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Home , Ben Quayle, Charles Kushner, Evan Bayh, Mark Curry (actor), Pilot (Modern Family), Pilot (The Cosby Show)

V22, N15 Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016

Four days in July that rocked Pence’s pursuit of veep nod, Holcomb’s win at GOP Central Committee were bold moves toward November history By BRIAN A. HOWEY – When filing back through time to make sense of the Gov. and Lt. Gov. sensational Nov. 8 election that catapulted celebrate their Election Day victories that Gov. Mike Pence were forged by four momentus days in into global power July, including Trump’s visit to Indianapolis and capped Eric and Westfield. Holcomb’s unprec- edented rise in Indi- Republican presidential ticket with ana, it comes down . Except it was not fait to four days in July accompli. That wouldn’t happen until when the historic Friday, July 15. and fateful dramas unfolded. And on Monday July 25, after 22 Indiana Republi- On July 14, we witnessed cable breaking news can Central Committee members migrated back to Indiana reports of Gov. and Mrs. Pence disembarking on a charter from the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, the flight from Indianapolis to Teterboro, N.J., in what most thought was an obvious sign he was about to join the Continued on page 3 2016 winners and losers By MARK SOUDER FORT WAYNE – Every election results in individual and categorical winners and losers that impact the longer- term future of politics. Here are a few of my selections. Indiana winner: The Pence/Coats establishment. “The very worst choice you can It directed the quasi-slating of the victorious state ticket: Todd make is to opt out as a citizen, to Young for Senate, in part by give in to the cynicsm, the moving Eric Holcomb out and into position to become gover- despair and the anger. We have to nor; Suzanne Crouch as lieu- tenant governor; Curtis Hill as pull back from the toxity of this attorney general; and Jennifer election, and if we don’t, our McCormick as superintendent of education. In political years, system of government eventually especially by Indiana stan- will break.” dards, they are “fresh faces” ready to ready to rejuvenate - Lee Hamilton Page 2 the brand. , Ted Cruz, , and Indiana loser: An exhausted many others. Democrat re-tread brand. National loser: See Indiana is one of the most decent men to reference, insert “Pelosi” and “Clin- represent our state, but coming back ton.” Reelecting minority after clearly moving to Washington leader would not help the re-tread and becoming Big Bucks Bayh was a image. Nor would making huge mistake, and his biggest mistake head of the Democrat National Com- was trying to deny those changes. mittee. New Senate Minority Leader John Gregg had a detailed list of what , because he is so Howey Politics Indiana he wanted to accomplish, and is gen- much more media savvy, is a short- WWHowey Media, LLC 405 erally considered “affable” when not term bridge to the new radical, more Massachusetts Ave., Suite nuking his opponents. The problem socialist wing of the Democrat Party. 300 Indianapolis, IN 46204 is that Gregg’s solutions, and Bayh’s, National winner: President were the same liberal re-tread ideas . Donald Trump did www.howeypolitics.com that had passed up long ago. what the President, his policies and Superintendent Ritz no longer had the Democrats could not do; they Brian A. Howey, Publisher Superintendent Bennett to kick Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington around. In fact, the Democrats Jack E. Howey, Editor really missed Richard Mourdock as well. They were hoping Trump Mary Lou Howey, Editor would drag down the ticket. At Maureen Hayden, Statehouse some point, the Democrats will Mark Curry, photography have to develop a strategy that appeals to Hoosiers, and not just try to scare them. Subscriptions National winner: The HPI, HPI Daily Wire $599 Congressional GOP. For a year of HPI Weekly, $350 “draining the swamp” there was Ray Volpe, Account Manager very little water seepage. From 317.602.3620 the earliest primaries until elec- tion day, 80-year-old incumbent email: [email protected] Republican senators were clobber- Contact HPI ing outsider rivals. For a number [email protected] of election cycles we have been Howey’s cell: 317.506.0883 hearing Republican victories being Speaker Paul Ryan with 9th CD congressman- attributed to a grassroots rebel- elect Trey Hollingsworth in Sellersburg last Washington: 202.256.5822 lion, then to a desire to maintain month. (HPI Photo by Thomas Curry) Business Office: 317.602.3620 the status quo, then – repeat. At some point, since Republicans have pushed Obama to over 50% popular- © 2016, Howey Politics been prevailing in both the House ity. The President (and his family) Indiana. All rights reserved. and Senate, there needs to be an were also what conservatives had acknowledgement that voters prefer always thought was, a real- Photocopying, Internet forward- conservative Republican policies and life example of an American dad (and ing, faxing or reproducing in tend to prefer the incumbents over family) that happened to be African- any form, whole or part, is a the opposition. Speaker Paul Ryan and American and a role model that suc- violation of federal law without Senate Majority Leader Mitch Mc- cess in American can come regardless permission from the publisher. Connell endure a lot of abuse but are of your background. Furthermore, in positioned rather well; they expressed the critical first week after the Trump their concerns about President-elect victory, the President stood nearly Trump but did not totally abandon alone among national Democrats as a him. They control the legislative towering reminder of the importance branch to the degree that it can be of a smooth transition of power, this controlled. President Trump will now with a man who had questioned his be heavily dependent upon senators citizenship. he personally attacked, including John National winner: Bernie McCain, Lindsay Graham, Ben Sasse, Sanders and the Socialist wing of Page 3 the Democrats. Elizabeth Warren is set up to be the new president. Jerry Falwell and others who backed Trump Bernie. The general feeling in the left wing of the Demo- seemed morally lost. “Success” trumped character. Abor- crat Party is that Bernie would have defeated Trump if he tion is the last moral issue standing, in part because it was hadn’t been cheated out of the nomination. This faction not identified as primarily evangelical. will be almost as important to Republicans as Democrats. National losers: Small government conserva- “Socialists” will replace “Clinton” as the new voter mobili- tives. Donald Trump the nationalist is more statist than any zation word. Selecting leftist, Muslim-American Congress- of the Bush family. To be honest, I am more like Trump on man Keith Ellison would cement that socialist trend, with certain economic issues (i.e. trade, business support) that the goal of also highlighting not just white liberal social- resulted in me getting primary opponents every election ists from the East Coast. The question is this: After years but, compared to Trump, I’m a libertarian. of calling every liberal a “socialist” will it work as a scare Media Winners: Brian Howey, , Jef- word when faced with the real thing (though actually frey Lloyd, , and especially social media. American socialist politicians are sort of “socialism lite.”) Media Losers: The Big Three TV networks, Fox National loser: Evangelical conservatism as a News, pollsters, the top 100 daily newspapers (only the political movement. The political evangelical movement Las Vegas Review Journal endorsed Trump and he lost that is now deeply divided. Many, many church leaders were state). shocked that so many Christian leaders not only voted for Biggest media winner: Brad Parscale. His media Trump, but defended him. They will likely step back from coverage will explode, just as it did about the Obama digi- direct politics for the foreseeable future stressing religion, tal world advances. He ran Trump’s alternative strategy of not politics. Evangelical Mike Pence as vice president is messaging. His firm in San Antonio had proven success in emerging as a likely power in critical administration staff- brand management. He demonstrated it could translate to ing and policy decisions, but the evangelical political domi- politics. Check out the article in Wired magazine. v nance within the Republican Party has been destroyed. Donald Trump buried the issues related to gay marriage. Souder is a former Republican congressman from Not that many years ago Dr. James Dobson was blasting Indiana. gambling. This election he was pushing a casino man for

