Change of the Guard

I attended the Senate Distirct 5 forum on Tuesday, and these are my observations of the candidates lining up to replace term limited and current City Council at large candidate Diana Bajoie.

Irma Muse Dixon: No web site.

Former state legislator and District 3 Public Service Commissioner. She has run for several offices and come up short, including: Bill Jefferson’s congressional seat, lost her Public Service Commissioner seat to Lambert Boissiere III

She appears to have picked up a copy Wired magazine and decided to make the technological inferences found there into the centerpiece of her solution to nearly every problem. No word on how everyone is going to be able to afford the computer and high speed internet to make remote medical treatment the solution to affordable health insurance…“Please state the nature of the medical emergency.” Nor any word on where the funds for the not-quite-a-laptop computerized gadget that will revolutionize the NO public schools. All this tech stuff, you’d think she could get a web site together.

Overall impression: She was the nuttiest of the bunch, which is not saying much, given the last forum I went to was for the City Council at large race, but really didn’t seem to offer anything insightful or fresh. Other than the techy nuttiness, she would probably seem just fine if this was 2003.

Cheryl A. Gray: State Legislator Bio, Election Web Site

Currently holds the House District 98 seat. As Pol’s go, she has a good reputation for accessibility by her constituents.

Gray came across as smart, her comments were measured and thought out. She clearly has a grasp for the issues and stressed ethics reform. On one question she was not very familiar on the issue and said so, outlining how she would go about educating herself on the issue. She gets the Congeniality award for sure, however she did not show a lot of passion, and nothing she said was very memorable.

Jalila Jefferson-Bullock: State Legislature Bio

Currently holds the House District 91 seat. As Pol’s go, she has a reputation for accessibility by her constituents, however she also has a reputation for ignoring whatever they tell her.

This was either a bad night for Jalila, or she is greatly overrated in the public speaking department. She rambled and repeating herself, before she seemed to be able to gather her thoughts. When she did, she spoke faster and faster, jumping from 33-1/3 to 45 and on up to 78 and then stopping abruptly mid thought in the span of a sentence or two, which made her tough to follow (for the kids out there, read the following for an explanation of those numbers I just used).

She hammered the need for a one tiered educational system, where all receive a good education, but was thin on exactly how to accomplish that. And it stuck me that she seemed to be talking about the pre-Katrina public school situation, with little acknowledgment of the current reality of the RSD and Charters.

David Williams: Election Web Site

Former appeals court judge, who has done a bit of party hopping and currently wears a D. He has strong neighborhood ties, and attended the City Council at-large forum last week.

Williams was on top of his game and dished out concise, well thought out positions on nearly all the issues covered. Overall he came across as having the best grasp on the issues. His positions on some may not be the most popular, particularly by supporting some kind of school voucher program, but he stuck to his guns and explained his position well. However, he did speak very highly of a certain New Orleans blogger, which may disqualify him, outright. ;-)

My opinion: I would be happy with either Williams or Gray.

This race is one of the key match-ups of post-Katrina New Orleans, and the Jefferson machine is funneling a lot of cash and shoe leather into it. Jalila has a clear lead in the battle of the campaign signs, and no doubt will have scores of paid volunteers (oxymoron noted) on the streets.

Cheryl Gray’s campaign has been hard to see. Completely unscientific, but Williams may have more signs than Gray. And there is that cloud over the David Williams campaign: can a white male win in Orleans Parish? Dixon clearly seems to be the bringing up the rear. But without any poling, this race is anyone’s guess.

Clancey DuBois called this as a race to watch:

The Uptown New Orleans state Senate district that launched Congressman Bill Jefferson's career may shift back to a white voting majority as a result of Hurricane Katrina… Turnout is always crucial in political campaigns, but it will be everything in this contest.