NO POLITICAL CONVENTIONS IN LOUISIANA!

Monday, July 22^nd, 2024

Baton Rouge,, Louisiana

NO POLITICAL CONVENTIONS IN LOUISIANA!

The Republicans just finished a rousing convention in, of all places, Milwaukee. About the only thing of interest the delegates might want to visit are a number of breweries and the Harley Davidson Museum.  But the state of Wisconsin is a key battleground state, so the Republicans picked this more enticing venue to help the Republican ticket.

One of the negatives of being a red state like Louisiana is that New Orleans is out of the mix when it comes to bringing some 50,000 delegates and onlookers to the Crescent City. It would be an understatement to say that the GOP sure missed a good time by not coming “way down yonder to New Orleans.’’ The delegates could have been tempted by Bourbon Street jazz bars and French Quarter restaurants, the World War II Museum along was so many other sites to see and a host of temptations.  As The New Orleans magazine wrote during the last time the Republicans came to New Orleans in 1988, “How to Have a Good Time in the Big Easy . . . And Keep It Quiet in Des Moines.”

Too bad these conventions are out of the running for New Orleans. Hands-down, the Crescent City is the best convention venue in the country. Hosting a convention at the Superdome makes it easy for those in attendance to walk from any hotel in the downtown area. There is a huge financial stake involved, with some 50,000 conventioneers projected to be in attendance as we witnessed in Milwaukee.  The economic impact is estimated to be well over $250 million.

The last time either party held there nominating convention in New Orleans was in 1988. The GOP gathered in New Orleans at the Superdome to pick their nominee.
An old friend had a box suite and invited me to join him there to watch the festivities.

The president-to-be, George H.W. Bush, had just completed his acceptance speech and the suite emptied out. I lingered to watch all the celebrating, when the door opened, and US Senator Bob Dole walked in. Dole had lost the nomination to Bush in a heated battle marked by some sharp exchanges.

“Sorry, I must be lost,” he said. “There’s supposed to be a suite where I can sit a bit, but I’ve forgotten the number.” “Senator, you’re welcome to relax here,” I volunteered.

I offered him a drink and we sat and watched the jubilation and TV commentary.
You could tell he was wishing he could have been the nominee taking on Gov. Dukakis in the coming fall election.

I asked, “Can Bush win?”

Dole paused for a moment, and said: “Yes, I believe he will. But that promise about ‘read my lips — no new taxes.’ That may come back to haunt him in the future if he is elected. “The Senator was right on the mark. That promise was a big factor in Bill Clinton’s victory over the incumbent President four years later.

Next up are the Democrats, who will converge on Chicago. And what a reputation this city has for wild conventions. I was there in 1988 when President Lyndon Johnson had stepped down from office and Senator Hubert Humphrey had locked up the Democratic nomination.. Louisiana’s own John McKeithen made a play for the vice presidential nomination on the Humphrey ticket. That was the first time I ever met Big John. Humphrey passed on picking McKeithen, choosing Senator Edwin Muskie of Maine instead, and the Louisiana Governor went home in a huff.

I thought the Democratic convention in 1988 was about as wild a gathering as I would witness. Right now, it looks like the Democratic gathering in Chicago could be completely topsy-turvy and one for the history books. With Biden no longer on the ticket, will some unknown candidate emerge. Donald Trump is watching from the sidelines with no idea as to who his opponent will be. It’s going to be quite a sight to watch. So get your popcorn ready.

Peace and Justice

Jim Brown

Jim Brown’s syndicated column appears each week in numerous newspapers throughout the nation and on websites worldwide. You can read all his past columns and see continuing updates at http://www.jimbrownusa.com.