Clown Car: Some quick notes on the Mayor's race

School Board killer and yurp magnet Leslie Jacobs is almost guaranteed to announce her candidacy for Mayor, from what I've been hearing. She can self-finance, perhaps almost to the level that local monopoly man parody John Georges can.

Jacobs' likely entry into the race means that rumors of a possible reentry by Mitch Landrieu are untrue. Jacobs would not be doing focus groups and polls and taking possible campaign organizers out to lunch if she hadn't been personally assured by the Lieutenant Governor that he was not going to be running. Jacobs and Landrieu are deferentially close.

I generally agree with AZ's analysis that Jacobs might be wiser to take on Jay Batt in District A and also with the general point about how important catering ability is for a potential Mayor.

I have not heard any inkling, however, that Jacobs is considering anything less than a full-out run for Mayor. She was also recently seen at a GOP heavyweights for Jay Batt fundraiser.

Aaaand, I've just thrown up in my mouth a little bit.

I don't understand why Jacobs (or those that are personally close to her) think it is in her or her family's best interest to run for Mayor right now. Not only do I think she has little chance of winning but I also think she could potentially undermine her efforts outside and adjacent to government.

I'm told that her focus groups indicate that African American women are open-minded to her candidacy. I don't want to by cynical but I have never in my readings about the politics ever heard of gender trumping race in a municipal election, especially a municipality with the poor civil rights record that this one has.

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Former Judge Nadine Ramsey is actually running she says. I have seen two Nadine Ramsey bumper stickers so it must be true. Her climb is so steep - I have no idea why she's running or how she plans to compete financially.

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Troy Henry is also running kind of sort of I think. Troy Henry was President of United Water when United Water was gunning to get New Orleans to privatize the water board. Henry was in charge in Atlanta when that city actually did. That experiment failed in spectacular fashion amidst staff problems, financial issues, and multiple instances of water contamination. There were boil orders. Lots of them. Thankfully, New Orleans learned from Atlanta's mistake.

I'd like to know if Henry has had a change of heart about whether privatizing basic and critical municipal services is smart policy.

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Rep. Austin Badon has announced his exit from the Mayor's race and entrance into the race for District E. The pay raise likely made this office more palatable. I see no reason he won't take it easily though I am excited to see what seems at first glance to be a progressive challenge out of the Vietnamese community.

James Perry has announced a leave of absence from the Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center so that he can concentrate on running for Mayor. Though he claimed a fund-raising victory for the last filing deadline, his new campaign staff is seems to be sucking up a huge share of whatever was taken in. I doubt they'll have enough money to invest in advertising. Will they have enough for yard signs or mailers?

I've seen some calls for volunteers but I'm not sure the extent to which those calls have been met. Is the Perry campaign planning on doing any organizing work? Have they been knocking on doors?

Maybe I'm missing something but I don't see much evidence that the campaign has done anything to penetrate the electorate. An underdog won't win using traditional campaign tactics.

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Giant Ed Murray signs are proliferating like crazy. He's the front-runner until further notice.