The mayoral election is set for April 22nd, and already it’s shaping up to be a major entertainment event. The Clerk of Criminal Court in Orleans Parish is responsible for running the election here. Her name is Kimberly Williamson Butler and yesterday she was tossed in jail –not for stealing or shooting someone in a fit of post-Katrina passion mind you. No, she was put in jail because she is so bad at her job, and so stupid, that she managed to get enough judges mad at her, to the point where she’s now in jail. (I’m skipping over a lot tantalizing background here, so if you are from out of town you’ll want to learn more about her fugitive state and her calling into radio station programs etc.).
So, we’ve got the person in charge of the local elections in jail, and we have some issues about how people who are displaced to other regions are going to vote. But, those are background issues. Now it’s time to meet the candidates. At this point I’ll turn it over to Chris Rose:
"Late last night, I finally finished reading the list of candidates for the coming municipal elections. It took me three days.It is a compelling document, as heart-rending as James Frey’s "A Million Little Pieces" — and almost as long — except the tragedy in this story is that it is true.
The list is so long — 23 candidates for mayor alone — that I have come to recognize that voting is not only the privilege of American democracy, but the burden of New Orleans residency."
There are only about three viable candidates: Nagin, Landrieu and Forman. I’ve already said that I’m for Landrieu, so you know where my bias is. As for the other candidates, I don’t know that any of them merit any attention. Then again, I could be wrong about that. Until the circus comes back to town this may be our best chance for entertainment. Tonight there is a mayoral debate on TV (and supposedly it will be simulcast on the web). For more information on our mayoral election (including a list of the candidates) click here.
Incidentally, did I mention that (now jailed Clerk of Court) Kimberly Williamson Butler is running for mayor? I don’t know who is moderating the debate tonight, but if Simon Cowell is available I’d say we spare no expense in bringing him here. After all, if we’re going to turn this mayoral election into a political circus let’s do it right.
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I support Mitch too, but objectively I’d say, Forman won the debate overall. I’ve got more on that here: https://bigfatneworleanskatrina.blogspot.com/2006/03/first-tv-debate-forman-won-my-take-on.html
Sounds like you guys need Kathleen Harris from Florida to help run your elections! Just out of curiosity why does the Clerk of “Criminal” Courts run the election?