The 2010 citywide elections brought a major paradigm shift in local politics as voters ignored racial appeals and voted for experience and competence — most of the time. Some political newbies (like mayoral candidate James Perry) fell short, while others (like Susan Guidry and Kristin Palmer) won big. My usual list of “winnas” and “loozas” thus is supplemented by several “splits.” Here goes:

DA WINNAS

1. New Orleanians — The Feb. 6 primary saw major crossover vote — both ways — in the victories of Mitch Landrieu (the first New Orleans mayor to win a majority among blacks as well as whites); council candidates Arnie Fielkow, Stacy Head and Kristin Palmer; judicial candidates Tracey Flemings Davillier and Paula Brown; Sheriff Marlin Gusman; Criminal Court Clerk Arthur Morrell; and Assessor Erroll Williams — all of whom had opponents of another race.

2. Democrats and the ALF-CIO — Every office on the ballot this year was captured by a Democrat, and the AFL-CIO, long a source of Democratic support, backed individual winners in many races.

3. BOLD — The Central City black political organization saw Karen Carter Peterson win a Senate seat once held by the group’s archenemy Bill Jefferson. Carter Peterson went on to play a big role in helping Susan Guidry beat Jay Batt in the hotly contested District A race for City Council. BOLD also crossed racial lines to back Stacey Head in the council District B race.

DA LOOZAS

1. Ray Nagin — He went on black radio asking African-Americans to vote along racial lines, which is how he won re-election in 2006. Not only did black voters overwhelmingly reject his race-based appeal, the results of Feb. 6 also repudiated Nagin himself. Maybe that’s why he so determined to leave the city bankrupt now: After years of taking petty shots at other politicians, he now wants to take revenge on all New Orleanians.

2. The GOP — Jay Batt’s loss in District A was a major setback for the local Republican Party, which until 2006 had held the council seat for more than 25 years. In the mayor’s race, lone GOP candidate Rob Couhig finished with less than half the votes he got in ’06. Four years ago, the GOP mantra was, “I’d rather have four more years of Ray than eight years of Mitch.” Now they’re getting both.

3. The Franchisees — A lot of familiar names in the black political community proved to be non-factors this time around. In high-profile contests — most notably mayor and council Districts B and C — black voters supported white candidates over black opponents. The Franchise isn’t dead; it’s just no longer in the hands of the old power brokers.

4. Leon Cannizzaro — The new DA did not fare well in his first political outing. He endorsed losers in several high-profile races, including John Georges for mayor and Jay Batt for council in District A. He had some down-ballot victories, particularly in Davillier’s race for juvenile judge, in which he played a major role. His support for Georges (who supported him for DA) also showed that he pays his political debts.

SPLITS

Dynasties — Mitch Landrieu became the second son of a former mayor to win his dad’s old office, and Arthur and Cynthia Hedge-Morrell won their respective races for clerk and city council. On the other hand, Claude Mauberret’s withdrawal from the assessorial runoff brought an end to a century-old dynasty, and Cynthia Willard-Lewis’ defeat in the at-large council race reduced her family’s political holdings to one judgeship.

Reformers — Landrieu’s victory in the mayor’s race and wins by Guidry and Palmer in City Council contests gave reformers lots to cheer about, but Janis Lemle’s failure to make the assessorial runoff was a major blow to their cause. Likewise, state Rep. Austin Badon carried the reform mantle in District E but fell short in the runoff.

Some quick housekeeping: Someone wrote wondering what the music is behind the trailer for Tremé. It’s called “Ring Shout — Peace of Mind,” and it’s the opening cut from the 2007 album Congo Square, featuring Wynton Marsalis, Yacub Addy, Odadaa! and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. There’s a DVD of the whole performance on Amazon, but for the CD itself you may have to go to the iTunes Music Store (where the individual song can also be downloaded for 99 cents). Also: WWL-TV has the list of St. Joseph’s altars that will be open on Mar. 19, and if you’re new in town and have never experienced a St. Joseph’s altar, feel free to drop in on any of these and get a little bit of history.

Anyway. In this week’s Gambit:

• The Louisiana Public Service Commission and sustainable-energy advocates have been at sixes and sevens over the state’s master plan for setting alternative energy goals — and the LPSC punted on voting on those goals this week. Will we remain behind the rest of the country when it comes to establishing 21st century energy policies? Alex Woodward talks to both sides and spells out the arguments ….

• Clancy DuBos charts the Winnas, the Loozas, and the draws in the most recent round of elections, and analyzes what the results mean in the chutes-and-ladders of New Orleans politics …

• Chris Rose looks at the latest dustup between the NOPD and the Mardi Gras Indians …

• The Idea Village is sponsoring its Entrepreneur Week beginning Mar. 20. Brandon Meginley previews …

• The great documentarian Les Blank comes to the Ogden Museum of Southern Art this week, and Ken Korman talked to the filmmaker in advance of his visit …

• … and Ian McNulty chows down, World War II-style, at John Besh’s American Sector restaurant.

There’s more, of course. Check it out on the newsstand beginning Sunday afternoon, or check back on the main Gambit site Monday afternoon. Later.