aides in the “Bridgegate” scandal in the final week of the Four days, from page 1 campaign, perhaps eclipsing FBI Director ’s Holcomb campaign was riding high on endorsements from stunning letter that pulled the email scab off Pence and legislative leaders and expressing sheer con- in public view for the final time. It might have blunted the fidence he had the nomination in the bag. But he didn’t. surging tidal wave that would not only propel Trump, but That wouldn’t be secured until a second ballot on July 26. Pence and Holcomb into office. These cascading events have profoundly reshaped Trump would carry Indiana 57.2 to 37.9% for the political contours of Indiana Hillary Clinton and 4.9% and American politics. They for Libertarian Gary John- have obliterated the political and son, a 525,000 plurality media industries, from polling that swamped Gregg, Sen- to social media, to get-out-the- ate nominee Evan Bayh vote mechanisms. It has thrust and Supt. Glenda Ritz, and Vice President-elect Pence into propelled Trey Hollingsworth the role of a Washington power to a 14% victory in what had center. His addition to the Trump been a drum-tight 9th CD ticket over the mogul billionaire’s race. It would help Holcomb first choice, Gov. to a 164,000-vote plural- , may have not only ity over Gregg (51.4% to saved the Trump candidacy, but lifted that of Holcomb, 45.4%) in a tossup race we deemed him to be a slight who now will extend the GOP Statehouse winning streak favorite based on the final WTHR/Howey Politics Indiana to four terms, while rendering Indiana Democrats into Poll, and potentially bolstered by the Trump surge most historic oblivion. didn’t know was unfolding beneath our feet in its final, Had Pence not boarded that flight to Teterboro stunning magnitude. at the behest of then-Trump campaign manager Paul In CNN exit polling data, Trump won the 21% Manafort and son-in-law to secure the of Hoosiers making their decision in the final week by a prize, a Trump/Christie ticket would have resulted. It 51-36% margin over Clinton. A Trump/Christie ticket could would have been roiled in the conviction of two Christie have easily ended up creating a President-elect Clinton Page 4 and Governor-elect John Gregg. up against the hard deadline of having to withdraw from his gubernatorial nomination by noon that Friday. Flight to Teterboro CNN reported that it was Manafort who sent word The drama over Pence joining the Trump ticket for Pence to get on the private plane late Thursday after- began as rumors in late June that noon July 15, setting the final stage into motion. Trump the Pence campaign and guberna- obfuscated the process, telling torial offices initially denied, then radio host Michael Savage that he downplayed. When he golfed with hadn’t made a final decision. After Trump in New Jersey over the 4th of the cable networks showed Pence July weekend, it all ticked into high exiting the jet in New Jersey, Trump gear. Then came Tuesday, July 13, was telling Thursday night when Trump flew into Indianapolis he hadn’t made a “final, final deci- for a Columbia Club fundraiser and sion.” then the Pence veep “audition” at By Friday morning, early cable Westfield’s Grand Park. The two reports had Trump agitated by leaks then dined in Grill at the from Indiana that Pence was in. Conrad, with Trump’s itinerary having Some reported he felt “boxed in.” him leaving shortly thereaf- CNN reported the Pence team was ter. spooked, but the governor We now know from remained calm “convinced CNN, New York Times and that Trump would keep his reports that word.” Manafort and Kushner, seek- Even boarding that private ing to head off Trump’s first jet to New Jersey could have choice of Christie, concocted been devastating to Pence’s the “mechanical troubles” career. Had Trump pulled the with the Trump jet, keeping nomination, he would have the billionaire in Indianapolis had to return to Indiana with an extra night. He spent the night epic egg on his face, explaining why at the Conrad, the scene later in he was seeking another nomination the day finding , Jeff while in a tossup race with Gregg. If Sessions, and milling Trump had changed his mind after around the lobby. Trump, his adult Pence resigned the ticket at noon children, and the Pences breakfasted Friday, he would have been a man at the Governor’s Residence that without a nod. Wednesday morning. Trump then The official Trump/Pence line is would fly to California. that once the offer had been ten- Later in the day, the Pence dered by Trump, it was a bona fide. team grew confident the prize was But it was Holcomb who revealed the his. Pence was signaling to his team fact that Pence was, for a time, twist- that he had a “premonition” he was ing in the wind. Holcomb told FOX59 in. They were replicating U.S. Sen. he learned that Pence would be the ’s conspicuous mid- GOP vice presidential nominee when summer 1988 strategy to get into the Trump tweeted it out shortly before view of Vice President George H.W. 11 a.m. Friday, July 15. The two Pence arriving at Teterboro on July 14, the Trump would officially announce the ticket Bush, culminating with a solid inter- tweet on July 15 that he Pence was on the ticket, view with David Brinkley on ABC’s that Saturday at Trump Tower before and Pence accepting the nomination. (HPI Photo Pence and family celebrated his good “This Week” the Sunday before the by Randy Gentry) Republican National Convention that fortune at a Chili’s. Bush himself watched. Two days later, Quayle was plucked But the good fortune was really Trump’s. Pence out of a humid New Orleans crowd for his journey into has emerged as a stabilizing force on the ticket that has destiny. been buffeted by everything from overweight beauty Pence, in the eyes of Manafort and Kushner, was , criticism of Gold Star mothers, to Billy Bush’s a “safe” choice, a bridge to Congress and the conservative obscene Access Hollywood video and Trump’s ribald com- evangelicals. As Trump vacillated, then delayed the an- ments that gave Pence pause in October. It was Pence nouncement due to a terror attack in France, Pence was who would spend the final two weeks of the campaign, urging Republicans to “come home,” after some 25 per- Page 5 cent of sitting governors and members of Congress either the campaign pushed that Holcomb had up to 16 votes refused to endorse or said they wouldn’t vote for the bil- when Monday, July 25, rolled up, but other insiders were lionaire. describing the process as “fluid.” Committee members In two fateful days in mid-July, Pence seized his seemed to be concentrating on the “electability” question. prize and altered history in profound fashion. Some were pushing for a Brooks/Holcomb ticket, a combi- nation that would be the best of the top two choices. Holcomb’s ultimate rise And then came Tuesday, July 26. The ultimate Ten days after the Pence drama concluded, Hol- confirmation that Holcomb didn’t have it sewed up came comb found himself at historic crossroads. Never before when the first ballot took almost an hour. Former legisla- had just 22 people held an Indiana gubernatorial nomina- tor Mitch Harper was in the room and tweeted out sensa- tion in their hands. Holcomb had gone from a third place tional news; the first ballot ended in up 11 for Holcomb, U.S. Senate candidate, to Pence’s lieutenant governor in nine for Brooks and two for Rokita. At least one Holcomb March after Sue Ellspermann resigned, to this point on the vote didn’t materialize. State Sen. Jim Tomes would drop precipice of a 100-day campaign. out on the second ballot. Holcomb had the big Chairman Jeff Cardwell com- momentum. He had nominated menced the second ballot almost imme- Pence at the Republican National diately, but sources in the room tell HPI Convention on national TV. He that in the brief interlude between the spent much of the week at the two ballots, Dan Dumezich was in an Hilton Gardens Hotel near the intense conversation with Clark County airport and on the convention Sheriff Jamey Noel, an ardent Holcomb floor making his case, while U.S. supporter, in a backroom corner. Reps. Susan Brooks and Todd The second ballot results were Rokita did the same, sometimes never released by Cardwell, but most just a few feet away. Never believe that Dumezich had switched his before had such a critical stretch vote from Rokita to Holcomb, giving him of an Indiana gubernatorial the magic 12th vote. race played out in of all places, It placed the towering, cowboy- Cleveland, Ohio. In another booted Holcomb into a race with Gregg. unprecedented move, Holcomb, The Democrat had predicated his entire Brooks and Rokita all resigned strategy on running against the polariz- their nominations on Friday, July ing Pence. He now faced a nominee with 15, since Indiana law forbids dual about $20,000 in his campaign account, candidacies. and lack of access to much of the Pence When Holcomb, Rokita warchest, of which only $1.2 million and Brooks drove back to Indiana would flow to the new nominee. that Friday, July 22, the Hol- “This year, as many of you know, comb team was expressing has taken many twists and turns button-popping confidence. and I am ready to take this next Pence had endorsed him call and lead us to victory,” Hol- that Friday, as had Speaker comb said, flanked by Cardwell, Brian Bosma, Senate Presi- Brooks, Rokita and Tomes. dent David Long, and U.S. “We’ve got work to do and a Sen. , along with short time to get there.” Marsha Coats, the national With Pence steadying committeewoman. Central the Trump ticket, making the Committee members were clarion call for Republicans to told the Pence warchest come home, even as Holcomb would flow to his sidekick. briefly wavered himself after the There seemed to be the Billy Bush tape emerged, the sentiment that the “next two partners had ultimately split man up” was trumping the their own tickets and forged two idea of Indiana Republicans Lt. Gov. Eric Holcomb campaigns in the lobby of the Hilton of the most profoundly unlikely nominating Brooks for their Gardens in Cleveland last July, winning the Republican Central chapters in political history. first female governor. Committee vote the following week. Holcomb nominated Pence As they say, they rode There were rumors at the Republican National Convention. (HPI Photos by Brian A. the wave. v Howey and Randy Gentry) Page 6

