UR-DONALD:

Roemer's charismatic misanthrope routine had worked out fine in 1987, and it seemed possible he could pull off the same trick in 1991. The problem for Roemer was that a lot of swing voters felt drawn to another candidate.

At first, Strother liked the focus group results he was hearing: Blue-collar Democrats said they couldn't stand a hypothetical candidate with all of David Duke's characteristics.

"But then as soon as they learned it was David Duke, they'd say, 'well, that's what politicians do.' Or, 'well, you know, KKK--well, he was a young man. Nazi--well, he was a young guy, college kids do stupid stuff.' You know, whatever it was, they'd make an excuse for him."

Roemer had won in 1987 as a conservative Democrat, but switched parties in 1991, in a misguided attempt to become a unity candidate for the state's right-wing voters. As he struggled to hold his coalition together, Duke was finding a new way to expand his appeal.

"It's been tough for me sometimes over the last couple of years. A lot of media attacks. But what's made it made it better for me is that I'm a Christian," Duke said at a fundraiser in Metairie, the heart of his legislative district. "I work hard. I believe in Christ."

Duke invoked his Christianity far more in the governor's race than in any of his previous campaigns. He used religion as both a shield and a sword. At a debate in September, Duke said that he'd repented for his past sins, and that those who tried to discredit him were being un-Christian.

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