KEEP-N-IT REAL SOCIAL AID & PLEASURE CLUB 6TH ANNUAL PARADE
SUNDAY, MARCH 14, 2010 – 1-5PM

Start: 2901 Conti. Out N. Dupre to Bienville. Left on Bienville to N. Broad. Left on N. Broad to Lapeyrous. Back to N. Broad.

Stop: 1551 N. Broad, Avenue Barber Shop. U-Turn on N. Broad to St. Bernard Ave. Right on St. Bernard to N. Galvez. Left on N. Galvez to Aubrey St.

Stop: Seal’s Class Act (Dumaine Gang S&P). Down St. Bernard to Marais St.

Stop: Justina’s Next Stop. Down St. Bernard to N. Rampart. Right on N. Rampart to Esplanade Ave. Right on Esplanade to N. Claiborne. Left on N. Claiborne to Dumaine St.

Stop: (Revolution S&P). Proceed down N. Claiborne to Bienville. Right on Bienville to N. Dupre. Right on N. Dupre to Conti.

Disband: 2901 Conti Street – Home of Keep-N-It-Real S&P

Queen: Rose Madison Franklin

President: Perry “Icebird” Franklin

Photograph by Jonathan Bachman

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It must be completely maddening to be a Hornets fan right now. As if teetering around .500 for most of the season isn’t enough, it seems as if every game that passes distances the Hornets even further from playoff contention (they’re currently 6.5 games back of the eighth seed). All this while David West puts up All-Star numbers and rookies Darren Collision and Marcus Thornton continue to produce in tough losses.

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Friday night’s 102-95 loss against the Denver Nuggets was almost like a microcosm of the Hornets’ season. David West put up 30 points and six rebounds, Thornton scored 23 points and Collison registered a double-double with 17 points and 10 assists. The Hornets were undermanned (only eight players dressed) and yet a game that had been close throughout fell apart in the span of around 2:30 minutes in the fourth quarter.

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“I think we made a couple of mistakes down the stretch offensively,” West said. “Then a couple of times on the defensive end, we had the rebound, then gave it back to Chauncey [Billups]. We just gave them extra possessions we didn’t need to give.”

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With the score tied at 86 with 6:05 left in the game, the Hornets proceeded to committed two fouls, two ridiculous turnovers and suddenly, with 2:46 left in the game, New Orleans was down by 10 and fans were walking dejectedly towards the exits. The Hornets are now falling completely out of the playoff picture, and every opportunity they have to build momentum seems to fall short. Granted, the Hornets have dealt with a slew of injuries, but they’re not using that as an excuse.

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“I don’t think it affected us,” Emeka Okafor said. “I think the guys knew we had to bring a little more energy. Everybody knew they were going to get more minutes.”

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Anyone who thinks that the Hornets are better than their record suggest are clearly deluding themselves into a better reality that what the rest of us see. Without Chris Paul in the lineup, the Hornets have steadily fallen farther and farther out of playoff contention. New Orleans has lost eight straight games against Western Conference teams that would be in the post-season if the playoffs started tomorrow. Their last win against a potentially playoff-bound team was January 30th against Memphis.

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“There are problem areas that we need to work on as with every game,” head coach Jeff Bower said. “We are definitely going to learn and grown form this game and make sure we apply what we learned into the next game coming up.”

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Despite what Bower said, this team has had a lot of troubler learning from their losses. As a playoff-less future comes closer to being the present, the Hornets are a team in limbo. Ever the competitor, Paul is dying to return to the court, even if it may be too late to rally his team to the post-season. Collison has played admirably in Paul’s absence and, having already played 40 or more minutes 18 times this season, letting him play out the season may be in the team’s best interest.

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There is also the issue of West. He’s playing head-and-shoulders above his teammates and, with the ability to opt-out of his contract after next season, rumors abound as to just how long he will be playing in the Crescent City. The Hornets are a relatively young team with an emerging core of players that could carry them in the years come, as well as a slew of contracts that expire after next season. As the present starts to slip away, you have to look toward the future. Then again, trying to figure out what’s in store for this team in the coming months may be as maddening and watching them play right now.

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Many of you know Chef Who Dat (note: click here for essential viewing) and the cavalcade of characters that inhabit section 641 of the Superdome. Here’s the Chef before last season’s Monday Night game versus Atlanta:

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Like many (if not all) stadium secions, the season-ticket holding patrons at “Cafe 641″ have developed a tight-knit community that’s led to silliness, some bike crawls, and now, a cancer fundraiser with a twist. Per the e-mail I received today:

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A Cafe 641 patron and season-ticket holder, Sean Niehus, is raising money for St. Baldrick’s, a foundation that raises money for children’s cancer research. Sean has agreed to shave his head at the annual St. Baldrick’s shave-a-thon AND to grow a mustache. To help him raise money, we’re auctioning off a pair of tickets to the 2010 Saints/Bucs game in Section 641, Row 40, Seats 13-14.