in the transition. Trump, however, let everyone know who’s Pence takes the helm, really in charge when he Tweeted Wednesday morn- ing, “Very organized process taking place as I decide on Cabinet and many other positions. I am the only one who shakes up transition knows who the finalists are!” By BRIAN A. HOWEY Gov. Pence met with Trump at Trump Tower on INDIANAPOLIS – Vice President-elect Mike Pence Tuesday to go over recommendations. One source told has taken the helm of President-elect Donald Trump’s Fox News that the decision to remove the lobbyists “makes transition team and has cleansed it of lobbyists from the good on [Trump’s] vision of how he wants his government “swamp.” But the real markers of Pence’s emerging clout constructed.” Trump had vowed to “drain the swamp” in could come on how many fellow Hoosiers he can bring into Washington. Pence formally signed a memorandum of the new government. understanding putting him in charge of the transition team reported today that Pence is on Tuesday evening. Pence ignored questions from report- positioned to “exert sweeping author- ers Tuesday, both as he entered Trump Tower with a thick ity on all matters foreign and domestic binder tucked under his arm, and as he left six hours later. as Trump’s partner in governing.” A person familiar with the transition efforts told AP differ- Multiple media reports say ent factions in Trump’s team “are fighting for power.” Fox that U.S. Rep. Luke Messer and former reported the group organized by Christie had featured a Indiana Supt. of Public Instruction litany of lobbyists, former bureaucrats, academics and Tony Bennett are on the top of the corporate lawyers. That caused consternation from Trump. transition team’s list for Department Messer, who was renominated as Republican of Education secretary. is Policy Committee chair in the GOP conference on Tuesday, reporting that four Hoosiers are on a has been active on an array of education issues both in potential list to head the Agriculture Congress and as a member of the Indiana House. Ben- Department, Mike McCloskey, a dairy executive; Kip Tom, a nett was a key reform figure during the administration of farmer who ran for Congress in Indiana this year but was Gov. , but was upset for reelection in 2012. defeated in the primary; Don Villwock, former president of He was a key advocate for the Common Core reforms that the Indiana Farm Bureau; and Ted McKinney, the current Pence undid as governor and was to be a cornerstone of director of the Indiana Department of Agriculture in the Pence’s own 2016 presidential campaign until he was side- Pence Administration. Previous reports had former deputy lined by the Religious Freedom Restoration Act controversy secretary Chuck Connor on that list. in 2015. Tom told the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette that said Another education name floated is Daniels, though he has had conversations with members of Trump’s transi- he told Dave Bangert of the Lafayette Journal & Courier tion team but declined to divulge what those talks en- that he wasn’t interested in leaving the Purdue University tailed. “I’m both humbled and honored to be considered, presidency. v and if asked to serve, I will serve,” he said Wednesday night in a phone interview. Tom, 61, is chief executive of- ficer of Leesburg-based Tom Farms, which grows corn and soybeans in seven northern Indiana counties. He finished a close second in this year’s Republican Pence guts Trump policy team for northeast Indiana’s seat in the U.S. House. And at EPA, Politico is reporting that Indiana WASHINGTON – Vice-president elect Mike Pence Department of Environmental Management Commissioner has gutted the transition’s so-called “landing teams,” the Carol Comer is under consideration for an agency that will people responsible for going into federal agencies and be squarely in the Trump/Pence bullseye when it comes to helping to reshape them under a Trump administration, chopping back regulations propagated during the Obama according to one source inside the transition and one administration. downtown lobbyist close to it (Politico). The gutting was These names come as multiple media reports say part of Pence installing more campaign people in these that the transition team is in “disarray” and going through slots and pushing aside members of the existing transition “purges” since Pence took the helm from New Jersey structure that’s been working on the federal agency issues Gov. Chris Christie, who is in free-fall in Trump world after for months. Overall, there were 25 landing teams, accord- the conviction of two top aides in the Bridgegate scan- ing to a recent Trump transition org chart. Of roughly 200 dal. Christie also prosecuted Charles Kushner, the father team members, it’s unclear how many have been ousted. of Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, who is emerging as This complicates the efforts to hand off power and further a power center. Washington Post reporter Robert Costa stalls the work of setting up a Trump-led government. identified Kushner, U.S. Sen. and former New And, this means that agencies from the Department of York Mayor as key players along with Pence Homeland Security, Treasury, or HHS have to wait. v Page 7

One thing is certain, the transition Pence faces will Ben Quayle sees Pence be far different than the one Dan Quayle participated in in 1988 when he was elected with President George H.W. prepared for transition Bush. “He participated in that one, but it was a little more seamless because Bush41 was Reagan’s vice president for By BRIAN A. HOWEY eight years,” Ben Quayle told HPI on Tuesday of his father. INDIANAPOLIS – Former Vice President Dan “There were a lot of the same players who stuck Quayle was a mentor to a young congressman named around and filled some of the holes,” Quayle said. “It’s a Mike Pence. It went to the next generation, when then different scenario. This is a completely new administra- Rep. Pence helped bring along U.S. Rep. Ben tion from a different political party. There will Quayle when he was elected in 2010. So the be changes all across the board.” He noted that Republican has some interesting in- because of the Bush43/Gore recount in Florida sights on the towering task facing the Indiana in 2000, that transition didn’t get fully under way governor. until mid-December. On Friday, President-elect Donald “It’s always drinking from a fire hose Trump switched gears, installing Vice Presi- because you have to fill some 4,000 political ap- dent-elect Pence to head the transition team, pointee slots,” Quayle said. “But I think they are replacing New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. By getting into a position where some of the transi- Tuesday, when the two met at Trump Tower to go over a tion folks had been in place for quite awhile, analyzing list of potential appointments, the process was described what executive orders President Trump can start getting as in “disarray,” with Christie allies such as former House rid of on Jan. 20. I think they’re in a good spot. Transitions Intelligence Chairman Mike Rogers abruptly leaving. Some are difficult because there is so much to learn.” potential cabinet appointees such as Dr. have Quayle was part of the 2010 begged off. NBC News was citing “Stalinesque purges” when he won a 10-way primary in Arizona’s 3rd CD and from the team and Politico called it a “chaotic scramble then the general election. But during the 2011 redistrict- inside Trump Tower, with competing power centers jockey- ing, Quayle was drawn into a district with U.S. Rep. David ing for position and influence.” One source described it as Schweikert and lost in the 2012 primary. He currently an “absolute knife fight.” Page 8 works for the lobbying firm Clark Hill. talk of a infrastructure and stimulus plan that some esti- What are Pence’s key attributes in heading the mates would add more than $5 trillion to the national debt. transition team? Pence has been a long-time deficit hawk. “He’s a good communicator. He’s a calming focus,” “The most interesting thing will be watching the said Quayle. “He always has that calm demeanor which House,” said Quayle. “Some 65% of Republican conference is a juxtaposition to what President Trump might be. He has never had a Republican president. They’ve never had understands Washington but is not of Washington. He’s to carry a president’s agenda through the House. It’s going always tried to change the way things were done. He’s a to be interesting to see how people react if it doesn’t con- serious reformer and really has been trying to do that for form to some of their principles. It’s going to be something a number of years. He’ll continue in that vein. He’s going Pence is going to have to deal with. I think there will be to be a really good bridge to that conservative wing of the some differences. It will not be seamless, it will be a chal- party up on Capitol Hill. He was chairman of the Repub- lenge.” lican Study Committee and chairman of the conference Does he expect the policy to be generated from when they were in the minority. He does understand, has Trump, or House Speaker Paul Ryan, who is closer to those relationships and how to bridge those gaps.” Pence than the president-elect. Quayle pointed to the early stages of the “Mike Pence is going to help smooth some of those Obama administration when Pence asked President Obama frayed edges that some folks had with Trump during the to address the Republican conference and take questions. election,” Quayle said. “Those are how relationships are “That’s something that no one else would have thought going to be built. President Trump will have to engage of,” Quayle said. “They were in the minority and they had wholeheartedly as well. One of the biggest mistakes of just lost two bad elections in 2006 and 2008. He decided the Obama administration, and I learned this through my to bring the president in so he could understand where Democratic colleagues, is they didn’t engage in the House the Republican conference was coming from. He wanted or the Senate. My Democratic friends were not too happy to know where the president was coming from as well with that. Gov. Pence understands that and understands because, well, he’s the president.” the stakes and I think he will get the whole administration What does Quayle expect from Pence as the to engage in Congress so those kinds of relationships can Trump policy agenda begins to emerge? Already there is be built and they can get things accomplished.” v Page 9

