CA GOP Consultant Helps Louisiana Elect Dem Governor

Thanks in part to California Republican political consultant Rob Stutzman, Louisiana has elected a Democratic governor instead of a Republican one.

Stutzman teamed with two Democrat pollsters, Rob Green and Adam Rosenblatt, to create three ads during the GOP primary that savaged Sen. David Vitter’s race for governor by dredging up a prostitution scandal to which he admitted in 2007.

Despite the fact that Vitter had apologized publicly and won reelection to the Senate handily in 2010, the triad used the scandal in an attempt to knock Vitter out in the primary.

Stutzman defended his role in creating the ads, run by the super PAC Louisiana Water Coalition, telling the National Journal, “My view is the herd should be thinned of our bad candidates and he (Vitter) might be one of the worst candidates we had anywhere in the country as an incumbent.” He insisted that he believed Vitter’s candidacy would endanger a safe GOP governorship, although Vitter was a significant favorite to win.

After Vitter lost in the general election to Democrat John Bel Edwards, Stutzman told the Sacramento Bee that he was happy not only because Vitter lost but also because Vitter has announced he will not seek reelection to the Senate in 2016.

Stuzman has made money helping Democrats before. He reportedly teamed with Green and Rosenblatt to work on a $12 million state Senate race involving two Democrats. Green laughed, “What we were doing in Louisiana was kind of born of jungle primary politics in California.”

Stutzman made his money by helping defeat someone with a proven conservative track record; according to Conservative Review, Vitter wanted to repeal Dodd-Frank, has voted against most bailouts, wanted to defund Obamacare, opposed open borders and has championed the fight against illegal immigration. He has also strongly opposed international treaties that dilute American power and sovereignty.

Stutzman served as deputy chief of staff for communications to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.