Buddy Roemer, Louisiana's former Democrat-turned-Republican governor, dies at 77

[SouthBayDem]

Source: Baton Rouge Advocate

Buddy Roemer, who rode a message of reform in the 1987 governor’s race to vault over three challengers and “slay the dragon” — scandal-torn three-time Gov. Edwin Edwards — but who lost reelection four years later to the same rival, died Monday in Baton Rouge.

Roemer was 77. Ill for months, he died of complications from diabetes.

Roemer was a Democrat-turned-Republican, but he seemed too independent and headstrong to fit well in either party. He never followed the precept that to get ahead in politics, you had to get along with other politicians. With his sharp mind, he understood all the angles of a political play but disliked the deal-making that came with being governor. And that limited what he could achieve.

"He was all about reform, but it didn’t always work in his favor because of the realities of politics at the state Capitol," said Bernie Pinsonat, a veteran political consultant.

Read more: https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/article_4e8cd89e-3676-11eb-b2fc-eb5c23580375.html

[peppertree]

1. Roemer - like many in the Deep South - was utterly convinced Poppy Bush would be re-elected in '92

And, might I add, that Mr. Potatoe Head would succeed him in '96 - in effect, a "permanent lock" on the White House, as they often boasted.

If wishes were horses...

[StevieM]

2. I'm glad you remembered the proper spelling of potatoe head.

Murphy Brown would be proud that you are contributing to the intellectual growth of the society that her illegitimate child is being raised in.

[peppertree]

3. Dimwit Dan contributed a lot more than that: he helped Clinton defeat Bush

By happenstance, of course - like most everything else he's done.

"This gets me free stuff, right George?"

[BradAllison]

4. Honestly he felt largely irrelevant by a certain point.

The only thing I remember from the Veep debate was Stockdale not knowing what he was doing there.

[peppertree]

5. I remember. Jim Stockdale stole the show.

What I remember about Quayle in that debate is that Bush's people had obviously told him to come out swinging against Gore.

Presumably so he could "look smarter."

Goes to show desperation is indeed bad counsel.

[orleans]

6. lol! "who am i? why am i here?" (that was hysterical) i think snl did that in a sketch

but i could only find
the real thing on youtube.
at 17 seconds in

[BradAllison]

7. Yeah, the late great Phil Hartman played him.

Of course that line was used to imply Stockdale was daffy or senile, but he was just being folksy and self effacing.

[maxsolomon]

8. OK, well, RIP

Democrat-turned-Republican.