Remember Florida in 2000? This year there may be another election overtime in a swampy state. Louisiana's unusual election system has been in place for federal races since 1978. Nine candidates--at least three of them credible G.O.P. challengers--are running against Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu. If no one gets at least 50% of the vote on Nov. 5, the race goes to a Dec. 7 runoff. Some polls have Landrieu slightly below the 50% mark, although her campaign says its polling shows her slightly above that threshold.
Normally, this might be of only local interest. But this year the Senate is so...