Today many are celebrating Blanco's victory in Louisiana. But how was this victory achieved?
Read on:
By most measures the two candidates were practically ideological soul mates, devout Catholics who oppose affirmative action, abortion, gun control and higher taxes while embracing steps to improve schools, health care and the state's anemic economy. By a narrow margin, Jindal was the more conservative, opposing abortion even in cases of rape and incest and in some instances when a mother's life is in danger. He also opposed legislation requiring helmets for motorcyclists, insisting it should be a matter of personal responsibility, not law.
Still, the differences between the candidates were primarily stylistic, and they were stark.
Can anyone say triangulation? Both candidates go right to the center, at least the center in Lousiana, and then compete on organization and intangibles. Getting the issues right is necessary but not sufficient. You also have to have the better candidate in terms of intangibles.