door in Wayne County.” Shelled Democrats Winston and Buttigieg believe that issues will be critical in the 2018 mid-term elections and the 2020 cycle. “We should revisit the platform, perhaps come up with a will listen, wait for new one instead of the one we’ve had every two years,” Winston added. “It needs to be something reflective of opportunities why you are asking people to vote Democratic.” Buttigieg, who ran for treasurer statewide in By BRIAN A. HOWEY 2010 and lost to incumbent Richard Mourdock, used redis- INDIANAPOLIS – The embers of a horrific Demo- tricting reform as an issue the party should latch on to. “Is cratic defeat are still smoldering, yet South Bend Mayor our party going to be vigorously involved in redistricting Peter Buttigieg senses an opportunity just two years away. reform, or not? We should be skeptical politicians choosing “Democrats have to put their voters. In one sense, our politics does appear to be forward a positive agenda, but we rigged. We need to provide an alternative to get politics need to have a positive response out of that process.” to those in power,” the second- And he echoed Winston, saying that Democratic term Democrat said Tuesday. politicians “need to do a lot of listening, to make sure “What is really extraordinary is we there is a clearer sense of the real needs and concerns of have an incoming president who the voters.” is not a conservative, not a liberal That is not a criticism of gubernatorial nominee and not a moderate. It’s going to be more difficult to know John Gregg, who based his campaign on some of the in advance what his policies are and what they mean for same issues that propelled Donald Trump and Bernie people in our community, but it may help set our agenda.” Sanders to 53% Indiana primary wins on May 3. Both used In talking with Democrats across Indiana after the Carrier fleeing to Mexico, obscene golden parachutes for Trump/Pence tsunami swept away the gubernatorial, U.S. Senate, attorney general, superintendent of public instruction and viable congressio- nal nominee on Nov. 8, the other obvious bookend to what happens in Washington is what happens in a place like Washington, Indiana. Former Democratic chairman Robin Winston, who signs off each of his emails with “The politics of exclusion lead to the politics of defeat” advocates Democrats fan out across the state on a listening tour. His advice comes as Indiana Democrats have been consigned to Indianapolis, Lake, Por- ter, St. Joseph counties and college towns. The party has only a couple of General Assembly seats south of Bloomington, and State Rep. Terry Goodin is virtually alone in representing a rural district. South Bend Mayor Peter Buttigieg campaigns for the Democratic ticket in the final week “You’ve got to be inclusive,” said of the campaign. (HPI Photo by Thomas Curry) Winston, who led the party from 1999 through the 2000 election and oversaw the party winning unsuccessful CEOs and a “rigged” economic system as the Indianapolis mayoralship as well as reelecting Gov. campaign themes. Gregg consistently talked about sagging Frank O’Bannon. “We need to have a series of meetings per-capita income and the need to create higher paying around the state, inclusive, listening meetings. Listen to jobs and set the stage for a better workforce by fully fund- what people have to say, let them talk about their commu- ing pre-K and extending rural broadband to the last mile. nities and what can be done in the future.” The Gregg/Hale ticket was swamped by the “I would establish clear goals,” said Winston, Trump/Pence tidal wave that broke in the final week of the who was deputy campaign manager of O’Bannon’s upset cycle. 1996 win over . “Clear, incremental “Trump won the state by 520,000 votes and John goals. In county after county after county at their level, lost by 160,000,” Winston observed. “Somewhere along not regionally, you hear first hand what the issues are. the line, people were voting for both Trump and Gregg. What might work in Randolph County might not work next Somewhere John made up about 300,000 votes.” Page 10

Winston believes the Gregg campaign missed ran a great race, but due to Hillary Clinton, they were dis- some opportunities. Some 80% of Hoosiers voted for the missed.” He also said that Evan Bayh’s sudden entry into constitutional hunting and fishing amendment. “I was an the Senate race “landed like a thud.” advocate for taking a position when you had an item that “There was just a lack of enthusiasm for that won with 80% of the vote,” he said. campaign,” he said. “People were voting against the whole And Winston notes that Rep. Goodin consistently Washington scene.” wins in rural Scott and Jackson counties, and Mara Cande- McDermott similar fallout to what occurred laria Reardon recaptured her old House seat in Lake Coun- in 2010 when Bayh unexpectedly bolted from a Senate ty. “How did she appeal to voters in Munster?” Winston reelection. It set in motion what we’ve long called the asked. “Terry Goodin campaigns from Nov. 9 to November “Bayh dominoes” that wiped out U.S. Rep. 2018, whether it’s at a fire station in in the Senate race, in the 8th Brownstown or Crothersville. We need to CD and Sen. Bob Dieg from a House race. That lit sit down with Democrats who won and the fuse for the loss of legacy Democratic seats ask them, ‘How did you win?” throughout the Ohio and Wabash valleys. And on the gender front, “Christina Hale has got a great future in Winston believes the Gregg campaign politics,” McDermott said. “She needs to be in missed an opening when it didn’t fashion leadership. She may be back on ticket in four an ad campaign around lieutenant gov- years. She’s a successful, single mom, bipartisan, ernor nominee Christina Hale, who could aggressive. I would hate to see her go back to have mitigated some of the negative private sector. We lost Brad Ellsworth as part of fallout from Hillary Clinton. “We had an the Evan Bayh fallout.” articulate, passionate, well-researched, And McDermott questioned the party’s well-spoken nominee who could have aversion to contested primaries. “My party always articulated it in a current time frame, to tries to avoid a primary,” he said. “I like primaries. reach out to women,” Winston said. “I Former Democratic Chairman You find out if you have a weak candidate. The just wish we had seen her in some ads.” Robin Winston. presidential race was greased for Hillary Clinton State Rep. Dan Forestal penned with the super delegates, and it destroyed the a letter to his party this week. “We told party. We put a bad candidate at the top of the Hoosiers that our system is not rigged, when the opposite ticket. We knew she was in trouble with Bernie Sanders is true,” the Indianapolis Democrat said. “The system is and we ignored it. It’s like signs of heart attack and you rigged against everyday people by a complex web of mas- ignore it. Then you have a heart attack.” sive amounts of campaign cash dominating our elections Three-term Kokomo Mayor Gregg Goodnight says and our legislative processes. We must stand together Indiana has assets, starting with U.S. Sen. , against these special interests that rig the system against and then a deep mayoral bench. “Just last year we picked those we are sworn to serve.” up the mayor of Indianapolis and in north central Indiana, He added, “When the Democratic Party held the we picked up Logansport, Peru, Anderson, Elwood,” said presidency, the U.S. (House) and the U.S. Senate, did Goodnight. “We made headway.” we pass laws to help those working hard to move our He sees long-time mayors such Fort Wayne’s Tom economy forward? We did not. Were any of the profiteers Henry, Lafayette’s Tony Roswarski (his name comes up responsible for the economic devastation thrown into often), McDermott, Buttigieg and Gary’s Karen Freeman- prison? No. Instead we perpetuated a system in which the Wilson as a good place to start. “Many of us are doing a all-powerful pilfered our public coffers at the expense of lot of good things.” those we serve. To put it frankly, we bailed out Like McDermott, Goodnight believes that Clinton’s and left Main Street in shambles, then we lost the public’s lack of a coherent message backfired. The Clinton cam- trust. Our constituents have gone without new streets, paign focused on Trump’s temperament. “It’s the economy, new sidewalks and fewer officers while those rigging stupid,” Goodnight said, quoting the 1992 slogan that got the system line their own pockets. This system must end. to the White House. “That’s a pretty good way We must begin the work of rebuilding trust with Hoosiers.” to describe it. Donald Trump did talk the issues. He took Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr., some positions on trade that were very different than believes that Democrats have given up on a key constitu- some of his colleagues were in the Republican Party.” ency. “That’s something the Democratic Party has left be- As for the future, Goodnight said that Indiana hind, the straight, white males. They voted for Trump. We Democrats should look at local governments where there had union leaders who would give John Gregg hundreds of is plenty of strong leadership in the party. “The best thing thousands for governor and yet their members voted for I can do right now is to show how Democrats can be good Trump.” stewards with the public money and how we can govern. McDermott echoed the others. “John Gregg ran v the best campaign for governor. He and (Christina) Hale Page 11

