Gov. Kathleen Blanco changed the political atmosphere in Louisiana considerably Tuesday night when she announced she would not seek re-election. Instead, she would pay all of her attention to getting Louisiana out of the many quagmires that have existed since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita laid their tolls.
Regardless of her reason, it was a good move on her part. We could have lived with her at the helm for another nine months since she has gained some experience in dealing with such problems. But polls said her chances of winning re-election were slim.
Now she can pay full attention to her job of leading her state over the encumbrances that exist, many from even before the storms. She can tackle her job from a non-political stance.
Several years ago, Louisiana governors could not seek re-election. They could serve only one consecutive term which served this very same purpose – to remove some of the politics from the office. Then they were allowed to serve two consecutive terms which still stands.
Much of the politics of the upcoming legislative session should be removed with Blanco’s action. It will not be a matter of how many votes each action will attract but rather how much good it will do for the state. It will add statesmanship to the leadership role in Louisiana.
Be the first to comment