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I like how not only is Niehus shaving his head, but that he’s also growing a mustache in the tradition of Cafe 641’s Patron Saint. Check out his picture, going from long blonde hair to a shaved head and a mustache would be a stark transformation. Gotta give to a guy willing to do that for a good cause.

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Bid’s can be made on the tickets on eBay here or you can donate directly to St. Baldricks by clicking here. And yes, that is Chef Who Dat in a wedding dress on that eBay listing. Not sure how that will help with the bidding.

Last month, HBO released a “teaser” for its highly anticipated series Tremé. Today brought the first official trailer for the show, which premieres on the cable network Apr. 11. Like the earlier teaser, it looks pretty damn spectacular; see if you recognize some faces you know from around town. (If the trailer gets yanked off YouTube and the embed below doesn’t work, check it out on the HBO site.)

The Louisiana State Museum in partnership with the Ponderosa Stomp presents “Cocktails and Conversations with the Unsung Heroes of Rock ‘n’ Roll” on the second Friday of each month. The inaugural event tonight features an interview with legendary arranger and composer Harold Battiste by WWOZ DJ and documentarian (and Gambit contributor) David Kunian. Battiste founded the record label A.F.O. (All For One), and he arranged Sam Cooke’s “You Send Me,” Sonny and Cher’s “I Got You Babe,” Joe Jones’ “You Talk Too Much,” and Lee Dorsey’s “Ya Ya.” He also produced Dr. John’s early albums (Gris Gris, Babylon and Gumbo). And he was instrumental in the Jazz Studies program at UNO. Admission to the event (5:30 p.m.-8 p.m.) is free, and the Ponderosa Stomp curated “Secret History of Rock ‘n’ Roll” is open. There is a cash bar.

Do you remember back in the day, before virtually every profession was represented on a televised competition, before “real” housewives bombarded us with their delusions, before the dawn of skank buses? In the grand history of television, it was around the time when shows like “Survivor” and “Big Brother” first came into existence, when “reality” television still somewhat resembled real life. But even though shows (like the aforementioned two) with loosely scripted premises were popping up, all you really had to do to keep people entertained was show plastic surgeries on television. Those were the good ol’ days.

To give people what they wanted, E! created a series in 2004 that combined the rubberneck appeal of televised surgeries with America’s fascination with dumb, rich people: “Dr. 90210,” which featured many before-and-after photos and blurry breast augmentations, was born.

Have you wondered what the show’s star plastic surgeon, Dr. Robert Rey, is up to these days? No? Well, naturally he’s touring the country to tell us we don’t actually need surgery to look good. Tomorrow from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Dr. 90210 himself will make an appearance at Sears (4400 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie) to divulge his secrets for enhancing your shape without surgery. Hint: it has something to do with his line of shape wear.

In case you don’t know what shape wear is, it basically does for fat what those Pillsbury tubes do for pre-made biscuit dough. And also, according to the press release, it’s the perfect accessory:

Whether interested in knowing how to hide that unwelcome “muffin top” for an upcoming romantic date or simply unsure of what to wear with your little black dress, Dr. Rey will be available to answer any and all styling questions… and he’s not keeping any secrets!

Let’s hope that date doesn’t get too romantic, or else that “muffin top” compressed under the tightest of tight spandex won’t be so hidden anymore, now will it?

The popular NPR news quiz show Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me recorded this week’s episode at the Mahalia Jackson Theater last night in front of a packed house. The episode will air at 10 a.m. Saturday on WWNO 89.9 FM.

Host Peter Sagal and judge/scorekeeper Carl Kasell (pictured) were joined by panelists Mo Rocca, Roy Blount Jr. (author of Feet on the Street: Rambles Around New Orleans) and Amy Dickinson. George Porter Jr. was the celebrity guest tested on an area of knowledge totally unrelated to his expertise. He also was quizzed about the meaning of Mardi Gras Indian and Meter song titles (but it seemed no one briefed Sagal on how amicable the Meters breakup was). Tune in to hear the secret of a professional musician staying married for 43 years; what Dickinson thinks Houston is for; thoughts on the tickling and nudist habits of congressional members; and Mo Rocca’s bold prediction about Drew Brees’ greatest secret.

If you’re planning on hitting Frenchmen Street (and surrounding venues) this weekend for the inaugural foburg Music Festival, the fest has supplied these handy daily schedules and a map. Today’s schedule is below. Hit the jump for the rest of the weekend’s lineup (and map).

To the NOIRC’s credit, they wrangled a pretty impressive lineup for a freshman festival — in New Orleans, the week before Austin’s South By Southwest, no less. Among national artists at the fest, highlights include Yardwork and Hope for a Golden Summer (Saturday at d.b.a.), Signals and The Show is the Rainbow (Sunday at Blue Nile), and JEFF the Brotherhood (Sunday at Maison).

As for locals? There are tons, and all worth checking out. Keep an extra eye on Jean-Eric, the Bellys, Caddywhompus, Sun Hotel, Giant Cloud and Givers.

Visit foburg’s Web site for ticket information ($25 for a weekend pass to all shows) and more.

(Click for a larger version.)