A Jackass in the Governor’s Mansion

Let’s talk about what happens when a state treats an election like a joke and wakes up with a punchline running the show.

Right now, Louisiana is ranking dead last—50th in the nation—struggling with an abysmal healthcare system, a broken educational structure, and zero meaningful plans from the top to make life more affordable for working families. Meanwhile, what is our governor doing? He’s playing a part-time role as a federal envoy, jetting off on political junkets to Greenland and acting like a surrogate mascot for national political theater while people back home try to figure out how to pay their bills.

It is a complete embarrassment. But before anyone acts shocked, let’s remember how we got here.

In 2023, the voters of Louisiana had a clear choice. We could have elected Shawn Wilson—a man with a PhD and over 20 years of hands-on, executive experience running a massive state agency. He understood infrastructure, he understood budgets, and he knew how state government actually operates.

Instead, too many people hedged, second-guessed, and stayed home.

Why? Because some folks wouldn't vote for a qualified Black man due to plain, old-fashioned bigotry. And some Black voters hesitated because they fell for the lazy, destructive trope that a serious, credentialed professional was somehow "too boring." They wanted fireworks, they wanted attitude, or they just couldn't stomach the idea of being led by someone who didn't fit their narrow, preconceived script.

So what did we end up with? A governor who spends more time chasing international headlines than fixing the crises in our own backyard.

When voters prioritize performance over policy, and entertainment over experience, democracy gives you the exact consequence you asked for. Louisiana families are left holding the bag while our leaders play dress-up on the national stage.

The next time election season rolls around, we need to drop the personality contests and wake up to reality. Because until we start voting with our heads instead of our prejudices, we’re going to keep getting what we settled for: a state stuck at the bottom, led by a goober who treats the governor’s office like a sideshow.