Ringside Politics With A Punch

Just when it seemed that it was hopeless for Republican U.S. Senate candidate John Kennedy, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) gave him new life. After the NRSC first announced that they would withdraw funding from the State of Louisiana, they reversed course and declared they would continue to pour money into Louisiana. The NRSC asserts the decision was based on internal polling showing Kennedy surging. Other GOP insiders maintain that U.S. Senator David Vitter and Karl Rove complained about the decision and encouraged the NRSC to reconsider leaving Louisiana. In fact, Rove has a very personal stake in this campaign as he was the one who convinced Kennedy to switch from the Democratic Party to the GOP.

 
In a year in which the Republicans are at a funding disadvantage, this news is very good for Kennedy. It means that he will have the funds to compete in these final few days of the race. Kennedy needs the financial muscle of the NRSC to contend with incumbent U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu's overwhelming financial advantage.
 
In a year that is very favorable to the Democratic Party, the Republican Kennedy is still a distinct underdog, but at least now he has a fighting chance. The latest Rasmussen poll places Landrieu ten points ahead; however, Kennedy's poll shows his deficit as only five points. Landrieu has shrewdly crafted an image as a moderate and has been successful in wooing prominent Republicans to support her. In fact, the most popular Republican politician in metropolitan New Orleans, Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand, endorsed Landrieu.
 
Kennedy is fighting back by continuing to link Landrieu to Barack Obama and the liberal agenda of the Democrats on Capitol Hill. In addition, Kennedy is reminding Louisiana voters that Landrieu will cast a vote for Harry Reid as Senate Majority Leader and will support the aggressive agenda of the Democrats on Capitol Hill. Kennedy claims that the Democratic Party's agenda runs counter to the wishes of the majority of voters of Louisiana on almost every issue. Louisiana is philosophically conservative, while the Democratic leadership on Capitol Hill is very liberal. It remains to be seen whether Kennedy can convince voters that Landrieu shares the values of the leadership of the Democratic Party.  
 
Of course, Senator Landrieu has seniority in her favor and can point to the Democrat majority as a reason to stay in the Senate. If Kennedy is elected, a freshman Senator from a minority party will not have the clout of a three term Senate Democrat. So, if voters want seniority and a senator who can "deliver" for Louisiana, Landrieu will win. However, if the race becomes centered on political philosophy and ties to larger political players on the national scene, Kennedy could pull off an upset.  
 
In this campaign, the two candidates engaged in four televised debates that produced no major knockouts. Nevertheless, in the last debate, Kennedy performed well and had Landrieu on the defensive, especially on the issue of Social Security privatization. He produced a 1999 news story in which Landrieu expressed support for investing some Social Security dollars in the stock market. Landrieu insists that it involved only surplus dollars.
 
Kennedy was also given a boost when Governor Bobby Jindal finally agreed to endorse him in a television commercial. Jindal is very popular, so Kennedy is hoping this will improve his poll numbers.  
 
Whether the NRSC made their decision based on polling or pressure, it does send a message that this election is not over and is still competitive.
 
John Kennedy is the underdog, but he can still win the election. In this pro-Democratic election cycle, that is a pretty good situation for any Republican candidate.