Election Crunch Time

The average voter may have finally started to focus on the Oct. 20 election. We might pick an outright winner for governor and many other statewide and local races. Runoffs will be decided Nov. 17.

This voter is searching the Internet, reading archived headlines, poring over newspapers and listening to audio of candidates. Getting this voter to the polls is the next step.

And The Times is trying to help.

Readers can review candidate bios and links on our election Web site. This shreveporttimes.com section will contain the Election Guide material appearing in The Times special section published Thursday. A sample ballot can be downloaded now and will be published Friday and Saturday

While the mantra of change echoes with "don't put the same ol’ faces back in office," Northwest Louisiana might benefit from returning a few. If leaders like Billy Montgomery (running for District 37 Senate after being term-limited in the house), District 8 State Representative Jane Smith and District 38 Senator Sherri Cheek are elected, they offer a senior coalition for Northwest Louisiana capable of helping newbie legislators navigate in Baton Rouge. They have a record of helping with Cyber Command and championing their constituents’ interests.

Locally, the Caddo coroner race is the most heated -- and the most interesting. It has been more than 20 years since there has been head-on competition for this job.

Dr. Todd Thoma is facing off with incumbent Dr. Mairus McFarland. Thoma, with assists by local attorney John Settle, is taking McFarland to task on administrative and operational decisions. Thoma has raised important issues about fiscal responsibility and use of specialized nurses, but you are the final judge of whether those points merit replacing McFarland. McFarland is credited with digging the coroner's office out of a major mess left by the late Dr. George McCormick. To McFarland's credit, he acknowledges the need to explore local autopsy options and makes good points about why some out-of-state autopsies are needed.
There is more to this debate.

Try to catch up on election issues by reading a few aging election forum headlines (1, 2 and 3).

Do your homework and review tomorrow's election guide published in lieu of the Conversations section. This guide will set you up to use the sample ballots being published in The Times Friday and Saturday.

As gubernatorial negative ads dissolve into desperation, don't be deterred by the process. Instead listen to audio of gubernatorial candidate stances and points:

• Walter Boasso: Download the interview
• Foster Campbell: Download the interview
• John Georges: Download the interview
• Bobby Jindal: Download the interview

Part of our process includes interviewing all the candidates and offering endorsements. A group of volunteer community board members and The Times editorial board met with the local and statewide candidates over a three-week period. Phew! A recap of the endorsements published these past two weeks will be published Friday.

Newspapers do endorsements to offer a considered opinion and provoke thought. We take a stance everyday on the issues that face our community. Why would we sit out on the biggest decisions facing the future of our state, the 2007 election? You shouldn't sit out either.

The most effective and most American duty we have is to vote. See you at the polls Saturday. Follow results online and in The Sunday Times.

John Georges Sees Iacocca In The Mirror

Gubernatorial candidate John Georges compares himself to Chrysler champ Lee Iacocca.



When Georges met with The Times' editorial and community boards Tuesday, he brought Iacocca’s book on leadership as a prop. "We lack people like Lee Iacocca, like myself," he suggests. Georges believes he can provide that kind of leadership (session audio -- streaming file).

Among the points he made at the gathering:
-- Expressed admiration for former U.S. Senator John Breaux (D) to stress he is not a party loyalist.
-- Referenced his meeting with former Governor Mike Foster when possible, and seemed proud that Foster considered him dull.
-- Underlined his accomplishments as a church leader, a business turnaround "guy"and gaming profiteer. He added he is divesting himself of gaming interests to run a campaign free of special interests.
-- Supports eliminating a state income tax, but acknowledges it as a false promise in the immediate future.
-- Wants charity hospitals in New Orleans fully restored.
-- Stressed leadership over ethics despite recent headlines and Louisiana’s lingering reputation for corruption. He did support full disclosure of an official’s household income.
-- Expressed disbelief that the Massachusetts health care model would work in Louisiana because of the indigent patient numbers.

On the way out the door, he pushed his recent poll. He believes it shows him with an opportunity to beat campaign front-runner and U.S Rep. Bobby Jindal (R).

Georges introduced himself to us as an amateur politician.

This was endearing at first, but he did come across as naïve on health care. His school administration experience seemed short dealing with real-world public school issues of dropouts and poverty. He never really answered the high-stakes testing question. His solid business acumen comes across, but his references to the plight (and flight) of affluent Louisianans left me wondering if he can relate to the range of Louisianans that’ll vote. Some board members took issue with his position on ethics and his understanding of health care issues. Georges believes he’ll win -- if you will just get to know him.

These are just impressions. Of course, we are still digesting and reviewing his comments. You can too. Listen to the complete recording (streaming file) of the editorial board meeting.

We are meeting with candidates as part of our election coverage and editorial board review process.