Mad as hell? Are you going to take this anymore? (Brian Howey)

[democraticinsurgent]

Barbara Pitcher of Cambridge City was so honked off over gas prices and the war several days ago that she created a sandwich board and went down to Richmond's government plaza. "It's time for Americans to stand up," she said.

The prior week, State Rep. Woody Burton did some polling in his Republican primary race against Johnson County Council President Ron West. This past week, Burton unleashed attack TV ads against West, accusing him of tax increases. The ads had the hallmark of a hasty effort. The images were still photographs, not well-planned video. The inescapable conclusion: Woody Burton was seeing his race tighten up.

A few miles to the south, Senate President Robert D. Garton was feeling the heat as well. Garton was running Indianapolis TV ads. There was a hurried endorsement by Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman.

His opponent, Columbus accountant Greg Walker, is going door-to-door in a 1970 Plymouth Valient. "It was brand new the year my opponent first took office. Thirty-six years in office is long enough," Walker said. "I think it is time to trade it in."

http://www.howeypolitics.com/

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Could this really be the year that Hoosiers take elections seriously?

[izzybeans]

1. Walker is an anti-tax homophobic loon.

I don't know anything about Garton, but I can't imagine anyone being worse than Walker. I just recieved some campaign lit. from walker and it was disgusting.

[salin]

2. In the article in the Star that HippieChick posted - Walker is described

as being for public floggings. Wtf? While it is interesting that he has a primary challenger, and even in Indy I just heard a Garton ad on tv (meaning he is forced to spend money on this campaign) - given that Walker is so extreme, I would guess that it primarily will have the effect of making Garton seem "preferable" (ala more moderate) which may translate into the general election - and it isn't clear whether or not he has a dem opponent.

[izzybeans]

4. I think there are dem opponents but there is an utter lack of campaign

info. I've been flying blind. This will be my first primary back in Indiana and it has been surreal. It feels almost as if the candidates are a secret. In my town there is not one democrat running for city or even county office... that I can tell, anyway. Either that or they are running unopposed in the primaries, which isn't a good sign IHHO, since they are not incumbents. I do think all the state reps in this area have dem. opponents. But who they are, I just don't know. Even the local papers give out sketchy info. on the candidates. The only campaign material to reach my home has been this Walker guy. I think the Star published a "contested primary" candidates list, but that was it.

[democraticinsurgent]

3. Lots of idiots run for office

and it sounds like Walker may be one of them. My only point in posting the article was that there are some spirited races. The Star article is similar.

Garton has run the Senate with an iron fist for many, many years. You have to have him on board to get anything passed. Not that Walker would be an improvement.

I don't think the primaries will be all that interesting, maybe an upset here and there. The general election is when things will happen, if they're going to.