1990: David Duke defeats J Bennett Johnston

[Fuzzy Bear Loves Christian Missionaries]

If that had happened, he'd have not been given committee assignments by the GOP.

Back before the internet, I would call Southern newsrooms during election time to speak to an available political reporter to ask what they thought about various races.  I spoke to a Louisiana political reporter in the 1980s who stated that David Duke could have gotten elected from a Congressional District in Northern Louisiana.  That would have been a different story.  Duke may well have been a Steve King-type figure in the House, and may have cobbled out a career from that. 

The Senate, however, is a different thing.  Duke would have been a guy who could not have brought back any Federal dollars to LA.  He'd have had no real influence in the inside politics world of DC.  Conservatives and Liberals insiders alike wouldn't tolerate THAT.  Had Duke actually been elected, I believe that SOMETHING would have happened to where he would not be able to serve out his entire term.  The pressure for him to quit would have been enormous, and making him a martyr would have been considered "worth it".  He'd have been frozen out in the Senate in ways that would have been hard even for a David Duke to endure.

[Fuzzy Bear Loves Christian Missionaries]

How does this happen? Yeah, it's interesting to note that Duke came closer to winning his Senate race than this gubernatorial race, but he still lost pretty badly.

Had Dukakis won in 1988, this might have actually happened.

Had Dukakis won 1988, there would've been a stronger GOP bench in this race.

Johnston was a conservative Democratic Senator who was a power within the Democratic Party, and a major asset in Washington for Louisiana's oil and banking industries.  The interests that now support Louisiana's GOP were fine with Johnston, and were not going to allow a pipsqueak like Duke get anywhere near the Senate.

Southern politics was much different in 1988 than it is now.