Perhaps one of the legacies the recently deceased former Governor, Edwin Edwards, will forever maintain is his slaying of David Duke in a world-wide watched election for the state’s stop spot, Governor of the State of Louisiana.

For almost one year, instead of being focused upon how to get rid of the coronavirus, thanks to then-President Donald Trump, we debated whether we should wear masks and if we should social distance.  What a waste of time.  And, a waste of life.

During an interview with Jim Brown to discuss Pandemic to the future, the issue of whether we should open up the schools came up in our discussion.  Below is the transcript of this segment of the interview. Below also is the video. I strongly recommend watching the video.

If you’re a book publisher like me, and want to sell a lot of books, there’s no better time than during a pandemic. Book sales have been high for months, particularly the big box stores like Walmart, Target, Costco, as well as bookstores nationwide. Some of the titles published by The Lisburn Press have sales that have tripled in recent months.  If you’re stuck inside, what better way to pass time by reading a book.

 Assuming in this strange day and age, we still have political conventions this year, no one at this stage is sure just how the process will work. The old process of picking national candidates in the proverbial smoke-filled room has gone by the wayside in favor of party primaries. In the old days, candidates would spend years wooing state party leaders, who would then select delegates and tell them whom to support.

Jim Brown.

He has worn plenty of hats. He's a former Louisiana State Senator, Secretary of State, Insurance Commissioner,. He ran for Louisiana governor and along with Edwin Edwards, Billy Tauzin, Bob Livingston and others who all were beaten by a little-known Congressman, Buddy Roemer. He is an attorney, columnist, publisher, husband, father and grandfather. He's also a story-teller.

In the first primary governor’s race here in the Bayou State, incumbent John Bel Edwards looked to be on the verge of a first primary victory.  Then at the last minute, the President blew into the state. It made a huge difference, and now Edwards is in the political fight of his life being challenged by political newcomer and Trump ally Eddie Rispone.

Psst… Wake up.

Don’t tell anyone, but we’ve got a "red-hot" statewide election here in Louisiana in just a few months.  In fact, all Louisiana legislators are up for either re-election or are vacating their seats due to terms-limits. There might be a legislator here or there just throwing in the towel even before their time expires. 

Ok, stop your yawning. You're not interested, you say?

Well, positions such as Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, Insurance Commissioner are all up for grabs. Oh, did I not mention, the big kahuna of all, the top spot, Louisiana Governor? This is currently held by Democrat John Bel Edwards. No doubt, replacing him is top on the agenda for the Louisiana Republican Party.

Sorry, was that a "ho-hum" or "hum-dinger"?  

Oh, I see. Well, does anybody know? Does anybody care?

Well, if you’re running for office, absolutely. But, if you’re Mr. or Ms. Average Voter, maybe not.

I hope everyone enjoyed their recent Memorial Day weekend.  Many Louisianans were vacationing over the long holiday or enjoying a cookout with family and friends.  Many stores held sales advertising for us to have a “Happy Memorial Day.” All well and good, but what about the real purpose of this special day?

Qualification for this fall’s gubernatorial election is less than five months away.  So far, there are only two races at the statewide level that are competitive. The governor’s race always draws a crowd, with Governor Edwards being challenged so far by two major and well-funded opponents.  The other major contest pits the incumbent insurance commissioner in the run for his political life against well-funded newcomer Tim Temple. Incumbents in the other statewide offices have no opposition so far. 

What must a candidate running for public office do to get noticed? Does it make a difference whether the candidate is new to the political scene versus someone who has tire marks of experience?  Has the Internet changed this process and if so, how? What role does polling have for those who are new to the campaign trail, compared to someone who has a track history of electioneering? Are polls necessary in all races?