Collection:LPB

Genre: Debate

Place Covered: Baton Rouge, East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority

Date Issued: 1991-09-27

Duration: 01:30:25

Subjects: Elections, 1991 | Louisiana gubernatorial election, 1991 | Economy | ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | Louisiana. Department of Environmental Quality | Roemer, Buddy | Jones, Sam (Mayor of Franklin) | Dent, Fred, Jr. | Duke, David Ernest | Edwards, Edwin W. | Holloway, Clyde C. (Clyde Cecil), 1943- | Air pollution | Dog racing | Education | National Association for the Advancement of Colored People | STATE BUDGET | Politics | Crime | CRIME PREVENTION | Prisons | Environment | Drugs | NAACP | Gambling | CASINOS | Rape | Abortion | Teachers' unions | TEACHER EVALUATIONS | Affirmative Action | Welfare | Television debates | Job creation

Contributors:

• Allen, Gary Producer
• Cotten, Kerin Director
• Eaglin, J. Carlos, II Director
• Fourrier, Clay Associate Producer
• Collins, Robert Moderator
• Wardlaw, Jack Interviewer
• Hill, John Interviewer
• Nachman, Karen Interviewer
• Redman, Carl Interviewer
• Johnson, Chevel Interviewer
• Roemer, Buddy Panelist
• Jones, Sam Panelist
• Dent, Fred Panelist
• Duke, David Panelist
• Edwards, Edwin Panelist
• Holloway, Clyde Panelist

A live debate held on September 27, 1991, in Baton Rouge between six gubernatorial candidates: Governor Buddy Roemer (R); Mayor Sam Jones of Franklin (D); Fred Dent (D), the former Commissioner of Financial Institutions; State Representative David Duke (R); former Governor Edwin Edwards (D); and Congressman Clyde Holloway (R). The debate was moderated by Robert Collins of Louisiana Public Broadcasting and featured three rounds of questions. For the first round, the candidates answered a question they were given prior to the debate, in lieu of an opening statement: Other than a relative, what contemporary figure do you admire or has leadership qualities you could emulate? For the second round, the candidates were asked questions by a panel of five capitol reporters: Jack Wardlaw of the New Orleans Times-Picayune; John Hill of the Shreveport Times and Monroe News Star; Karen Nachman of Louisiana Public Broadcasting; Carl Redman of the Baton Rouge Morning Advocate and State Times; and Chevel Johnson of the Associated Press. Their questions were related to the following topics: solutions for the budget shortfall; teacher evaluations; abortion for rape victims; the legalization of dog racing and casino gambling; environmental standards for air pollution; leadership; job creation; who they would vote for if they weren’t on the ballot; regulating the environment through industrial tax breaks; and crime. During the third round, each candidate was able to ask one question of another candidate: Jones to Holloway: Why wouldn't you let the public vote on the abortion amendment and put it into the constitution?; Duke to Jones: Are you an NAACP member and do you agree with affirmative action and quotas?; Edwards to Roemer: Why should you be believed after not fulfilling your campaign promises of the last election?; Roemer to Edwards: What would you say now to the young people that were leaving the state of Louisiana for jobs?; Holloway to Dent: Why did you leave the Roemer administration?; and Dent to Duke: What would you do specifically to improve the image of Louisiana and how would you overcome your negative baggage? The debate ended with the closing statement from each candidate.