Indiana politics can be strange, and never stranger than when our Democrats -- who are generally not much less rural than this very rural state -- are trying to charm voters with Good Old Hoosier Values.
Oh, they're not being especially disingenuous; most Indiana Democrats (Rep. Andre Carson excepted) are about aligned with the average New York or California Republican on many key issues. But this is Indiana and thus even in a primary, some demur at mentioning their actual party.
I've mentioned Winnebago-driving Senator Joe Donelly, the man who dares not speak his party's name and who the GOP is pretty sure they can replace, if only Mssrs. Rokita, Braun and Messer can get the voters to figure out which one of them is President Trump-loving, anti-abortion, wall-building and swamp-draining enough to become the Junior Senator from Indiana.
Indiana's Ninth Congressional District is another interesting race, with GOP incumbent Trey Hollingsworth facing a challenge from inside his own party and three Democrats vying to fill the other side of the ballot. One of the latter's been running an interesting ad with nary a mention of her party, beginning, "For five generations, my family helped build Indiana. Each one did a little better than the last...," a fine tale of upward mobility. She continues, "I've spent a career fighting in the courts and to change laws and to level the playing field," language a bit mangled but hey, she's in there fighting for the little guy. She goes on to accuse the incumbent of having, "...rigged the system against us," so, she's running against the GOP incumbent in the primary? Wait, what's her party affiliation? And then she follows with "I believe affordable healthcare is a right...." Ah, not in the Republican primary, then. But not one word about her in-party competitors for the same job, let alone what party that might be. Maybe she's a Whig? Nope.
On the one hand, I admire her refraining from internecine mudslinging; on the other, Indiana doesn't have open primaries, so people getting the primary ballot that includes her aren't going to be voting for Congressman Hollingsworth -- he's not among the choices!
And never once does the word "D-m-cr-t" pass her lips. Aw, c'mon outta that closet, at least for your own party's primary!
"For five generations, my family helped build Indiana. Each one did a little better than the last...,"
ReplyDeleteSounds like the quote about Hawaiian missionaries: "They came here to do good and looks like they've done well."
From my years of driving California's Hwy 20 to the coast and Oregon's Hwy 1 (The Pacific Coast Highway) I find drivers of motor homes to be the most self-centered clueless folks you will encounter on the road.
ReplyDeleteI was not surprised when the driver of a motor home in Idaho caused a fire along a (IFRC) one hundred mile stretch of highway when the bearings of the car he was towing went out, locked up, and began spewing molten fiery tire bits into the roadside flora starting fires that cost millions to suppress. When questioned as to why he had not stopped when multiple people had tried to get him to pull over he replied, "I have driven motor homes over three hundred thousand miles. I am used to people tyrying to get me to pull over. I just ignore them."
Not only don't vote for your motor home driving congress critter, but monkey wrenching of said motor home may be in order.
Dang, I hate those things. Congress critters and motor homes, both.
One one two bumper stickers I briefly considered slapping on the truck was, "CAUTION THIS VEHICLE EQUIPED WITH WINNEBAGO SEEKING MISSILES."
The other is from Tam: "ANYTHING IS A WEAPON DEPENDING ON HOW YOU HOLD IT"
The building of motor homes is a major industry in NE Indiana, which is one of the blue-collar Democrat strongholds in the state, so that's a dog whistle on his part.
ReplyDelete