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Roxie
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Roxie
Post Number: 819
Registered: 06-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 21, 2006 - 07:25 am: | 
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New Orleans Votes to Re-Elect Nagin
By MICHELLE ROBERTS, AP
NEW ORLEANS (May 21) - Voters re-elected Mayor Ray Nagin, the colorful leader whose blunt style endeared him to some but outraged others after Hurricane Katrina, giving him four more years to oversee one of the largest rebuilding projects in U.S. history.
Thoughts
"This is a great day for the city of New Orleans. This election is over, and it's time for this community to start the healing process," Nagin said Saturday in a joyful victory speech.
"It's time for us to stop the bickering," he said. "It's time for us to stop measuring things in black and white and yellow and Asian. It's time for us to be one New Orleans."
Nagin won with 52.3 percent, or 59,460 votes, to Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu's 47.7 percent, or 54,131 votes. While the vote was split largely along racial lines, Nagin got enough of a crossover in predominantly white districts to make the difference. He also won a slim majority of absentee and fax votes cast by evacuees scattered across the country.
Nagin, a former cable television executive elected to office in 2002, had argued the city could ill-afford to change course as rebuilding gathered steam.
His second term begins a day before the June 1 start of the hurricane season in a city where streets are still strewn with rusting, mud-covered cars and entire neighborhoods consist of homes that are empty shells.
With little disagreement on the major issues -- the right of residents to rebuild in all areas and the urgent need for federal aid -- the campaign turned on leadership styles.
Nagin, a janitor's son from a working-class neighborhood, is known for his shoot-from-the-hip rhetoric. After Katrina plunged his city into chaos nine months ago, Nagin was both scorned and praised for a tearful plea for the federal government to "get off their (behinds) and do something" and his remark that God intended New Orleans to be a "chocolate" city.
In his victory speech, Nagin promised his supporters, "You're not going to get a typical Ray Nagin speech. I'm not going to get into trouble tonight, trust me."
He reached out to President Bush, thanking him for keeping his commitment to bring billions of dollars for levees, housing and incentives to the city.
And as for Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco, with whom he feuded in the wake of the storm, Nagin thanked her "for what she's getting ready to do."
"It's time for a real partnership," he said. "It's time for us to get together and rebuild this city."
Landrieu, who served 16 years in the state House before being elected to his current post two years ago, had touted his polished political skills and his ability to bring people together.
He's the scion of a political dynasty known as Louisiana's version of the Kennedys _ the brother of Sen. Mary Landrieu and son of New Orleans' last white mayor, Moon Landrieu, who left office in 1978.
In conceding the race, Landrieu echoed the theme of his campaign -- a call for unity.
"One thing is for sure: that we as a people have got to come together so we can speak with one voice and one purpose," he said.
Fewer than half of New Orleans' 455,000 pre-Katrina residents are living in the city.
Evacuees arrived by bus from as far as Atlanta and Houston to vote. More than 25,000 ballots were cast early by mail or fax or at satellite polling places set up around Louisiana earlier in the month.
Turnout appeared to be on-par with the April 22 primary, when about 37 percent of eligible voters cast ballots.
Nagin, who had widespread support from white voters four years ago, lost much of that support in the primary but got a much stronger showing this time.
Voter Elliot Pernell was philosophical about his vote for the incumbent.
"He's been through the experience already," he said, "and won't make the same mistakes."
Associated Press writers Brett Martel, Kevin McGill and Hank Ackerman contributed to this report.
05-21-06 06:26 EDT
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Hmmmmm, I wonder how those sales at Imnotchocolate.com are doing now? (LOL!) |
Robynmarie
Regular Poster
Username: Robynmarie
Post Number: 27
Registered: 04-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 21, 2006 - 09:46 am: |
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too bad... |
Tonya
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Tonya
Post Number: 2505
Registered: 07-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 21, 2006 - 09:51 am: |
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Nagin Re-Elected?
Yeeeeesss!!!
I didn't even read the article yet but yeeeeesss!!
Thanks Roxie for the wonderful news. |
Aurora
Newbie Poster
Username: Aurora
Post Number: 3
Registered: 04-2006
Rating: 
Votes: 4 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 21, 2006 - 03:59 pm: |
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Four more years of Mayor Ray Nagin?
Maybe this time he will draw up a
comprehensive evacuation plan,
instead of abandoning his residents
to languish, drown and be displaced
homeless, poverty struck and starving
to death.
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Tonya
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Tonya
Post Number: 2508
Registered: 07-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 21, 2006 - 05:05 pm: |
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Or maybe the inexperienced white boy with his shady ineffective scandalous history could have done a whole lot better.... Who knows.
