Will Bush Magic Work In Louisiana?
Polls show Republican Suzanne Haik Terrell is trailing Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., in their battle for the only Senate seat still up for grabs.
President Bush will be in Louisiana on Tuesday campaigning for Terrell, and that's making Democrats uneasy.
Mr. Bush's vigorous campaigning is credited with swinging several close Senate races to the GOP column last month. As a result, the Republicans again control Congress.
A Terrell win would help solidify the Republicans' grip on the Senate, where the party holds a 51 to 48 margin over the Democrats, with one independent.
The election is Saturday.
Some analysts say the popular president could make the difference in Louisiana as well. A recent poll showed Landrieu in the lead, but to win she must hold on to many who will be wooed by Mr. Bush on Tuesday as he campaigns in Shreveport and New Orleans.
Landrieu had 50.4 percent to 33.9 percent for Terrell, with the remainder undecided in the poll by Southern Media & Opinion Research.
But pollster Bernie Pinsonat said he expected Mr. Bush's visit to narrow the gap.
"When the president lands Air Force One in Louisiana, he has the potential to be a game winner," Pinsonat said.
The same poll found that 72.7 percent of Louisiana voters feel Mr. Bush is doing a good or excellent job. Both candidates acknowledge the race could be close. "You can't call me Landslide Landrieu," the incumbent said with a laugh. She won her first term six years ago in a runoff by just under 6,000 votes.
Republicans have already cranked up the Bush machine. On Saturday, the president recorded a telephone message that will be used to urge Louisiana voters to the polls and vote for Terrell.
Monday, Mr. Bush's father, former President George Bush, campaigned for Terrell in northern Louisiana. And Vice President Dick Cheney did his own stumping for Terrell, at a fundraiser last month.
With the notable exception of abortion, the two Senate candidates are not far enough apart on major issues. On most issues, the differences between Landrieu, a centrist Democrat, and Republican Terrell are so small that issues have been buried by mud thrown by the two political parties, most political analysts agree.
"For the people, it's going to be more of a nuance vote," Wayne Parent, a political science professor at LSU said. "It might make a difference, one seat in the Senate, but it doesn't have much to do with the Republicans having that much more clout if Terrell wins."
Landrieu is pro abortion rights and Terrell is anti-abortion rights. Although Louisiana has a reputation as a strong anti-abortion rights state, Landrieu has support of a majority of women, according to recent polls.
Throughout the campaign, both candidates have strongly backed Mr. Bush's policy on Iraq and the congressional resolution that allows him to take action against that nation.