Lanane, of Anderson, one of nine Democrats who will be Zody blames Dem left in the 50-member chamber. “But there will be another election, and we’ve got to be thinking now really in terms of how to prepare for that.” loses on tidal wave With no statewide offices up for election for two By MAUREEN HAYDEN years, Lanane said party leaders have time to address CNHI Statehouse Bureau hard questions. “We need to analyze our base,” he said. INDIANAPOLIS – State Democrats were hoping “Did they get out to vote? And if they didn’t, why didn’t to celebrate a string of election victories at their annual they respond to our message?” holiday party here in the state capital. Instead the early In the traditionally Democratic stronghold of Lake December event will likely have a more somber tone as County, for example, African-Americans dominate the voter party leaders dissect what went wrong on Election Day. rolls in the cities, but turned out at a lower rate than white Democrats lost every voters in the suburbs. Clinton won 41,000 more votes statewide contest last Tuesday, there than Trump. But back in 2008, President Barack including what were seen as com- Obama won that county by more than 100,000 votes. petitive races for Senate and gov- “We’ve got to take a hard look at ourselves,” Lanane said. ernor. Despite money and labor Democratic leaders around the state echoed his poured into a handful of legislative point. seats, the party failed to unlock A year ago, Kokomo Mayor Greg Goodnight the Republican super majority in helped usher in historic results for Democrats in his com- the General Assembly, or make a munity, becoming the first Democrat to win the mayor’s dent in Republicans’ hold on seven office for the third time. All six contested common council of nine congressional seats. races were won by Democrats, as well. State Democratic Chair- Goodnight said he knows people who voted for man John Zody blames the him last year but voted Republican this year. For him, the across-the-board losses on a tidal wave created by GOP most surprising were autoworkers who helped Republican President-elect Donald Trump. Late polls projected Trump defeat Democrat Evan Bayh in the U.S. Senate to win the state by 6 to 10 points. Instead, he and his vice race. Young opposed a 2009 auto industry bailout that presidential candidate, Gov. Mike Pence, won by 19 points, Bayh supported. “Sometimes people don’t vote in their more than 500,000 votes more than his losing opponent, own best interest,” Goodnight said. Democrat Hillary Clinton. “That’s tough to overcome,” said There are no easy answers for Democrats, who’ve Zody, who seemed as surprised been out of power in the Statehouse for as anyone by Trump’s strong pull 16 years, he added. Goodnight said the on the down-ballot races. party will have to convince voters it can Zody said he’s taking do things better, a tactic that Gregg tried advantage of upcoming gather- to employ in the governor’s race but ings of party activists to find out failed. “We have to produce good policy why their candidates took such a and hope it resonates as good politics,” pounding. “I’ve got a list started he said. already of people I need to talk South Bend Mayor , to and places I need to go,” he a rising star in the state party, agrees. said. Zody, with another year to Last November, the 35-year-old mayor go in his four-year elected term won reelection with 80 percent of the as party chairman, faces a daunt- vote, after spending much of his first ing task analyzing what happened term focused on boosting his city’s shift- and deciding what comes next. ing economy. Buttigieg said Democrats Going into Tuesday’s need to focus on fixing fundamental election, party leaders were problems in the economy and the politi- convinced their incumbent state Indiana Democratic Chairman John Zody. (HPI cal system that leave too many people schools chief, Glenda Ritz, would Photo by Mark Curry) feeling left out. “That’s what the winning be joined in the Statehouse by campaigns in this election tapped into,” gubernatorial contender John Gregg, whose internal polls he said. “But, at the same time, we can’t make false prom- showed him narrowly ahead of Republican Eric Holcomb. ises.” v Instead both Ritz and Gregg lost. She was defeated by Jennifer McCormick, now superintendent of Yorktown Maureen Hayden covers the Indiana Statehouse Community Schools. for CNHI’s newspapers and websites. Reach her at “We can be sad. I certainly was,” said Sen. Tim [email protected]. Page 12 Indiana Exit Polling presidential results Page 13

That principle has been upended by the Electoral Electoral College was College four other times throughout history, when the candidate with the most votes didn’t win the White House. The most recent was George W. Bush’s victory over Demo- a target for crat in 2000. It also happened during the 1824 By MAUREEN HAYDEN election of John Quincy Adams, the 1876 election of Ruth- CNHI Statehouse Bureau erford Hayes, and again in 1888, when Benjamin BLOOMINGTON – Democrat Hillary Clinton appar- Harrison ousted the incumbent, Grover Cleveland. ently won the most votes last week, but she didn’t win the Also in the Bayh archive are documents show- White House, a contradiction that is renewing debate over ing his alarm during the 1968 election in which Alabama the system of selecting a president that is baked into the Gov. George Wallace, a populist firebrand, was attempting U.S. Constitution. Calls to abolish the Electoral College, to wreak havoc. Wallace knew he couldn’t win the popular which gives some states disproportionate influence, aren’t vote, but he was hoping to win enough electoral votes new. to force the decision into the U.S. House of Representa- A half-century ago, an Indiana senator took up the tives, where he saw some sympathy for his segregationist cause of reforming how presidents are picked, only to be agenda. Republican narrowly won the popu- stymied by an array of forces that included segregationist lar vote that year but handily won the Electoral College. Sen. Strom Thurmond and the widow of civil rights hero In the following session of Congress, Bayh again Martin Luther King Jr. filed a resolution to begin the long process of abolishing The fascinating details of Sen. Birch Bayh’s quixotic at- tempt to reform, and later topple, the Electoral College are forever preserved in the archives of the Indiana University Libraries. They landed there 35 years ago, in some of the 1,200 boxes of senatorial pa- pers donated by Bayh to his alma mater. Archivist Kate Cruikshank has organized a jumble of material into a narrative of Bayh’s 18-year Senate career. “It’s very unusual to find this much detail,” she said of a mass of internal memos, staff correspondence and other material Former U.S. Sens. Birch Bayh (right) and old Electoral College nemesis Strom Thurmond. that offer a behind-the-scene look at Bayh’s work. the Electoral College with a constitutional amendment, The materials show Bayh’s persistence, a man, which would require two-thirds votes in both houses of she said, “not likely to give up on anything.” They include Congress and ratification by 38 states. 2,600 pages of testimony offered in multiple hearings Bayh had 40 co-sponsors in the Senate and a ma- on Electoral College reform, organized by Bayh when he jority support in the House. But his resolution was bottled headed the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Consti- up in the Senate Judiciary Committee by Thurmond. The tutional Amendments. Much of the testimony supported South Carolinian would be Bayh’s nemesis on the issue for Bayh’s belief that the institution created in 1787 as a years to come, as the archival material shows. compromise by populous northern states to appease Bayh’s final push came in 1977, after Jimmy slave-holding states of the South was an anachronism. Carter won the presidency with the popular vote but a thin Under the system, voters cast ballots for electors who in margin of electors. By then, Bayh had widespread public turn choose the president. Each state is assigned a certain support but not enough votes to overcome Thurmond’s number of electors based on the size of its congressional filibuster. delegation, which is tied to population. In Bayh’s papers is a document from the time, a “In the final analysis,” Bayh would later write, telegram from a group of black leaders addressed to Thur- “the most compelling reason for directly electing our presi- mond, later distributed to Bayh and others. It vehemently dent and vice president is one of principle. In the United argues that abolishing the Electoral College would dilute States, every vote must count equally. One person, one the vote of minorities. The telegram was signed by Coretta vote is more than a clever phrase, it’s the cornerstone of Scott King, among others. justice and equality.” It was heartbreaking for the Indiana senator. Page 14

Bayh, now 88 and ailing, was unavailable to talk about the in late October 1980, as Bayh was preparing to be inter- Electoral College after Republican Donald Trump won the viewed on national television. A week later, he would lose White House last week despite Clinton’s apparent victory his reelection bid to future Vice President Dan Quayle. In in the popular vote. The outcome inspired a new effort to the same election, would win the presi- abolish the Electoral College, this time filed by Sen. Bar- dency with just under 51 percent of the popular vote, but bara Boxer, a California Democrat. 91 percent of the Electoral College. v Bayh’s papers show that he continued to argue for the abolition of the Electoral College until the end of Maureen Hayden covers the Indiana Statehouse his career. His archive includes a talking-points memo on for CNHI’s newspapers and websites. Reach her at the perils of the system in a close election. It was written [email protected].

