New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin may run for Governor

[Joe Biden 2020]

Source: Nagin considering gubernatorial bid
 Nagin is considering a run for governor, a source tells CNN.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin is seriously considering a Louisiana gubernatorial bid, a political intimate of Nagin tells CNN.

According to public records and his campaign treasurer, the two-term Democrat has raised more than a half-million dollars in campaign contributions since he was re-elected in 2006, even though Nagin can't run for mayor again. (New Orleans limits mayors to two terms.)

The mayor's senior staff members say Nagin is often approached on the street and asked if he'll run for governor, but they say he just laughs off the suggestion. At the mayor's State of the City speech Wednesday, many local politicians told CNN they'd heard the rumors.

If Nagin does decide to run for the state's highest office, it could be an uphill battle. A recent Loyola University poll showed Nagin had an approval rating of just 19% in New Orleans.

In March, current Democratic Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco announced she would not seek a second term. Former Louisiana Sen. John Breaux, also a Democrat, entertained the notion of running for the post earlier in the year, but ultimately ruled against it.

On the GOP side, Rep. Bobby Jindal has announced he is running for the post.


-- CNN's Susan Roesgen and Eric Marrapodi

___________________________________________________

It would be fun to watch how bad Nagin gets creamed should he decide to enter.

[True Democrat]

Oh god.  Jindal will definitely get my support if Nagin runs.  Talk about a race baiting campaign, it'd worse than Blanco in 2003.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

The only person who would do worse than Blanco. Oh joy.

Amusing too, because Nagin endorsed Jindal in 2003.

[Brandon H]

First I'm hearing of this. Nagin's big "Blame Bush & Blanco" Speech has been all over the local news here. Needless to say, I won't be voting for Nagin if he does run.

[Conan]

Nagin is a piece of crap. How selfish is he to take over a half a mill in donations to his campaign when he knows he can't win and New Orleans can use it in recovery money.

[7,052,770]

Nagin is the 2nd worst person imaginable to be Louisiana's next governor.

Although, considering how ultracon Jindal is #1, Nagin may end up getting my support by default.

[Keystone Phil]

Hilarious! I want to see Nagin and Blanco go at it!

[RBH]

The only benefit to Nagin running is that he might raise turnout enough to keep Jindal under 50%

No way in hell Nagin gets second.

Right now, we could have a weirdass primary election that goes like this

Jindal: 48%
Campbell: 17%
Nagin: 16%
Boasso: 14%
Other: 5%

[Aizen]

Good. Maybe we can have a chocolate Louisiana if Nagin wins

[Boris]

Hilarious! I want to see Nagin and Blanco go at it!

^^^

[True Democrat]

The only benefit to Nagin running is that he might raise turnout enough to keep Jindal under 50%

No way in hell Nagin gets second.

Right now, we could have a weirdass primary election that goes like this

Jindal: 48%
Campbell: 17%
Nagin: 16%
Boasso: 14%
Other: 5%

I think Jindal is almost assured victory in the first round barring Huey Long rising from the dead and promising to reimplement SOW with every resident of New Orleans.

[Gabu]

Good. Maybe we can have a chocolate Louisiana if Nagin wins

Screw you, I was going to post that.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Yay!

[minionofmidas]

He has my endorsement.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Nagin is the 2nd worst person imaginable to be Louisiana's next governor.

Although, considering how ultracon Jindal is #1, Nagin may end up getting my support by default.

Good to see that incompetence and race-baiting is still preferable to being a conservative.

[Henrykrinkle]

Nagin would be absolutely terrible as a governor, and I would be voting for Jindal without a doubt if he enters the race. He seems like he'd be a good lieutenant governor, because in Louisiana the LG spends most of his time promoting the state, but as far as actually being able to run a government, he's inept. His tendency to make outrageous statements every now and then is also a concern.

[7,052,770]

Nagin is the 2nd worst person imaginable to be Louisiana's next governor.

Although, considering how ultracon Jindal is #1, Nagin may end up getting my support by default.

Good to see that incompetence and race-baiting is still preferable to being a conservative.

Gee, as a liberal, I find conservative policies objectionable.  I know that's bizarre of me, but I guess I'm just some deviant...

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Gee, as a liberal, I find conservative policies objectionable.  I know that's bizarre of me, but I guess I'm just some deviant...

