Bitter Louisiana GOP primary elects Democrat

A Democrat was elected in a special election yesterday to fill a Congressional seat in Louisiana held for three decades by Republicans. It was reprehensible that Rep. Richard Baker resigned to start a lucrative lobbying career, rather than serve out the term the people in good faith elected him to. This triggered a bitter Republican primary for his replacement, won by Rep. Woody Jenkins, a conservative former Democrat

Because nobody got a majority in the first round, the top two finishers in the primary had to face off Saturday to fill the seat from now to next November, when the winning Democrat is no better than a 50-50 bet to hold the seat. Jenkins lost with 47% of the vote because many Republicans sat on their hands.

Another GOP seat was up, formerly held by new Republican Gov. Bobby Jindahl. A Republican held that seat with 71% of the vote.

The mass media, of course, sees this election as the harbinger of a watershed Democratic year on the way. There is little made of the divisive GOP primary or the poor record of Jenkins in losing other congressional races, a U.S. Senate election and even a run for state election commissioner.

If this were a harbinger of a big Democratic year, the Democrat wouldn't have snuck in in a low turnout, just narrowly getting over 50% to avoid another runoff. This election is a harbinger of nothing. Undoubtedly, John McCain will carry Louisiana, just as every Republican has since 1964.