there is little reason to vote if you are of a different color. and The same applies to voting in a Blue state. The Electoral College is part of the U.S. Constitu- tion. But it can be changed by action of legislatures in the Electoral College the individual states without a Constitutional amendment. By MORTON MARCUS Maine and Nebraska have done that. Let’s see if Indiana INDIANAPOLIS – Suddenly, on Nov. 9, the major- can do likewise. ity in the woke up to find it has been silent The sensible change is to assign Indiana’s 11 too long. In fact, it realized, it might not be a majority at electoral votes according to the popular vote. Trump won all. The combined Republican and Libertarian vote was 57.2% of the popular vote and would get 6.3 electoral 50.59%. From what I know, many of the Libertarian votes votes. Clinton, with 37.9% of the popular votes gets 4.2 were from Republicans who were electoral votes and the remaining 0.5 electoral votes goes embarrassed to be known as Republi- to Johnson, the Libertarian. cans this year. The 48.76% who voted “What?” you say. “How do you divide the elec- Democratic or Green believed strongly tors into parts?” That’s no problem. There is no need for in their causes and could not under- electors as such, there need be only certification of elec- stand how others could believe other- toral votes which can be carried to Washington by couriers wise. But they were not the majority. we call electors. This system has been proposed for years. Now, instead of taking to the It puts priority on the popular vote while maintaining the streets, this silent minority needs to virtues of Electoral College (to be discussed in a later col- be heard. Now, if it wishes to be suc- umn). cessful in the political arena, it must Can the silent minority stop being alternately de- recognize the urgency of political ac- pressed and outraged about losing an election? Can they tion. This means ending the corruption of gerrymandering stop holding pity parties and recognize an end to gerry- by political parties and restructuring the Electoral College. mandering and restructuring the Electoral College are the Gerrymandering is the practice of state legislators imperatives of our times. drawing district lines to protect Donald Trump will be our new president. He wants their seats and their party in the to “drain the swamp.” Let’s General Assembly. Here in Indi- help him by putting an end to ana, through a study committee gerrymandering and reforming report, we have made a good the Electoral College, starting start toward taking extreme par- here in Indiana. v tisanship out of the process. But that effort must continue and be Mr. Marcus is an econo- intensified next year. mist, writer, and speaker What’s wrong with who may be reached at the Electoral College is what ails mortonjmarcus@yahoo. so many citizens. As it stands to- com. day, the candidate who gets the most votes in a state also gets ALL of the electoral votes of that state. If you live in a Red state, Page 15

Electoral College, designed for the 1790s rather than the What we learned after 21st century. However, no one expects to see the Electoral College go the way of the horse and buggy anytime soon. It is also fair to note that if there were no Electoral Col- a stunning upset lege, the campaigns would have been run differently, so By LARRY J. SABATO, KYLE KONDIK we can’t automatically assume that Hillary Clinton would and GEOFFREY SKELLEY have beaten Donald Trump under a popular vote system. CHARLOTTSVILLE, Va. – Now that we’ve had a week to digest the results of the 2016 election, here are 2. The map gets more competitive some observations about what happened and what the Because the 2016 contest was far closer than ei- results might tell us about the future: ther 2008 and 2012, the number of states decided by five points or less increased from four in 2012 (Florida, North 1. Electoral map tilts to the GOP Carolina, Ohio, and Virginia) to 11 in 2016 (shown in the In close elections, the Electoral College will prob- map below). But ’s polarization is still obvious, ably continue to tilt to the GOP. Twice in 16 years, we’ve and only six states flipped from Democratic to Republican had a “misfire,” where (Florida, Iowa, Ohio, Pennsyl- the popular vote went vania, Wisconsin and probably to one major-party Michigan) -- and none in the candidate while the opposite direction. At least we other candidate se- can say that the playing field was cured a majority of the more broadly competitive, and electoral vote. This is especially so until the final GOP because Democrats se- consolidation behind Trump in cure large, sometimes late October and early November. enormous, majorities For a while in the fall, Arizona, in mega-states such Georgia, Utah, and a few other as California, New states appeared to be tightly York, and Illinois, while contested, and even on Election Republicans have just Day Arizona and Georgia ended Texas, where Don- up being less Republican than ald Trump’s margin Iowa and Ohio. We may be at a of victory was nearly time of transition in the Electoral 450,000 votes fewer College where the whiter Mid- than ’s. west gets redder and the more (You should never join diverse Sun Belt gets bluer. “just” with Texas, but we trust you’ll see 3. Projections miss what we mean.) Other the mark sizable states, such as With credit to 270toWin. Florida, North Carolina, com, here is the final Election and Virginia, are closely Day forecast for a range of sites divided and add only and news organizations. No one small pluralities to the was even close to the final Elec- candidate that wins toral College results. The Crystal them. Ball actually had the largest While the cu- allocation of electors to Trump mulative popular vote (216) but we were in a three-way tie for the second-most means nothing under the Constitution, it is not a good electors assigned to Clinton (322). This will be a year thing for a president to have lost it. The powers of the of- pundits and predictors will want to forget, yet none of us fice are the same for every chief executive, yet it is almost should. There are many lessons to learn, and we all need impossible for a president to claim a mandate when many to do much, much better in the future. more people voted for the opponent. Democratic candi- date Al Gore secured a national plurality of 547,000 votes 4. Many polls were off in 2000; as of Wednesday afternoon, Hillary Clinton has By the time all the votes are counted, the Real- 1.2 million more votes than Donald Trump, and that gap is ClearPolitics average of national polls that showed Clinton very likely to grow. winning the national popular vote by about three points Most Americans have long favored abolition of the Page 16 probably won’t be far off -- Clinton may win it by ence in the race: had Clinton carried these three states, a point or two or somewhere in between. But many of the she would have won with 278 electoral votes (as it stands state-level polls missed the mark, and missed badly, par- now, if Trump carries Michigan he’ll end up with 306). ticularly in the Rust Belt. Hardly any polls showed Trump But there were some signs. A Republican leading in several of these states the whole election, and pollster, the Trafalgar Group, released polls of Michigan yet Trump’s one-point wins in and Wisconsin and Pennsylvania showing Trump with tiny leads. Another and even narrower lead in Michigan, which the Associated Republican pollster, Harper, showed the race tied in Penn- Press has yet to officially call, ended up being the differ- sylvania. v

wins in statewide races or for congressional district upsets. Pigs were flying Trump didn’t win big everywhere, just barely in most battleground states, but by enough to win electoral votes needed to win the presidency. on What happened? Republican voters came home. By JACK COLWELL No doubt. A lot of that should have been expected. Voters, SOUTH BEND – When pigs flew over my car as I even if they dislike their nominee, seek reasons still to re- drove home on election night, the sight neither startled turn to the party they usually favor. The Oct. 28 bombshell nor surprised me. Hey! The Cubs won the World Series. by FBI Director James Comey, that more emails of possible Donald Trump won the presidency. So why would aerody- interest had been discovered, helped to accentuate that namically skilled porkers be a surprise? return home. The thinking: “Well, maybe she really is a Actually, the Cubs were crook. I just can’t vote for her. Gotta vote for Trump.” expected to win this time. Trump Emails, a subject always hurting Clinton, were wasn’t. back in the news with Comey’s “never mind” just before Not long ago, as Hillary the voting. That in itself didn’t doom Clinton. Trump turned Clinton won the debates and more positive, abandoning tweeting rants and staying on Trump was losing it in a tweet- message, more reason for more undecided voters to vote ing rage, speculation grew about for him. a political tsunami sweeping Then there was that vaunted ground game of the away the Republican presidential Democrats. They thought all their work to identify poten- nominee and helpless Republican tial supporters and get them to the polls, all the calls and candidates all around the nation, knocking on doors, would assure victory in any close con- bringing a Democratic Senate for test. Trump didn’t bother with a ground game.Trump was sure and maybe – just maybe – convinced that his supporters were enthused enough to even a Democratic House. Could Clinton, surprisingly close get to the polls without need for all that traditional political back then in an Indiana poll, even carry the Hoosier state organizing. They were. the way President Obama did in 2008? Democratic strategists were convinced their work Tsunami there was. In Indiana, the waves swept would bring waves of voters they needed to the polls, big away helpless candidates, just as predicted when a tsuna- turnouts of , Latinos, women in gen- mi hits. But some of those mid-October election forecasts eral and suburban women in particular. Didn’t happen in were like a South Bend weather forecast in winter that percentages needed. Enthusiasm just wasn’t widespread goes wrong as shifting winds off the lake bring something for Clinton. You can identify potential supporters, but you far different than predicted. can’t make them vote if they aren’t energized by the can- Tsunami waves hit a different place, a different didate, if they don’t want to bother. As Republicans came party. The helpless candidates, drowned without a chance, home, Clinton couldn’t convince enough of the wavering were Democrats: Evan Bayh, the long-popular Indiana Democrats to do the same. vote-getter who came back to run again for senator in St. Joseph County, supposedly strongly a plan to win control of the Senate; John Gregg, who Democratic, darn near was carried by Trump – Clinton, seemed in October to be moving toward a clear victory 52,247; Trump, 52,019. The tsunami left Bayh, Gregg, for governor over a little-known, last-minute appointee Ritz and Democratic congressional nominee Lynn Coleman on the Republican ticket; Glenda Ritz, who had survived a with small margins, nowhere near what was needed to past Republican tide to be state school superintendent and win. Earlier forecasts before the winds shifted now look as become a champion of public education. ridiculous as flying pigs. v Clinton didn’t end up surprisingly close to carrying Indiana, or anywhere close. A Trump tsunami in Indiana Colwell has covered Indiana politics over five de- was so big that it washed away any Democratic hopes of cades for the South Bend Tribune. Page 17