Not a deviant, perhaps, but there's some kind of very tragic disconnect.

Nagin's management before, during, and after Hurricane Katrina was not the sole contributor, but definitely a significant contributor, of human suffering, misery, and death.  His ability to govern credibly and capably is nil.

And you want to give him a promotion, without even thinking of the—by comparison—far more capable Republican, or even one of the fourteen other minor name Democrats who will probably be running.

[HardRCafé]

But in the world of reality, Blanco has 2 years to improve herself.  It wasn't that she was bad during Katrina, she was just frazzled.  And I wonder why?  Maybe because a situation like that had NEVER happened before and there's nothing she could've done to prepare herself for it.  Yeah, I probably would've been frazzled too.  But Blanco has 2 years to rebuild the state, and could do a lot of good.

[RBH]

[Nagin] seems like he'd be a good lieutenant governor, because in Louisiana the LG spends most of his time promoting the state

Wouldn't you need to zap most of the world with an amnesia gun in order to pull off putting the Mayor of New Orleans as the Lt. Governor?

I don't think the guy who made the Chocolate City comment is going to be accepted as an ambassador for Louisiana.

If there was an opening in the Lt. Gov job and using your criteria..

John Goodman for Lt. Governor!

[DownWithTheLeft]

Wow, finally someone who will make Michael Steele's campaign look white

[Henrykrinkle]

[Nagin] seems like he'd be a good lieutenant governor, because in Louisiana the LG spends most of his time promoting the state

Wouldn't you need to zap most of the world with an amnesia gun in order to pull off putting the Mayor of New Orleans as the Lt. Governor?

I don't think the guy who made the Chocolate City comment is going to be accepted as an ambassador for Louisiana.

If there was an opening in the Lt. Gov job and using your criteria..

John Goodman for Lt. Governor!

Good call on John Goodman!   

You're definitely correct that Nagin's controversial remarks would hurt him in his capacity as Louisiana LG. If he hadn't made those remarks, however, I think the position would suit him.... Nagin simply doesn't belong in a traditional governmental position.

[7,052,770]

But in the world of reality, Blanco has 2 years to improve herself.  It wasn't that she was bad during Katrina, she was just frazzled.  And I wonder why?  Maybe because a situation like that had NEVER happened before and there's nothing she could've done to prepare herself for it.  Yeah, I probably would've been frazzled too.  But Blanco has 2 years to rebuild the state, and could do a lot of good.

For the record, HRC, you're an ass.  You rarely if ever contribute anything to the discussion on this forum other than snide remarks of no substance.

For example, you took something I said SIXTEEN MONTHS ago, and what's weirder is that it's not as if it's something really stupid that I had coming for you to repeat, it's just how you operate, trying to attack people.

Anyhow, I assumed that you must live in LA or MS since those are the only threads I ever see you posting in, so you can imagine my surprise when I learned earlier that you live in Illinois (!?)

So, HRC, in the future, please pretend like I don't exist...don't post in threads I start, don't quote me, don't respond to me, and I'll reciprocate.
We'll probably both be a lot happier that way.

[7,052,770]

Gee, as a liberal, I find conservative policies objectionable.  I know that's bizarre of me, but I guess I'm just some deviant...

Not a deviant, perhaps, but there's some kind of very tragic disconnect.

Nagin's management before, during, and after Hurricane Katrina was not the sole contributor, but definitely a significant contributor, of human suffering, misery, and death.  His ability to govern credibly and capably is nil.

And you want to give him a promotion, without even thinking of the—by comparison—far more capable Republican, or even one of the fourteen other minor name Democrats who will probably be running.

Notice that I called him the 2nd worst person to be governor, and the only way I'd ever support him is if it's him vs. Jindal (such as in the runoff).

[Adlai Stevenson]

But in the world of reality, Blanco has 2 years to improve herself.  It wasn't that she was bad during Katrina, she was just frazzled.  And I wonder why?  Maybe because a situation like that had NEVER happened before and there's nothing she could've done to prepare herself for it.  Yeah, I probably would've been frazzled too.  But Blanco has 2 years to rebuild the state, and could do a lot of good.

For the record, HRC, you're an ass.  You rarely if ever contribute anything to the discussion on this forum other than snide remarks of no substance.

Well said!