Please explain Louisiana to me.

[Killarney]

How can we have two Democrats running against one Republican for the senate seat? Don't they have primaries? Why is this considered one of the nine competitive senate seat races? The Dems don't have a chance because their vote is split. The polls have Vitter at 51% and the Dem candidates at 17 and 15%. Can someone explain this to me? Thanks.

[mark414]

1. here's how it works

in order to win, one candidate has to get more than 50% of the vote, which probably isn't likely in this case

so then there's a runoff election, between the top 2 vote getters (though i'm not sure when), and whoever wins that wins the seat

[Killarney]

3. So most likely what will happen is that

we won't know who won this seat Tuesday night and they'll have an election between Vitter and one Dem maybe 60 days later or something?

[PROGRESSIVE1]

4. One month later. Chris John will be the Democrat running against....

Vitter.

[juajen]

9. Don't be so sure

My whole extended family is voting for John Kennedy. Great name, eh? I just don't like the kind of dem Chris John is, and I thought he was a shoo-in. I believe Kennedy will do well, maybe not enough to take Chris, but it will be interesting.

[cjbuchanan]

2. The November vote is an open primary

If no single candidate gets 50% on election day, then the top two go into a runoff.

It makes very little sense. By the way, I think there are three Democrats in the race.

Let's hope massive turnout keeps Vitter under 50%.

[ThePhilosopher04]

5. I don't think one post could even begin to explain Louisiana...

but I'll give it a shot. In short, Louisiana has open primaries where all candidates--Democrats, Republicans, Independents, etc., are lumped together. If one candidate doesn't receive 50%, then the top two go head-to-head in the runoff.

In regards to the Senate race, first of all, there are three prominent Democrats in the race, not two. Secondly, the only way Vitter wins, IMO, is if he can pull over 50% on Tuesday. Even though some polls show him doing that, I feel pretty good he'll end up somewhere around 47 or 48%. If Chris John comes in second, I think he'll beat Vitter in the runoff.

[pacalo]

6. I'm from LA & I agree that there will be a runoff between John/Vitter.

Vitter is a vote-down-the-line lapdog for the coWard. His campaign commercials are all full of blatant lies. For example, he claims in one ad to support the import of cheaper drugs from Canada, yet he has voted against it 3 times.

I'd love to see him lose.

[lsuguy]

7. We'll need some help here AFTER Nov. 2

Assuming Vitter does not get 50%+1, then he'll be in a runoff against either Chris John or John Kennedy, both democrats. Senate control might be at stake. We'll need some help and money down here in the bayou (come on, make that trip! the food is great!).

Keep your fingers crossed that Vitter doesn't get over 50%. In a runoff, he is likely to lose to either democrat. Vitter is one of the most pro-bush, conservative, bible-thumping, intolerant, angry individuals in Congress. He is very dangerous.

(Oh, and rumors are everywhere that he has a past with a prostitute. That story WILL break after Nov 2.)

[tedoll78]

8. You're right. Vitter will lose.

My mama lives in Kenner/Jefferson Parish. She's what I call the typical swing voter: white, Catholic, semi-conservative, voted for every Presidential election winner since 1980. Her opinion of Vitter?

"He's an asshole!"

lol..

[pacalo]

11. I hope he gets hit really hard with that...

If they want to call themselves the party of family values, they should be ready to confront their hypocrisy.

[funkybutt]

10. Friday's Salon Article suggested that VItter gets support from David DUKE

it also suggested that Vitter had a documented affair with a prostitute. I personally would like to hear more about Vitter's ties to David Duke. We could use that information to drive turnout up for the run off.

I have a real problem with Chris John's support of cock fighting. WTF is that all about? Dispicable if you ask me. He's also too far to the right to be trusted in the state of "party switcher" Rodney Alexander. Is this guy a true democrat?