What Phony Eddie Rispone’s Saying: Nothing

Louisiana gubernatorial candidate Eddie Rispone is running into a problem: he’s too toxic to appear on the campaign trail.
Eddie Rispone is largely absent from the campaign trail. In August, Rispone skipped “two of the higher-profile events gubernatorial candidates typically attend.” He skipped the Shrimp and Petroleum Festival, which is known as a “regular stop” for gubernatorial candidates.
Rispone is scared to talk about how much of a disaster his Jindal-inspired policy plans would be for Louisiana. Rispone seems “determined to avoid policy specifics as much as possible.” Today, American Press columnist Jim Beam said of Rispone, “As that famous hamburger commercial asked, ‘Where’s the beef?’” The conservative publisher of the Ouachita Citizen even excoriated Rispone for his lack of details and called on Rispone to speak up.
Is Rispone’s campaign afraid of what he would say at a forum? Maybe that’s why Rispone has skipped forums held by the Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association, Louisiana Municipal Association, and the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana. Rispone, the so-called business candidate from Baton Rouge, was even too chicken to attend a Baton Rouge Area Chamber forum. This week, Rispone indefinitely postponed a criminal justice roundtable he was supposed to hold.
What is the Rispone campaign’s go-to answer? No comment.

• “Rispone’s campaign did not respond to messages seeking comment Tuesday.” [The Advocate, 10/15/19]
• “His campaign did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.” [The Advocate, 10/17/19]
• “Rispone’s campaign did not respond to messages seeking comment Thursday.” [The Advocate, 10/17/19]
• “Rispone’s campaign didn’t immediately respond to questions about whether the Republican candidate, a longtime GOP political donor making his first bid for elected office, is concerned that Abraham’s voters will shun Rispone.” [AP, 10/21/19]

And this isn’t new for Rispone—his campaign has been without comment for months.

• “Rispone spokesman Anthony Ramirez didn’t immediately respond Friday to a phone call and text message seeking comment.” [MyArkLaMiss, 3/22/19]
• “The Rispone campaign did not respond to questions” [Washington Times, 7/23/19]

“Eddie Rispone is evasive about what he would do for Louisiana,” said DGA Communications Director David Turner. “Rispone is absent from the trail because he knows just how unpopular his Jindal agenda is. Rispone may be scared to talk about his plans to take away health care for 300,000 Louisianans and drastically cut higher education, but Louisiana voters won’t be fooled by a phony like Eddie Rispone.”