Kiddie table

Seems like the conflict here is between accommodating candidates (and thus voters and, basically, you know, democracy) vs accommodating the logistical preferences of the luncheon clubs who put on these forums and press pools who cover them.   You'd think the preference should be to err on the side of the former but, well, not so much.

Is Louisiana’s U.S. Senate race, like this year’s Republican presidential primary season, going to feature a kids’ table?

Maybe, based on how a recent candidate forum before a group of business associations went down.

No fewer than 11 candidates have indicated they plan to seek retiring U.S. Sen. David Vitter’s seat this fall, but the National Federation of Independent Business, the Louisiana Restaurant Association and the Louisiana Retail Association invited just four to participate in a lunchtime forum this week. One of the candidates, Democratic Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell, had a conflict, so only three Republicans, state Treasurer John Kennedy and U.S. Reps. Charles Boustany and John Fleming, got to make their pitches.

On the other hand, this really kind of a tempest in a teapot built around one mid-day business forum in late June. We only know about it at all because Caroline Fayard wasn't invited and decided to make an issue of it. No doubt, there will be plenty opportunities to see your favorite candidates in various combinations during the coming months.  I do hope they manage to get the whole ensemble together for a few of those.