New president is a sign of hope
The election for me was like looking up for a change instead of having a spiral-down feeling, which was good.
The election for me was like looking up for a change instead of having a spiral-down feeling, which was good.
The only way more ideas, more candidates, more party platforms can gain
any traction, any consideration by the public at large, would be for all political parties to receive, and run only on public
funds.
Could Gov. Mitch Daniels run for president in 2012?
For the first time in more than 40 years, Indiana helped elect a Democratic president.
Sen. Barack Obama’s election and call for change and hope, as well as Ind. Gov. Mitch Daniels’ re-election after
dramatic changes, shows that Americans can become successful again.
Indiana’s blue vote for president-elect Barack Obama on Election Day was a sign that Hoosiers are ready for change. So was
the state’s red vote to keep incumbent Gov. Mitch Daniels in office. In this case, the status quo means more change. Daniels
has been making gutsy and sometimes unpopular moves since taking office four years ago. He ran on a promise to keep shaking
things up.
Libertarian candidate Andy Horning should have been covered in more detail in IBJ article about the governor’s race.
With the economic swoon and no political ad campaigns in 2009, TV ad revenue could hit a 10-year low next year.
If you haven’t learned about the crucial issues that our country and state face, don’t vote.
Whatever costume you wore on Halloween, let Joe the Plumber, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Tyrannosaurus Rex, President
Bush, King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, Sgt. Joe Friday and other characters of this election cycle continue to spark a lively
dialogue with your friends, family and neighbors.
It’s the diverse thoughts, backgrounds and experiences people bring that make organizations stand
out and excel.
Republican Sen. John McCain has been unable to achieve the same Indiana fund-raising edge on his Democratic opponent that
President George W. Bush did in past elections. Bush rang up an Indiana fund-raising advantage of $1.7 million over Sen. John
Kerry in 2004, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. And his popularity in Indiana allowed
him to spend those dollars to help him campaign in other states while easily winning Indiana’s electoral
votes. But this election, Sen. Barack Obama had outraised Republican John McCain by $360,000 through the end of August, when
McCain’s decision to take public campaign funds forced him to stop raising funds directly for himself.
Obama did not take public funds, and so has continued to raise money.
In this year’s election cycle, the policy watchword is "change." But amid the partisan debate, another type of
change is revolutionizing the way candidates track voters and spread messages. Communication tools like
text messaging, social networking and YouTube are increasingly integral to successful politics.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jill Long Thompson promises to buoy Indiana’s slumping rural counties with a three-tiered
incentive plan. Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels has a different vision for stoking the state economy. He wants to build on Indiana’s
strengths–such as world-class research at universities–to innovate and create jobs.
Most of Indiana’s 100 House districts are strongly Democratic or strongly Republican. That means control of the House of
Representatives will come down to a handful of battleground districts–probably fewer than a dozen, political experts say.
Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels is building his campaign for re-election in part on another attempt to cash in a jackpot on the Hoosier Lottery. This time, he’s hedging his bet. In case leasing the Hoosier Lottery outright to a private operator is politically impossible, Daniels is exploring a major bond issue backed by its future revenue.
The topic of health care sparked the most spirited comments from business leaders interviewed by IBJ ahead of the May 6 presidential
primary. When asked whether they thought Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton would be better for business, executives in manufacturing,
exporting, computer technology, logistics and education largely demurred.
Indiana’s business community is divided in its support during this presidential election. Many Republicans are disenchanted,
which has contributed to slow contributions to their candidate, Arizona Sen. John McCain. But those looking to support Democrats
are torn this year, as the fierce competition between Clinton and Obama has made Indiana’s normally sleepy May primary a battleground.
In early 2007, many expected Marion County Republicans to punt on the chance to unseat Democratic Mayor Bart Peterson. After
all, the two-term incumbent had high approval ratings and a campaign war chest of $2.5 million. Attractive GOP candidates
willing to embrace the challenge were in short supply.
Three members of a small, young, downtown law firm played key rolls in Republican election wins this month, boosting the firm’s
profile as it tackles aggressive growth plans that include beefing up its lobbying business. John Lewis and Wilkins LLP set
up shop on Monument Circle in 2005 and since then has grown from the three attorneys to 11.