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Moonsigns
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Moonsigns
Post Number: 1149
Registered: 07-2004
Rating:
Votes: 3 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 21, 2006 - 08:41 pm: |
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The National Weather Service called Mayor Nagin to inform him of the impending storm--he even had the opportunity to use public school buses to allow many residents, at least 1,000, the opportunity to safely evacuate New Orleans. However, he informed the (wealthy) business community first and never bothered to utilize those buses for the poor of New Orleans...but was quick to point the finger of blame in a direction other than his own.
And it's absolutely hysterical that he now wants his once "God"-ordained, "chocolate city" to be a "New Orleans"--one that needs to "stop being measured by black and white and yellow and Asian". There is no mistaking that this man is a typical politician--what a gotdayum joker!
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Chrishayden
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 2191
Registered: 03-2004
Rating:
Votes: 4 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 22, 2006 - 10:31 am: |
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To all the members of the National White People's Party (The Republicans) and assorted Klansmen, phony liberals, Hitlerites and backbiters--
In your FACE!
Moonsigns:
Spoken like a dummy. Of course Mayor Nagin had authority over those busses--but he had no authority to COMMAND any damn bus driver to risk his life and drive them out.
By the way a contingent of bus drivers from the surrounding areas did show up to drive those busses. Their police escort panicked and ran out on them. I suppose Nagin was supposed to go down at gunpoint and force them to do it.
I don't believe you are married to a black man. I don't think any black man could stand in a room with you more than five minutes--at least I know I couldn't.
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Moonsigns
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Moonsigns
Post Number: 1150
Registered: 07-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 22, 2006 - 04:04 pm: |
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Chrishayden:
"Of course Mayor Nagin had authority over those busses--but he had no authority to COMMAND any damn bus driver to risk his life and drive them out."
Moonsigns:
Chris, an individual who has access to the "outside world" via t.v., internet, or communication with other human beings--which I'm sure many in New Orleans did/do--would have to be mentally challenged to not comprehend the monsterous potential of a category 5 hurricane. I would think that anyone with enough common sense, especially those that didn't have the money, would appreicate the opportunity to get the phuck out of an area that was in the path of an impending, violent storm. With that considered, it's just another convenient excuse to suggest that politician Nagin had "authority" but couldn't "COMMAND" any bus driver to "risk his life". That's complete bullshyt. It proved to be more of a risk to stay than to leave. But I'm the "dummy"?!?!.......LMAO!
Chrishayden:
"I don't believe you are married to a black man. I don't think any black man could stand in a room with you more than five minutes--at least I know I couldn't."
Moonsigns:
Ohhhhh, Chrissy. Tsk-tsk-tsk. You hurt my feelings. Stop.
LMAO!
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Yukio
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Yukio
Post Number: 1246
Registered: 01-2004
Rating:
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 23, 2006 - 12:39 am: |
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I really don't think the buses would have done much . . . . Katrina was not something that a mayor with all his might and will could have handled, alone. Now, lets say that Nagin was neglient. Does this mean that Bush was not?
Logic is a killa and foolery is the dagger! |
Tonya
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Tonya
Post Number: 2512
Registered: 07-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 23, 2006 - 12:02 pm: |
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The bus drivers were among the rich. The people that were left behind were jobless or surviving on less than 10,000 dollars a year and didn't even have cars much less the ability to drive buses. Are you dumb? Probably not, but you are definitely not an intellectual. Chris and Yukio and, perhaps, Nagin are. I'm not just supporting "the black man."
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Nels
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Nels
Post Number: 371
Registered: 07-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 24, 2006 - 12:10 am: |
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Nagin is lucky, very lucky. He leaned on the crutch of racism to achieve a narrow victory. The real test will come in how much influence he will have with the bill payers and the investors that New Orleans will have to rely on in order to move forward. In other words, will he be respected as a productive leader or simply scorned as an out-of-touch politician? |
Abm
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Abm
Post Number: 4612
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 24, 2006 - 01:26 am: |
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I don't know whether Nagin was, is or will be a good Mayor. But I'm about metaphysically CERTAIN that if a WHITE man were elected Mayor of New Orleans, the former/current Black residents of New Orleans would be pretty much FUHKED. |
Femrenoir
Newbie Poster
Username: Femrenoir
Post Number: 13
Registered: 05-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 25, 2006 - 09:36 pm: |
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Yep and here's to them for getting it done - You can bet, doggone, it wadn't 'easy'.
As far as Nagin and the buses are concerned. He is a politician, mayor of a metropolitan city and all that entails. There should have been someone experienced with evacuations and natural disasters advising him almost immediately (kind of like pulp fiction - where was the 'wolf'?)
I'm sure there are a lot of things he 'wishes' he'd thought of or tried. He's learning. Hopefully, he'll be allowed to do some good work. The backlash hammer has a long memory. |
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