Tipsheet

Does Jindal's Victory Mean Landrieu's in Trouble?



Bobby Jindal's
 victory earlier this week gave Republicans something to be happy about.  It might also be a harbinger of things to come in Louisiana. 

Perhaps the most impressive thing about Jindal's election that he won Orleans Parish.  This is significant as New Orleans is where Republicans have traditionally been beaten badly (or have had elections stolen) by the Democrat machine.  The most famous recent victim of this was Woody Jenkins...

While it is true that Jindal is very popular and talented, there is also no doubt a post-Katrina population shift in Orleans Parish contributed to his success in this heavily-Democrat area. 

Of course, the big news is that based on Jindal's numbers in Orleans Parish, it appears possible that Mary Landrieu may be in danger of losing her Senate Seat.  As National Journal's Jennifer Duffy wrote: "In 2002, (Landrieu) won by 42,000 votes, and the question now is whether those 42,000 votes still exist."

Louisiana's French influence has always made it a very different state.  Now, as the state trends more and more Republican, it once again seems Louisiana is on a different trajectory than the rest of the country.