Boasso Unplugged

It doesn't get much more unscripted than gubernatorial candidate Walter Boasso's community dinners.

Campaign workers holding mics roamed the audience at the Clarion Hotel in Shreveport Thursday night as others recorded the give and take. Boasso said he's holding the dinners around the state to hear about what concerns people, rather than dropping in and telling them what he thinks.

Boasso, wearing a wireless mic, fielded the questions as best the could, occasionally spreading his hands and declaring he just didn't have an answer for some of them. He appeared without his cardboard cutout of front-runner Bobby Jindal but said he had it in the car, drawing laughter from the audience.

The low-key event highlights a major difference in image--and possibly personality--between Boasso and frontrunner Bobby Jindal.

Boasso comes across as the casual guy next door. Jindal alluded to that image during a campaign kick-off speech in Shreveport in July, saying he would offer substance instead of back-slapping.

Jindal, on the other hand, is precise, quick to offer facts and figures in response to questions. His campaign kick off was highly scripted -- the appearance on the tarmac at Shreveport's Downtown Airport, cheering, sign-waving supporters, a pump-you-up soundtrack of oldies music.

Will their paths cross and personalities clash? Stay tuned for the Sept. 11 debate at LSUS....