I’m with Jim Sensenbrenner on this one. The right The act of voting to cast a vote is fundamental in a democracy. It is the pre- eminent emblem of American citizenship; indeed, the right to vote is synonymous with being a citizen, the essential becomes an issue attribute of American freedom. By LEE HAMILTON The history of our country can be written in part BLOOMINGTON – We’re faced with a fundamental by tracking who has the right to vote. The 15th Amend- disagreement among state governments as to how they ment gave it to African-American men; women of all races should treat Americans’ most basic right. won the right after World War I; discrimination at the polls One of the more intriguing aspects of this unusual constricted the vote for many decades, until the Voting election year is the extent to which the underpinning of Rights Act of 1965 once again bolstered access to the bal- the election itself — voting — has become an issue in lot; 18-year-olds were given the vote six years later. Over its own right. An act that we used to take for granted is many decades, from the 19th century on, the electorate increasingly being called into question. has expanded, contracted, and expanded again. Just look at the headlines from the past few These days, you pretty much need a score- months. Russia, it seems clear, card to keep track of voting rights in the U.S., although was trying to meddle in the I believe that in the long run, seeking to undermine the process, sowing confusion and privilege of voting is a losing cause. The courts have been distrust about the integrity of getting heavily involved, and in recent years have often the vote and about the vibrancy overturned, challenged or blocked some of the more and fairness of our democracy. restrictive laws passed by state legislatures. Moreover, the There have been questions about effort to disenfranchise or suppress votes in the name of the cyber-security of voting “ballot security” runs the risk of antagonizing voters who, infrastructure across the country given a chance to vote, will inflict political losses on the — “States Unprepared for Elec- party that tried to block their way. tion Day Cyber Attack,” ran the Instead, we ought to be expansive in champion- headline on a Politico story 10 ing voting rights. I’ve worked in a lot of precincts over my days before the election. decades in politics, and I understand full well that there There are worries about the fragility of our voting are deficiencies in our voting laws and procedures. Reg- system in general, what with its patchwork of procedures, istration records get skewed. Errors occur. Incompetence obsolete machinery, and increasingly complex training happens. Inadequate state or local resources result in requirements for poll workers. And, of course, you’ve got confusing ballots, some precincts getting short-changed on the cries from one of the presidential candidates that the voting machines, and voting machines breaking down. entire system is rigged against him. Voting is an issue worth our sustained attention. But perhaps most notable of all, we’re faced with But let’s place our priorities where they belong, on en- a fundamental disagreement among state governments, suring the fairness, integrity and efficiency of our voting which are charged with protecting Americans’ most basic infrastructure and procedures, and assuring that qualified right, as to how they should treat it. Some states are citizens exercise democracy’s most fundamental right — seeking to constrain voting, instituting restrictive registra- voting. v tion requirements, limiting access to the ballot box with ID requirements, and even imposing shorter hours for early Lee Hamilton is a Senior Advisor for the Indiana voting and for voting on Election Day. In essence, they’re University Center on Representative Government; trying to limit voter turnout. Other states are moving in the a Distinguished Scholar, IU School of Global and opposite direction, trying to expand the ease with which International Studies; and a Professor of Practice, citizens can vote by knocking down barriers. IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs. He These are mostly, but not entirely, partisan was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives stances. Jim Sensenbrenner, the senior Republican from for 34 years. Wisconsin in the House of Representatives, noted in a March New York Times commentary, “Ensuring that every eligible voter can cast a ballot without fear, deterrence and prejudice is a basic American right. I would rather lose my job than suppress votes to keep it.” Still, members of his party generally support restricting voting; Democrats support expanding the vote. Politicians in each party tend to see the issue through a partisan lens; they support positions which they believe will help them win elections. Page 18

lican district in an area that used to lean Democratic. In Lake GOP can now 2012, Slager, a Schererville councilman, edged Democrat Thomas O’Donnell, a county councilman from Dyer, by less than 500 votes. Two years later, Jim Wieser, an attorney play with big boys and longtime fixture in the Democratic hierarchy, took on By RICH JAMES Slager. Surprisingly, he was crushed by 5,000 votes. MERRILLVILLE – Lake County’s traditionally weak So, with Donald Trump heading the GOP ticket Republican Party thinks it can now play with the big boys. this year, Democrats thought Slager was vulnerable. The County GOP Chairman Dan Dernulc and others think they party convinced O’Donnell to make another run at Slager, did a heck of a job during the Nov. 8 election. rather than focusing on running for county sheriff in 2018. Not so fast. Republicans O’Donnell improved on Wieser’s loss but still fell 2,000 lost a state representative race votes short. they had won two years ago, What happens in 2018 is anyone’s guess. but they did win a seat on the Perhaps the best job of gerrymandering came in Lake county board of commissioners, County’s 2nd County Commissioner District. For a variety something the party hadn’t done of political reasons, the new district took effect this year in 20 years. rather than rather than in 2012. The district shed heavily Lake County Republicans Democratic areas in north Crown Point and Merrillville and haven’t grown as much as they added strong GOP areas in Munster, Dyer and St. John. would like you to think. It’s not Scheub, 81, had held the commissioner’s seat that they have made the gains since being elected in 1996. Schererville Councilman Jerry on their own. That’s hardly the Tippy defeated Scheub by more than 2,000 votes. Chances case. No, Big Brother in India- are it will be Tippy’s district for a long time to come. napolis gets the credit for mak- What happens in the state representative districts ing it possible for Lake County Republicans to make some is hard to determine. There won’t be a Donald Trump on advances. They craftily drew districts to favor Republicans the ballot. v following the 2010 Census. Take the case of three House districts. After redis- Rich James has been writing about state and local tricting, Democratic Rep. Mara Reardon narrowly defeated government and politics for more than 30 years. He GOP attorney Bill Fine in the 12th House District. Two is a columnist for The Times of Northwest Indiana. years later, Fine narrowly defeated Reardon. On Nov. 8, Reardon squeaked by Fine by just over 2,000 votes. There likely will be a repeat of the last three years come 2018. And then there is District 19 in the heart of Lake County, where Crown Point Democrat Shelli VanDenburgh had won several terms. Because of redistricting, Republican Julie Olthoff narrowly won District 19 in 2014. In a rematch this year Olthoff edged VanDenburgh by about 300 votes. Yes, look for a repeat in 2018. And then there is House District 15 that the GOP-controlled Legislature drew for Schererville’s Hal Slager. It may be the General Assembly’s best job of securing a solid Repub- Page 19

