Rivals – A primer on B.R.’s political competitors

As politics is often indistinguishable from spectator sports, it should come as no surprise that we have a number of political rivalries in Baton Rouge. Here’s a short list with a suggested comparison rivalry to aid in our collective pursuit of comprehension.

The Chamber vs. The “Shamber”: Readers can determine for themselves which term applies to which group. On one side, we’ve got the Baton Rouge Area Chamber; on the other, the Chamber of Commerce of East Baton Rouge. BRAC has worked to attract new business to the community. Chamber EBR indicates they stand for the small businesses in the community—excepting gambling, payday loans, porn and abortion clinics. As of now, BRAC has the upper hand in terms of reputation, recognition and resources. Time will tell who comes out ahead. Rivalry Comparison: FBS Football vs. Div. III.

“Smokie” Bourgeois vs. John Delgado: Mayoral candidacy rumors surround both Metro Council members. Considering the propensity of each for imminently quotable statements of possibly questionable PR value, a rematch of these two would be amazing. Rivalry Comparison: The competitors in the third-round match of an illegal cockfighting competition in Opelousas.

The 6th Congressional District Race: When Congressman Bill Cassidy decided to run against Sen. Mary Landrieu—not sure any of us saw that coming. This field is packed—at last count there were 10 candidates, with six more potentially jumping into the mix. That’s crazy. On top of the sheer number of opponents, any election involving former Gov. Edwin Edwards is likely to get interesting. Rivalry Comparison: The WWE Royal Rumble, a grand melee of multiple contestants who occasionally help each other, with the ultimate goal of being the last person standing. Of course, the race is likely to be much more theatrical, with more over-the-top personalities than anything Hulk Hogan or Rick Flair could hope to create.

These may be the most prominent this year, but Baton Rouge rarely has a shortage of political rivals. You just have to know where to look—and how to duck for cover.