Avoyelles party leaders talk about the Nov. 3 election

Everyone likes to talk politics this time of year -- especially when the choice of President is on the table.

The Avoyelles Journal decided to mark the election season by talking to two political party leaders in the parish to get their partisan views on the issues and decision to be made on Nov. 3.

Travis Franks is not only the mayor of Hessmer, but also represents this area on the Republican State Central Committee. Francine Sons, of Mansura, is chairman of the Democratic
Party's Parish Executive Committee.

Both were asked why they think their party's candidate for President is the best choice for Avoyelles, Louisiana and the nation.

TRAVIS FRANKS, PRO-TRUMP

"Under President Trump’s leadership, Congress has passed historic tax cuts for our hard-working people of the parish," Franks said. "By far, this is the most important fact that directly affects
business within the area. Avoyelles Parish needs to attract those new businesses willing to take a chance and create jobs."

He said new jobs means more people working who are paying more taxes to "improve our way of life."

Franks said some of Trump's achievements in his first term have included the "first major tax reform in 30 years, tax relief for 82 percent of middle-class families, doubled the child tax credit
with an additional $1,000 per child, cut taxes for small businesses by 20 percent and lowered the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent."

Franks said Trump's administration has signed 15 Congressional Review Act resolutions to reduce costly regulations that "have stood in the way of hard-working people. For
Avoyelles, this has to continue for our oil and gas workers."

Trump is "the most pro-life president ever" and continues to withhold federal funding for abortions, thus reducing the number of abortions in the country. The President also "stands with
our military and law enforcement to provide America with law and order."

In short, Franks said, Trump "stands for our Second Amendment (pro-gun ownership) rights, appoints conservative judges, is anti-abortion, supports religious freedom and is for strong national borders."

FRANCINE SONS, PRO-BIDEN

For Francine Sons, Biden is a "unifier" while Trump is a "divider."

"This nation is severely divided due to this President's efforts to divide this nation," Sons said. "Joe Biden has the temperament, ability and compassion we need in a President," she continued. "He will be able to pull this country together."

Sons said Trump "has always been in it for himself. I believe he never intended to lead this country when he ran in 2016. When he was elected, he had no chance to be a leader and he has failed miserably. He was not prepared to lead and he is still not prepared. He has learned nothing over the past four years."

She said Trump "has made every effort to divide this nation, which has resulted in this country being more divided now than it has since the Civil War. That is a sad state of affairs."

Trump was elected in 2016 because many Americans could not bring themselves to vote for Hillary Clinton.

"It was a case of choosing the lesser of two evils, and we've certainly gotten the evil out of it," she quipped.

In summary, Sons said the Democrat "has the best chance to bring this country back to where it needs to be."

Whether Louisiana supports one of the candidates by a handful of votes or an overwhelming landslide, the state's eight electoral votes will go to the one who gets the most votes. Those eight votes will be added to the electoral votes of the other 49 states and District of Columbia as both candidates will be watching election night results as they wait for the "magic number" of 270 electoral votes -- the number needed to win the Presidency.

'AS OHIO GOES'

At this time, Trump is the underdog. He is familiar with that role, having played it well four years ago. That comeback victory occurred when he broke the "blue wall" by winning three Great Lakes states that were considered Democratic strongholds.

There is no indication any of those will remain in Trump's camp. In addition, GOP must-have states of Ohio and Florida have been leaning toward Biden in the past few months.

No Republican, including the first Republican President Abraham Lincoln, has been elected President without Ohio. This has given rise to the political saying, "As Ohio goes, so goes the nation."

The Buckeye State is 39-4 in backing the winner in presidential elections since 1860. All four "losses" were Democrats who defeated Republicans to win the Presidency.

Ohio went with James Blaine over Democrat Grover Cleveland in 1884 and with incumbent GOP President Benjamin Harrison over Cleveland in 1892. Ohioans also voted for Harrison over Cleveland in 1888, when Harrison won. All three races were close, as might be expected with an opponent sharing the same name as the state's largest city.

Ohio thought three terms in the White House was enough for Democratic legend Franklin D. Roosevelt and narrowly favored Republican Thomas Dewey in 1944.

Ohio really liked Ike, giving Dwight Eisenhower 56.7 percent of its vote in 1952 and 61.1 percent in 1956. It went with the beloved Republican President's vice president, Richard Nixon, over Massachusetts' junior Democratic Sen. John F. Kennedy in 1960. That was the last time Ohio was on the "losing team."