Louisiana Republican Party Chairman Roger Villere announced Monday that the state GOP will hold its presidential caucus in late April, fueling speculation that the delay is designed to aid former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.
Louisiana Republican Party Chairman Roger Villere announced Monday that the state GOP will hold its presidential caucus in late April, fueling speculation that the delay, as we've previously reported, is designed to aid former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and, by extension, Gov. Bobby Jindal. The theory, propounded mainly by north Louisiana radio host Moon Griffon, goes something like this (as recounted by conservative website The Hayride):
[T]he Romney camp, in collusion with Gov. Jindal, worked to pressure the members of the Louisiana State Central Committee's Executive Committee to push the caucus date back because they know that [libertarian U.S. Rep. Ron] Paul is a shoe-in to win and it wouldn't look good for the establishment candidate, Romney, if that were to happen in an early contest. Jindal is supposedly in on it because he wants the veep spot on Romney's ticket or some kind of cabinet appointment once Romney becomes president.
Louisiana GOP Executive Director Jason Doré, however, tells The Hayride's Tom Bonnette the caucus was moved back more or less for two non-conspiratorial reasons: the early 2008 primary, held in late January, was riddled with problems, and with so many states jockeying to hold earlier primaries/caucuses, the state Republican Party decided against adding to the confusion.
Read more here.