Sizable Portion Of Louisiana Electorate Has No Knowledge Of David Vitter's Past Scandals

Back in April, the Louisiana Democratic Party released an attack ad pitched to reminding Louisiana voters of incumbent Senator David Vitter's (R-La.) "Forgotten Crimes" -- specifically, his prostitution scandals. At the time, I found the ad to be a wee bit over-the-top in tone and content (it included a teasing, crime scene "dramatization" with a near crotch-shot) given the fact that these scandals were, in my estimation, unforgettable.

WATCH

Well, I owe the Louisiana Democratic Party a big fat apology, because as it turns out, a sizable portion of the electorate has no knowledge of Vitter's past. Per Brian Beutler, at TPM:

New Louisiana polling data to be released later today shows David Vitter maintaining a double digit lead over his likely rival, Rep. Charlie Melancon, and benefiting from the fact that the electorate there remains largely in the dark about his scandals.

[...]

Public Policy Polling surveyed 403 likely voters from August 21-22 and found that, in a two way race, 41 percent now say they'd vote for Melancon, 51 would choose Vitter, and 8 percent remain undecided. The latest TPM PollTracker average gives Vitter a nearly 13 point margin over Melancon. In June, PPP found Vitter ahead 46-37. As of now there are multiple third party candidates in the race. The winner must receive a plurality of the votes.

[...]

Yesterday, PPP unveiled a handful of the toplines of this same poll, suggesting that a great number of voters are still unaware of Vitter's recent travails, including prostitution scandals, and the more recent discovery that he knowingly employed a top aide for two years after the aide attacked his girlfriend with a knife. Only 21 percent say Vitter is a "good model" of Christian living. But 44 percent say he's not a good model, and 35 percent say they don't know.

Given the fact that Chet Traylor jumped into the GOP primary contest at the last minute for the precise reason that Vitter was so scandal-tainted, this comes as something of a surprise. For my part, I can't imagine that I know anyone who, if asked, "Tell me the first thing that comes to mind when I say 'David Vitter,'" wouldn't respond with "prostitutes" or "diapers" or "DC madam."

The good news for Melancon (who has been pressing heavily on the more recent Brent Furer matter) is that if he finds himself down in the polls at the moment, he might be able to make up some ground by enlightening that 35% that is somehow unaware of Vitter's past. In the matter of my evaluation of the Louisiana Democrats' "Forgotten Crimes" ad, however, I was clearly wrong, and so, for them, I'll cue up the appropriate Social Distortion song.

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Comments

[been2there]

04:54 PM on 08/28/2010

That fact is a real testament to the power of controlling the media. Left-wing biased my foot!

[Chinalover]

12:44 PM on 08/27/2010

There is a high proportion of Black families on welfare in Louisiana. The rich farmers and elitist class, feel that the blacks are milking the system and are non productive. The poor whites are led by these farmers and elitists to vote republican, by being told that the blacks are all democrats It is all based on inherent racism. This is deeply ingrained in Louisiana rural society. I know, I was born and raised in rural Louisiana. Avoyelles parish.

[dannywanny]

03:17 PM on 09/02/2010

I concur. I was born in Texas and have lived in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana for years. There is still a very strong undercurrent of racism that runs through the south. It rules people's lives. The south is very conservative and resistant to change. Candidates records are immaterial. Louisiana and Texas voters will vote Republican no matter who's running or what they've done. It's a simple southern creed that doesn't require much thought. Democrats, bad! Republicans, good! Blacks and mexicans, bad. White's, good!

[culture]

10:11 AM on 08/27/2010

typo - for all the spelling buffs :-) vietnamese

[culture]

10:10 AM on 08/27/2010

The Madams death was ruled a suicide - and there was only 1 shooter in the JFK assasination - the Gulf of Tonkin incident was Vietnamies terrorism - Remember the Maine was Cuban Rebals and 9-11 was plotted by some guy with WMD. Isn't it interesting the the Madams book - naming all the politicians that used her services was confiscated and only a couple of names were released (for political reasons).
People act like wearing a diaper and seeing prostitutes in DC is a crime. I admit - 1 is very kinky - but every politition in DC is prostituting themselves. Laws are only for the commoners - steal a loaf of bread - big, big fine and then jail if you can't pay. Steal a billion - you become part of the gang who could and are hailed as a good businessman.

