The Cantrell recall mishigas should have given New Orleanians a lesson in nuance but both sides were as subtle as a jackhammer. My position *was* nuanced: LaToya Cantrell is a bad Mayor but the people behind the recall were worse. The recall was financed by wealthy Republicans and the whole thing was based on racism, sexism, and leftover opposition to Teedy’s handling of the pandemic. It’s the one thing she’s done well.

The recall not only failed, it flopped. Big time. It fell 18K signatures short of the required 45K. The recall-istas submitted some 67K signatures but 39K were rejected. The recall campaign was a shitshow run by clowns.

The man who financed the shitshow run by clowns was Rick Farrell. He’s the guy behind the shitty sports bar chain Walk Ons. He was also one of the biggest Louisiana donors to Trump’s reelection campaign. Farrell provided 92% of the $1.2 million raised for the recall. I think it’s time for people to Walk Away from Walk Ons:

I nearly wrote a post called Useless Idiots about the two people who fronted the recall drive: perennial candidate Belden Noonie Man Batiste and Eileen Carter. Two Black folks fronting for white Republicans. Not a good look, y’all.

Here are Noonie Man and Carter dancing after delivering the recall petitions to City Hall:

Were they dancing to this Zappa tune?

Eileen Carter is a former Cantrell aide. It wouldn’t surprise me if her sister, disgraced former State Senator Karen Carter Peterson, helped her get that job. The Carter sisters excel at losing elections. Karen was state party chair when the Louisiana Democratic party went down the shitter and lost two congressional races of her own. She’s currently a resident of Club Fed. Her crime was embezzling money from the state party and her own contributors. All her sister Eileen did was waste some fat cat’s money while serving as his useful idiot. Make that useless.

This shitshow run by clowns was supported by every wingnut in the Gret Stet of Louisiana. Unfortunately for the recall forces, there aren’t many wingnuts registered to vote in Orleans Parish. I suspect petitions were signed by people from Metry, Mandeville, Monroe, Maringouin, Montegut, and other Louisiana cities whose names start with M.

I’m relieved that the recall failed because I lived through Duke-Edwards 1991. I had no desire to experience another racially charged election. Eileen Carter and Noonie Man claimed the recall wasn’t about race. I told you they were idiots. Every New Orleans election is about race. Sometimes it’s the subtext, other times it’s the main text. See also, the post-K citywide election in 2006.

It’s unclear if either Mayor Teedy or the recall-ites will learn anything from this shitshow. Cantrell doesn’t do humility. She’s apt to see this as a renewed mandate.

As for Noonie Man, I’m glad I voted for another perennial candidate, Manny Chevrolet Bruno, when Cantrell was up for reelection.

As for Eileen Carter, she’s talked about lawsuits and legislation, but talk is cheap. It’s unlikely that Farrell is willing to throw good money after bad and keep financing this shitshow run by clowns. But who the hell can tell, which rhymes with Cantrell. Stay tuned.

Given the forces arrayed in the recall election, there was no way I could support it. I don’t associate with racists, sexists, and idiots either useful or useless.

I still don’t like LaToya Cantrell. She’s one of the most annoying people in public life. But I do like nuance. Nuance is my jam.

The last word goes to Jerry Goldsmith with the theme for the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie Total Recall. Arnold totally knows from recall elections.