Nola Bloggers + Nola Mayoral Candidates = Win

I am overcome with a sense of pride in seeing Nola bloggers seizing the day in this election. On their blogs and Twitter, Nola bloggers have been giving constant reports and commentary from debates and forums. Finally, “analysis” I actually care about from people I have something in common with. Smart, funny, informed dispatches from friends and fellow New Orlenians who don’t always agree with me but still think like I do. Folks who aren’t promoting a book, shooting for an anchor job or being bumped for a full page ad.

I could name names but I would leave people out and in the end the whole group functions as a whole. I will say one morning I was still in my bath robe while Karen was Tweeting, er Twittering, er commenting on the Internet from some forum or another. Sure I felt like I wasn’t doing my part. Sure I spent the rest of the day in that very same bath robe. But I was also staying informed. Which is the LEAST someone can do right?

Also, if Eli Ackerman is near you with a camera in his hand, a smart man would try his hardest not to say anything STUPID. Of course, a stupid man can’t do anything but.

These are the experts I want to hear from. I never understood the cable networks laziness in always going to the “experts.” The experts have been shown to be wrong time and time again. I always look for truths by asking my neighbors and friends. More can be gleaned from the information they provide than so-and-so Jones-Matthews who is the Vice President of the such-and-such group who has a book out on the subject called “A Time For Dying” or whatever talking head happens to be on the screen. It seems so much is spent on trying to figure out what will happen but not enough on what IS happening.

Back to the Mayor’s race and bloggers, I think John Georges and Troy Henry have taken the brunt of it which is fine. Particularly in the case of Georges who just has this general notion and aura of being clueless. I have not spoke with a single person who has said they have considered voting for him.

I spoke with an ice cream vendor in the Quarter the other day. That’s right, an ice cream man, who said he wouldn’t vote for him because he didn’t trust anyone who made their fortune in vices. In the Governor’s race, that’s why I didn’t vote for him. But now, I have all kinds of reasons.

In 2006 I criticized Mitch Landrieu for not going on the attack enough and being too passive. This time around, that’s exactly what he needs to do. His opponents are throwing dirt on themselves.