[Truth In Voting]

08:47 AM on 08/27/2010

Of COURSE Louisiana is too busy wondering if our president might be "one of those A rab foriners" to notice Diaper David Vitter. The few who do notice are drowned out by the ignorant masses who gasp and guffaw as Vitter stashes his sex diaper under the desk and points out the window "Look at that! Over there! Look! A Kenyan birth certificate!"

The over-fed and under-read state that gave us not one, but two Birthers in U.S. Congress, is kind of like America's embarrassing cousin that gets too drunk at the family picnic, throws up in the macaroni salad, and rides a lawn mower into town to get more liquor before you find him 6 hours later burning a cross in your neighbor's yard.

[wafuu]

07:11 AM on 08/27/2010

Couldn't his opponents just buy a billboard or two, strategically placed? Seems like a no-brainer.

[Msquad99]

12:06 PM on 08/29/2010

Believe or not, they did. Billboards are of no consequence if people cannot or do not read, let alone process the information to be read.

[dannywanny]

03:20 PM on 09/02/2010

Bingo! Fanned!

[Puller58]

06:34 AM on 08/27/2010

Inbreeding has consequences...

[Enock Zamora]

05:51 AM on 08/27/2010

The leaders in the South like to keep their voters in the dark like mushrooms, and feed them B.S. The GOP like their little mushrooms that way. Like their women, they like them barefoot and pregnant.

[Jim Pasterczyk]

02:41 AM on 08/27/2010

If these people haven't heard yet about Diaper Dave it's due to willful ignorance.

[txgrandpa6]

10:14 AM on 08/27/2010

I completely agree! It has been my experience that people will knowingly ignore anything that contradicts their personal opinion of a candidate. These people will call you out for pointing out true facts which show their candidate to be a person using the "services" of a prostitute, is harboring a known woman abuser, is a sexual deviant. These are all things they will knowingly ignore because is contradicts their personal opinion of the Senator. This is what is dangerous about the voting public today. Fact are becoming more and more irrelevant and personal attributes are becoming the major factor in vote-getting.

[Jim Pasterczyk]

03:29 AM on 08/28/2010

Poll taxes are properly out, but it may be time to institute pop quizzes on simple facts an educated voter, the kind the founders wanted the country to have, should know.

[dannywanny]

03:35 PM on 09/02/2010

The communications theory of cognitive dissonance holds that people gravitate toward communications that agree with their beliefs. It's truer now than ever before in my lifetime. Facts and reason are seen as lies spread by the liberal media. Ideology now trumps logic and it's reinforced by the dark triumvirate of Limbaugh, Palin and Beck.

[hottingers]

02:21 AM on 08/27/2010

20% of the people who voted for him last time actually thought that they were voting for Tender Vittles.

[ydrittmann]

11:52 AM on 08/27/2010

He should try Desitin fot that.

[ydrittmann]

02:14 AM on 08/27/2010

Didn't his madam die under suspicious circumstances?

[gardengranny]

08:48 AM on 08/27/2010

She committed suicide before she went to trial.

[gardengranny]

08:55 AM on 08/27/2010

By her own hand. Before she went to trial.

[gsmp]

01:29 AM on 08/27/2010

_Sex scandals won't make any difference to the good-old-boy network, but the ladies might have a problem with the girlfriendbasher keeping his job for 2 years.

[TheDailyZack1]

01:04 AM on 08/27/2010

But I thought the new Liberal narrative was that these sex scandals do not matter anymore?

[rchwel]

01:38 AM on 08/27/2010

Can you sy hypocrisy ? vitter ran as a family value man, has called for others to be impeached, the people SHOULD know he is a liar and __________________ go ahead show us you learned a new word today and fill in the blank.

[ssa5]

02:25 AM on 08/27/2010

I think with dense people no matter how many times you explain it to them, they just will never understand. It is not the act, it is the sheer and utter hypocrisy. It is not necessarily what he does with his private life, it is that he holds this up as a tool to bash others. How freaking dense do you have to be to support such a shameless politician, and to think they he would in any way care about representing your interests. Get a clue. Problem in this country is not terrorists we need to fear, but the vast stupidity and ignorance of the population that votes, and does so as equally ignorant and stupidly.

[Vikingdave]

12:56 AM on 08/27/2010

So sad that on the 90th anniversary of women getting the vote, this guy is still in the U.S. Senate.

[MarieB]

12:56 AM on 08/27/2010

They know, but ya'll don't talk about this stuff.