who wants to cut spending of my tax dollars. And by the way, I got a mailer just the other day that has Mayor Lo Walker endorsing Whittington. Geez, Whit, could you have gotten anybody else to support you? Walker, REALLY????

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  40. Thank God, we vote in 18 days!

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