Jerry Davich, Post-Tribune: Are you now can constitutional system that relies on a free and strong ashamed to be an American after Tuesday’s presidential press. It’s one thing to wage a press war as a candidate, election? Or are you prouder than ever? Does the once-un- when the most you can do is enforce reporting bans at fathomable title, “President-elect Donald Trump,” proudly your rallies, hurl insults and deny interviews and access roll off your tongue today, or will you be choking on it for (all of which are plenty bad). It’s another thing to do it weeks to come? I understand how tens of thousands of from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, where you have control Northwest Indiana residents feel about Trump’s shocking over what vital government information is made public, Election Day victory over Hillary Clinton. My social me- and where you have sway over the Justice Department, dia sites, email and voice mail have been inundated with which under President Obama has shown an overexuber- conflicting reader reaction to Trump’s astonishing victory ance in investigating journalists and the whistle-blowers since late Tuesday night. “I’m so upset,” Catherine Swisher, who leak to them. Imagine what somebody with a press of Hammond, told me Wednesday morning. “I didn’t think vendetta and a dim view of the First Amendment would do I would be so affected by all of this. And now I’m freaking with that kind of power. v crying.” Sheila Wood, of Portage, said, “I feel devastated today. I’m sad, deflated and defeated.” Imam Mongy El- John Krull, Evansville Courier & Press: Evan Quesny, leader of the Northwest Indiana Islamic Center in Bayh slept. It was late summer, 1988. We flew in a small Crown Point, said, “Nothing worries us because we look plane, just he, I and the pilot. He was running for gov- forward, not backward. We live with hope, not fears.” ernor, the first Democrat in 20 years to have a shot at They’re not alone. I’ve heard from many other women in claiming the state’s highest office. I traveled with him, this area who were profoundly saddened when they awoke reporting on his campaign. We had spent the day, wheels Wednesday morning. Some of them weren’t up, wheels down, in Southern Indiana bounc- quite sure if it was over Trump’s victory or ing from county fairs to town festivals, stopping Clinton’s loss. Along with the rest of the even at a couple of local picnics. Everywhere, country, they learned the hard way that the people treated him like a missing prince who’d only poll that matters is Election Day. Trump’s wandered home. Bayh wasn’t comfortable with controversial campaign as an agent of change, all the attention. When people came at him, empowered by a resurrected rural army of he took a half step back before grasping the white, middle-class voters, trounced the gov- proffered hand. When one aggressive woman ernmental status quo and all that it stands for. It was as tried to ruffle his hair, he lunged to evade her reach. Then much a backlash victory against President Obama’s legacy, 32, he was reserved, almost shy. Some of his discomfort Washington, D.C., politics and the mainstream media as it came from an inherent reticence. Some came from grow- was against the powerful Clinton family. On Tuesday night, ing up in the public eye – of having his family’s tragedies I jokingly posted on social media this quip in regard to the (the death of his mother, Marvella) and setbacks (the way the presidential results were heading: “If Trump wins, loss of the U.S. Senate seat his father, Birch, held for 18 thank God I’m white, male, middle aged and uneducated.” years) played out before people he didn’t even know. The It’s true, you know. I could very much represent the base day wore on him. When we got back to the plane at near voter for Trump and his vice president-elect, Indiana Gov. midnight for the flight home, he looked at me and said: Mike Pence. v “Do you mind if I just go to sleep? I’m beat.” It was while he dozed as we flew back to Indianapolis that I devel- Jim Rutenberg, New York Times: It was mid- oped a sense of Evan Bayh I’ve never lost – that he was June, and relations between Donald J. Trump and the a more complicated, conflicted figure than people realize. news media had taken another dreadful turn. He had His male-model handsomeness and seeming fortunate- already vowed to change the libel laws to make it easier son upbringing made it easy to overlook his anxieties and to sue journalists, and his personal insults were becoming vulnerabilities. Now, in the aftermath of his defeat for more vicious. (One news correspondent was a “sleaze”; the U.S. Senate race, there are people – not all of them another was “third rate.”) Most troubling was that he was Republicans – who are gleeful at Bayh’s downfall. They keeping a blacklist of news organizations he was banning see his loss to Republican Todd Young as a comeuppance, from his rallies, and it was growing. I called him at the a deserved bit of electoral justice delivered to an entitled time, to see what this would look like in a Trump adminis- scion who never fulfilled his promise and never rendered tration. Would he deny White House credentials to select full service to the progressive cause. Doubtless, there are reporters and news organizations? No, he said. “There, I’m valid reasons for these resentments. Self-absorption and a taking something away, where I’m representing the na- sense of grandiosity are occupational hazards for long-time tion.” We can only hope he means it. Because if Mr. Trump political leaders. It’s a rare officeholder who doesn’t suc- keeps up the posture he displayed during the campaign — cumb to those ego traps from time to time. Bayh’s natural all-out war footing — the future will hold some very grim reserve also could come across as arrogance. Still, I never days, not just for news reporters but also for the Ameri- could understand the animosity he inspired. v Page 20

law. Washington said medical marijua- in the presidential race, said Nov. 15 Gov. Haley eyed na could help people suffering from a he was talking to the new adminis- coma, glaucoma and Crohn’s disease. tration but didn’t provide any more for sec of state “Just like the prohibitions against details. If Reed departs for an admin- alcohol and gay marriage, marijuana istration job, it will add to the three INDIANAPOLIS — South will soon be legal in all 50 states, I vacancies on the Republican side. Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is under believe. I believe we must make our Reps. Jackie Walorski (Ind.), Mike consideration to be President-elect voice heard.” Bishop (Mich.), Carlos Curbelo (Fla.), Donald Trump’s secretary of state, her Bradley Byrne (Ala.) and Andy Barr lieutenant governor told the Post and Hupfer reported to (Ky.) are among Republicans who are Courier Wednesday. Lt. Gov Henry interested in the openings. McMaster said he too is being consid- be Holcomb’s COS ered for a position in Trump’s cabinet Test scores decline — including possibly attorney general INDIANAPOLIS — Holcomb — and told the Post transition co-chair Kyle Hupfer is for second year and Courier that he’s in reportedly to be named the INDIANAPOLIS — The num- contact with the Trump incoming governor’s chief of ber of Indiana students passing the transition team. Haley, staff. HPI could not get confir- state math and reading test fell for the considered a rising star mation from sources close to second straight year in 2016—even as in the Republican Party, Gov.-elect Eric Holcomb. Hupfer more schools saw their passing rates backed Sen. Marco is a former commissioner of the inch up. Across the state, 51.6 percent Rubio in the Republican primary. The Indiana Department of Natural of students in grades 3-8 passed both daughter of Indian immigrants, she Resources under Gov. Mitch Daniels. exams, down from 53.5 percent in would bring both racial and gender 2015 (IBJ). That was when tougher diversity to Trump’s cabinet. Former Crouch begins standards caused test scores across New York mayor Rudy Giuliani is also her transition the state to plummet, leaving just four a strong contender for the position, schools out of 1,500 across the state per multiple reports and sources. INDIANAPOLIS — After a with any test score gains at all. This whirlwind three-month campaign year, 494 schools saw their passing Lake Council OKs with running mate Eric Holcomb that rates improve. And far fewer schools pot resolution resulted in a big election night victory, experienced the double-digit drops new Lt. Gov-Elect Suzanne Crouch is that were present for 93 percent of starting the transition process from schools in 2015. CROWN POINT — The Lake State Auditor to Lieutenant Governor County Council passed a resolution (Osowski, Evansville Courier & Press). Vermillion to Tuesday supporting the legalization Crouch, an Evansville native, said she of medical marijuana (Dolan, NWI is making sure the auditor’s office is seek vacant SD17 Times). The council voted 4-2 to sup- in good shape for whomever Gov- port Lake County Councilman Jamal Elect Holcomb appoints to replace MARION — Ann Vermillion, a Washington, D-Merrillville, who is urg- her. The Holcomb-Crouch transition former editor at the Marion Chronicle- ing state officials to pass “a prescribed team is also in the process of going Tribune and Marion hospital executive, medical marijuana program statute by to the various agencies the lieutenant announced she will seek SD17, the the state of Indiana.” Washington was governor oversees to get Crouch up to seat being vacated by U.S. Rep.-elect joined by Council President Ted Bilski, speed. Jim Banks. D-Hobart; Councilwoman Christine Cid, D-East Chicago; and Councilman Walorski seeking Trump seeks 5 David Hamm, D-Hammond; in sup- porting legalization. Council members Ways & Means year lobbying ban Elsie Franklin, D-Gary, and Eldon WASHINGTON — Appointees Strong, R-Crown Point, opposed the WASHINGTON — At least to President-elect Donald Trump’s measure. Indiana is one of only a one Republican member of the House administration will be asked to sign a handful of states and American ter- Ways and Means Committee is con- form barring them from being a regis- ritories that still consider all marijuana sidering a possible role in the Donald tered lobbyist for five years after they use a crime. Two bills regarding the Trump administration, signaling more leave government service, officials use of medical marijuana were studied change for the tax writing panel announced Wednesday -- following up earlier this year by the General As- (Bloomberg). Rep. Tom Reed who on his pledge to “drain the swamp.” sembly, but neither was passed into threw his support behind Trump early