Dangerous New Battleground Polling

The Joe Cunningham Show airs 3-4 p.m. every weekday on NewsTalk 96.5 KPEL. The daily show notes offer you a look into the topics of the day and the links to the top stories and Joe's own writings on the state of politics in Louisiana and around the country. Follow Joe on Twitter at @JoePCunningham and Like the Joe Cunningham Show on Facebook. You can also subscribe to the Joe Cuningham Show podcast on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, or Amazon.

BREAKING: Steve Bannon convicted in contempt of Congress case.

The Race For Speaker In Baton Rouge

With a year to go before the next legislative elections, there are already talks about who might succeed Clay Schexnayder as Speaker of the House in Baton Rouge. In a syndicated column out today, Jeremy Alford provides this insight.

Several lawmakers interviewed for this column say they’ve heard campaign pitches primarily from four potential GOP candidates for speaker, including Commerce Chair Paula Davis of Baton Rouge, Rep. Brett Geymann of Lake Charles, Conservative Caucus Chair Jack McFarland of Winnfield and Rep. Neil Riser of Columbia. Additional names will most certainly surface soon.
In the coming months, all of them will look for opportunities to showcase their leadership and to help their colleagues raise money and get elected.
"Current second-termers are going to have to hustle," Bishop said. "You’ve got 59 first-term members in the House right now and there are more freshmen coming in right behind them in the new term."

The Battleground Poll Making Democrats Nervous

Here's the big polling news of the day: In a poll of the 56 top battlegrounds in 2022, Republicans hold a big advantage.

The poll was conducted on behalf of the AARP. Here's the breakdown, via Axios.

A new poll of the 56 most competitive battleground House districts found that Republicans hold a four-point advantage — 46% to 42% — on the generic congressional ballot.
Why it matters: Despite several recent polls showing incremental gains by Democrats, the reality is that the political environment remains favorable for Republicans.
[...]
Between the lines: This is the latest in a string of surveys showing Democrats losing ground with nonwhite voters, particularly Hispanics and Asian Americans.
The poll found Democrats only hold a three-point lead on the congressional ballot among Asian Americans over 50, and a five-point lead among Hispanics over 50.
Yes, but: In races in which Republicans nominate weak or extreme candidates, individual Democrats will have an opportunity to run ahead of their party.

In Georgia, for example, the unicorn voter - a crossover vote for a Republican and a Democrat - will likely play a major role. Governor Brian Kemp looks like he is cruising to an easy victory, but Republican Herschel Walker is trailing behind incumbent Democrat Raphael Warnock for Senate.

Louisiana House Delegation Could Be Among The Most Powerful

This, via Greg Hillburn for the USAToday Network, is good news for Louisiana ahead of the likely Republican wave coming in November.

Republicans are favored by virtually all analysts of regaining the majority in the House following the fall elections.
That means Louisiana's Republican representatives are in line to land plum assignments if they win reelection. All are favored in their races, though all have drawn opponents this week.
And all touted their potential leverage for the state as part of their reelection pitches.

Steve Scalise is poised to become the second-most powerful Republican in the House. Others from the Louisiana delegation will get excellent committee assignments. It's big for the state.

Headlines Of The Day

Elena Kagan Claims 'Legitimacy' of Supreme Court Is at Risk When It Strays From Public Opinion (RedState)
The Ridiculous New Covid Panic (National Review)
Washington Post Slams Biden for Saudi Fist Bump, Ignores Amazon’s Full Embrace (Free Beacon)
50 School Districts Granted $10,000 By ‘It Gets Better Project’ To Promote Gender Ideology In Schools (Daily Caller)
The Job Market Is Beginning to Show Cracks (Washington Post)

Tweet Of The Day