There was an interesting contrast between Donald Trump’s visits to Monroe on Nov. 4 and Bossier City 10 days later.
In Monroe, Trump endorsed challenger Robert Mills in a state senate race 100 miles to the west, as reported by, among others, THE HAYRIDE, one of the state’s principal cheerleaders for Eddie Rispone and Trump. (That was the same rally, by the way, in which Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin violated state law that prohibits the secretary of state from participating in any partisan campaign other than for his own election by ENDORSING Rispone for governor.)
Mills is seeking to unseat incumbent Ryan Gatti in Senate District 36, which encompasses all of Webster Parish and parts of Bienville, Bossier and Claiborne parishes. Both men are Republicans but Gatti has offended the Republican hierarchy with his non-partisan voting record in the House and by supporting some of the programs of Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat.
Around the same time that Trump was endorsing Mills in that Monroe appearance, Monroe radio personality Moon Griffon got Gatti squarely in his crosshairs, posting on FACEBOOK a copy of an invitation issued by Gatti for a luncheon hosted at his home at which Edwards would be the “special guest.”
Griffon, falling in line with Trump, Rispone, and The Hayride, obediently LAMBASTED Gatti on his radio show (to listen, go to the 10-minute mark of the link).
So far, so good. Everyone is in lockstep. Trump, Rispone, Griffon, The Hayride, U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson, LABI (Mills actually sat on the board of NORTH-PAC, one of LABI’s four directional political action committees).
Until last night, that is. When Trump appeared in Bossier Thursday night, he was smack dab in the middle of District 36 and in the perfect position to again throw his support behind Mills.
In fact, The Hayride on Monday of this week said, “It’ll get even worse when Trump repeats the (Monroe) performance in Bossier City Thursday, at which (time) the president will repeat his endorsement of Mills over Gatti inside of District 36 itself.”
Except he didn’t.
Conspicuously absent in Trump’s Bossier City rally last night was any mention of Mills.
None. Zip. Nada.
Could Ashley Madison have played a role in Trump’s decision not to call for the election of Mills?
LouisianaVoice on Oct. 31 had a STORY that Mills’s name had appeared on the Ashley Madison web page, the online dating service designed specifically for married people seeking a discreet extra-marital affair.
Oops.
So much for the presidential endorsement on the candidate’s home turf.
The absurdity of it all has prompted one lifelong Republican to observe, “This is the craziest election I’ve ever seen. Mike Johnson is behind all of it. (He’s a) fake Christian conservative hatchet man. I just voted for my first Democrat ever.”
Louisiana Voice 
I don’t know who your “life-long Republican” observer was, but he and his ilk may very well be the salvation of our democracy. When I read the quotes from some of the “Trump followers” in the Times this morning, I was shocked at their lack of awareness of the Real Trump. They man that they described, gushed over, cheered and clapped for simply does not exist. They described actions that he has NOT done, they ignored his horrible foreign policy acts that have hurt our allies. Willful ignorance at its best. I have to wonder if they ever even think that what Trump has done in Syria to the Kurds, he will gleefully do to them if the time comes that Putin can dictate how he treats American citizens in America….be assured that Putin would love to be able to do this. Woe is us.
Edith Herring, your post is especially chilling when I recall high school discussions in the 70’s regarding Russia boasting that they would someday take America over without firing a single shot. It appears to be happening right now. Indeed, woe to us … 😦
I remember it well. As a young mother, I wondered what kind of world will my little children have….now I am asking the same question for my grandchildren and I have so little faith this time that these Republicans can be trusted to protect them. We are living in the most perilous timed because so mamy are bring willfully ignorant!
“Willfully ignorant.” Reminds me of in the past disparaging the Readers Digest where the following exchange occurs.
Q: How do you keep someone uninformed?
A: Take away their Readers Digest.
Q: How do you keep them misinformed?
A: Give it back.
Today the Readers Digest has been replaced by Fox News.