Welcome to the Runoff!: LA 2015 Liveblog

[Zache]

There's also this:

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A couple minutes later:

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Angelle hasn't endorsed anyone to my knowledge.

[Miles]

^

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[The Other Castro]

From what I've seen, Angelle probably won't be endorsing anyone.

[Miles]

Mike Foster endorses Vitter. Would be a stronger endorsement for Vitter, but Foster is the one who first brought Jindal onto the political scene.

[Skye]

Wouldn't Dardenne endorsing Edwards be a pretty big deal? If it happens, won't the GOP disenfranchise him?

[Maxwell]

From what I've seen, Angelle probably won't be endorsing anyone.

Angelle is eyeing Vitter's seat, he doesn't want to be caught praising Vitter too hard, but he also doesn't want to betray the Republicans.

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There's also this:

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A couple minutes later:

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Angelle hasn't endorsed anyone to my knowledge.

Sounds like something somebody would say before announcing a drop-out.

[Miles]

Wouldn't Dardenne endorsing Edwards be a pretty big deal? If it happens, won't the GOP disenfranchise him?

Eh, he already has a reputation as a relatively liberal Republican. I doubt he has ambitions for federal office - if he runs for anything local, he still has a strong brand and can get crossover votes.

The state party is already trying to throw their incumbent AG under the bus (ostensibly for ideological purity reasons), so maybe Dardenne knows he won't be able to count on the party's support much anyway.

[Zache]

Dardenne did it. This is a pretty huge.

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[Miles]

^ Splendid news!

[Figueira]

I'm still pessimistic about this because I want to set my expectations low, but that is really good news.

[Landslide Lyndon]

One difference with Kentucky is that despite their misgivings the entire Republican establishment backed Bevin.
Vitter has no such luxury in Louisiana. Not only Dardenne endorsed Edwards but the state senate Republican caucus declined to endorse him.

[Maxwell]

And Angelle is just sitting back sipping lemonade, hoping Vitter fails. Vitter is really in the worst possible situation, and I think it would take a huge upset for him to win.

[Landslide Lyndon]

Wow! Dardenne didn't just endorse Edwards.
He ripped apart both Jindal and Vitter.

http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/11/republican_jay_dardenne_endors.html 

"The Republican brand has been damaged by the failed leadership of Bobby Jindal during this last term. David Vitter's governorship will further damage that brand as I and others have pointed out during the campaign. I cannot and will not sit idly by and refuse to speak truth to power."

[Zache]

No way this backfires and reinvigorates some sense of party unity in LA Republicans? Right?

[Panhandle Progressive]

Edwards has gotta feel pretty confident now. Even after the Kentucky outcome. Maybe the deep south will once again have a Democratic governor? I guess we'll know for sure in a few weeks.

[Sumner 1868]

If Edwards wins, it'll be the only Southern Democratic gubernatorial gain during the entire Obama presidency. Virginia doesn't count because Democrats held that office in 2009.

[tmthforu94]

It is going to be interesting - I think Kentucky proved that Vitter still probably has a chance thanks to the (R) next to his name, but Edwards is looking pretty strong.

[Kingpoleon]

#DardenneForIndieSenate2016

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

#DardenneForIndieSenate2016

Assuming Vitter loses for governor and then runs for Senatreelection, I could actually see Louisiana deciding to take him down in the runoff.  It probably could only happen if R's had already taken a federal trifecta in November, though.

If LA Rs want Vitter gone, they'll do what they did to the incumbents in LA-5/6 last cycle - recruit a stronger republican to either a) lock vitter out of the runoff and allow the stronger republican to easily defeat whatever democrat runs, or b) get into a runoff with Vitter and win. They would never do it with an Indie Dardenne or a conservadem.

[Horsemask]

That's awesome!

[Miles]

Video of Dardenne's endorsement.

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What a great guy.

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TBH, one of my least favorite things about Louisiana politics is the names of the major politicians. John Kennedy, John Edwards, you name it - yes, they come with different middle names, but still...

[Maxwell]

Damn that's a strong endorsement.