Gov. John Bel Edwards leads the pack for re-election, but will incumbency help or hurt him? [View all]

Robert Travis Scott was struck by the stark difference between the top two candidates at the Public Affairs Research Council gubernatorial forum in Baton Rouge exactly four years ago.

U.S. Sen. David Vitter, the Republican front-runner from Metairie, was polished and well-rehearsed in his answers, holding a thick policy pamphlet prepared by a highly professional campaign brimming with resources, noted Scott, who is PAR’s president.

Then-state Rep. John Bel Edwards, the Democratic candidate from Amite, seemed every bit the long shot. Scott saw that when Edwards answered questions, he glanced at notes he had scrawled on a piece of paper.

“One fellow had a high-octane, highly staffed approach,” remembered Scott. “The other guy was just trying to get his jalopy started every morning.”

Read more: https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/elections/article_f313a3d4-5d56-11e9-8f6d-0b43afc25d34.html
(Baton Rouge Advocate)