New Orleans Runoff

Following Thursday night’s mayoral debate, correspondent Steve Osunsami blogs about the upcoming runoff: I got a good deal of grief after my last blog from a competitor who has office space in the same building as ABC News. He thought I was a little "off" in my assessment of Mayor Ray Nagin’s chances of getting re-elected. (I don’t think they’re that good.) And as I’ll explain here, I -still- don’t think they’re good. (At left, Nagin Thursday.) For one, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin is running out of money. Most of the rich guys who supported him last time have either bailed or gave money to someone else. The proof is on television. You can’t turn it on without seeing a Mitch Landrieu ad. Nagin, so far, has kept a low profile on the television airwaves. (At right, Landrieu Thursday.) These upcoming debates oughtta be -very- interesting. Both Nagin and Mitch Landrieu both speak well on the issues, but Nagin comes to the table with a great deal more experience and authority. As for the issue of color: simply put, white voters who decide they will once again cast their vote -against- Ray Nagin have only one candidate to chose from. If you take the numbers from the election last month, and apply it to the -upcoming- election, Landrieu is likely to win handily.