Election Day in Louisiana

Can you restrain your enthusiasm? Try harder. Today, our "gret stet" as Earl Long used to say, is faced with an historically annoying choice between the utterly milquetoast Kathleen Blanco and the ultra-Christian nutcase Bobby Jindal. We should all be ashamed of ourselves today. Louisiana politics has historically been known for its tendency towards high theater. We've been blessed (or cursed) over the years with such a colorful sequence of rascals, weirdos, preachers, populists, entertainers, and redeemers to stand for public office that elections in Louisiana have become more than just a civic exercise. Elections, like so many seeming mundane affairs, are here elevated to the status of a street party.. a truly captivating spectator sport.
So this is exactly why this election has been so disappointing. Maybe not Matrix III level disappointment but close.

Some quick observations:

The Times-Picayune continues to be the worst information source this side of a Laffy Taffy wrapper. While the online version seems to have been corrected, the headline in my print copy inaccurately reads, State Will Choose First Female Or First Nonwhite Governor.

Highlight of this entire election cycle came in one of the final debates when Ms. Blanco, in mid-response, forgot the question.

Reasons not to vote for Jindal: Well I've mentioned them here and here. But the short version is 1) He believes he has personally confronted Satan. 2) He wants to teach creationism in public schools. 3) He used to work in the Bush Administration. 4) He and his wife have a covenant marriage. 5) All of this is downright nutty.

Reasons to vote for Blanco: She is not Bobby Jindal

Election links
1)Online Guide to Louisiana Politics
2)Polling locations

Suggested Reading on Louisiana Politics
Earl of Louisiana by AJ Liebling Liebling's observations about the '56 Gubenatorial election are among the most astute from any outside observer. His comparison of New Orleans speech patterns to those of Hoboken, New Jersey is a featured quote in most printings of A Confederacy of Dunces.

Huey Long by T. Harry Williams Best Kingfish biography available.

Cross to Bear and The Last Hayride by John Maginnis ably cover the career of Edwin Edwards, Louisiana's last great populist (and scoudrel but we like that here) as well as his epic race against white supremacist, David Duke.

Prediction Jindal... probably in something of a rout.

Go vote!

Update: Absolute must-read Salon feature on Edwards.