[StBernard] New Poll Numbers!!!

[Westley Annis]

WAFB POLL:   COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE & FORESTRY

MIKE STRAIN  27%
BOB ODOM  27%
DON JOHNSON  6%
WAYNE CARTER  5%
NONE  4%
DON'T KNOW, WON'T SAY  32%
Margin of Error:  +/- 4.5%

________________________________

The Alexandria Town Talk Endorses Mike Strain
http://www.thetowntalk.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071013/OPINION/71013
0344

Bob Odom has controlled this department for 28 years and spent much of the
past four years battling personal legal problems stemming from charges of
public corruption. 

He built, at taxpayer expense, a $56 million sugar mill in South Louisiana
that has proven to be a bust, and tried to build a $135 million sugar cane
syrup mill in Central Louisiana.

Odom has had his turn. It's time to go. 

In his place, we endorse Mike Strain for commissioner of agriculture and
forestry. 

Strain, a state representative from Covington, is veterinarian and a cattle
rancher. He understands the challenges facing Louisiana farmers, ranchers
and timbermen and the issues important to the state's huge agriculture and
timber industries. 

Strain has served on the Rural Legislative Task Force and has been chairman
of the Rural Caucus. He has good ideas related to property protection,
market growth and tax credits; and, as a legislator who has voted on various
fees, he knows which ones can and should be reduced or eliminated. 

Mike Strain offers hope to an office and an industry that need it. 

________________________________

WAFB POLL: Odom/Strain in Dead Heat
http://www.wafb.com/Global/story.asp?S=7206457
<http://www.wafb.com/Global/story.asp?S=7206457> 

A newly released WAFB 9NEWS poll shows Democrat Bob Odom, Louisiana's
longtime Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry, could be forced into a
runoff for the first time since first seeking election in 1979. The poll,
conducted by political science professor Ed Renwick of Loyola University,
indicates Odom is in a dead heat with Republican Mike Strain. Strain is a
veterinarian from Covington. Both candidates received 27% of the vote in the
poll which included 500 registered voters questioned between October 2nd and
8th. The poll, conducted for WAFB-TV, WWL-TV, and four other television
stations in Louisiana, has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5%. 

Odom was elected to office after a runoff in 1979 when he defeated a scandal
ridden administration that included his predecessor Gilbert "Gil" Dozer who
served four years in prison for bribery, extortion and theft. Since then,
Odom has enjoyed wide margins of victory and avoided runoffs in every run
for re-election. In 1995, he won the race with 73% of the vote. In 1999, he
faced no opposition. However in 2007, poll numbers indicated Odom is
destined for a runoff.

Republican Don Johnson came in third in the poll, with 6%, followed by
Republican Wayne Carter with 5%.  Four percent did not choose any of the
four candidates. 32 percent either refused to answer or indicated they were
undecided, Renwick said.

"I think this is even going to surprise Odom," said Julie Baxter, an
attorney with the Baton Rouge law firm Moore, Walters. Baxter, a political
analyst for WAFB, is also a former political reporter for WAFB 9NEWS. "Odom
has, in the past several years, been more lucky at the ballot box than he
has been in court.  And now it seems to have flipped. In court, he's got the
bribery and theft charges thrown out and, some would argue, even those were
even political.  And for now, at least, it looks like he's being threatened
at the voting box," Baxter said.

Baxter says trouble for Bob Odom could spell trouble for the entire
Democratic Party in Louisiana. "For years, Odom has helped other Democrats
get elected. It's his machine that turns out the votes on election day. His
ability to send out his ballots in various parts of the state and suggest
who he'd recommend people vote for has been legendary in Louisiana," she
said.

"This is a real barn burner," Renwick said.  Even if Odom is forced into a
runoff Renwick says Odom's influence in Louisiana should not be discounted.
"He's been in power so long that he knows all kinds of people and all kinds
of people know him," Renwick said. 

________________________________


Voters deeply divided in two statewide races
By Bill Barrow
Saturday, October 13, 2007 

http://www.nola.com/timespic/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-5/1192258908255160
.xml&coll=1
<http://www.nola.com/timespic/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-5/119225890825516
0.xml&coll=1> 

Excerpts from the Times Picayune...

"For agriculture commissioner, seven-term incumbent Democrat Bob Odom and
Republican state Rep. Michael Strain of Covington were deadlocked at 27
percent. Republicans Don Johnson and Wayne Carter were a distant third and
fourth, both registering single-digit support. A combined 36 percent said
they were undecided or declined to side with any available options."

"Strain is perhaps the best-financed, most organized opponent Odom has faced
since his first victory almost three decades ago. He's also challenging Odom
on the heels of a long-running corruption probe. A state judge in February
tossed the remaining criminal charges against the commissioner, but the case
lingers on appeal, and Strain has used it as part of his general claims that
voters should replace an almost iconic figure of Louisiana politics."

"Perhaps of greater concern to Odom than the dead heat is that Strain pulls
ahead when only self-identified "extremely interested" and "very interested"
voters are measured. In the first subset of the sampling, Strain led Odom by
12 percentage points. In the second group, Strain managed a 2 point
advantage."



________________________________


Election Day 

Please remember that Election Day is this Saturday, October 20th. 
Voting Hours begin from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM. 
All you need is a photo ID - no special reason or form. 
Click here <http://69.2.40.209/>  to find out where you vote.

Thank you,

Brandon Vidrine
Campaign Manager
Mike Strain 2007