"Right now no"

Raise the Goat Signal



John Georges has some polls he would like to tell you about.

On Wednesday morning in a text exchange with Gannett Louisiana, Georges remained coy.

“Right now no, but I’m getting lots of calls and yes, there is still time,” he texted.

Georges, 54, is chief executive of Georges Media, which owns The Advocate in Baton Rouge, the New Orleans Advocate and the Acadiana Advocate.

He also owns Imperial Trading in New Orleans, which he said is a $1.2 billion company, the related Harrison Co. in Bossier City, the legendary Galatoire’s restaurant and other businesses throughout the state and beyond.

Georges, who ran unsuccessfully as an independent in 2007, said his own polls show he could make the runoff.

“It’s ironic that eight years ago I decided to run when the polls showed I could not win and people did not want me to run,” Georges texted. “Now the polls have me in the runoff and in first place and people are calling for me to run ... What has happened after eight years of (Gov. Bobby) Jindal? Have I changed or have the voters?

“Today people understand the state’s budget is a huge problem and they feel an outsider is the only hope to overcome decades of special interest. It’s probably my time. I acknowledge what people are saying and believe me I am honored and humbled.”

Can we see those polls, please? Something isn't right here.  No, I don't mean the part about Georges running first... although that is dubious.  I'd like to see some numbers on whether or not people believe John Georges is in any way capable of being "humbled."

Amazingly, Georges talked about his humility in the same breath that he compared himself to Donald Trump.

Georges said he is fielding calls from Democrats and Republicans asking him to run and comparing him to Donald Trump.

“Democrats are calling because they don’t feel (state Rep. John Bel Edwards, D-Amite) is strong enough to defeat (Republican U.S. Sen. David) Vitter,” he continued. “Republicans are calling because they fear the PAC money will attack Vitter and knock him out.

“The business community is watching Donald Trump and believes a business person can be elected. Even the Times-Picayune would love me to run so they can poke fun at me.”

Yeah that would be fun. I wonder what the Advocate thinks. 

Anyway, he still says, "right now, no." But that phone is ringing.