V18, N19 Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012 Historic farewell: Lugar, Daniels exit In the next few weeks 2 transformative Republicans leave elective office By BRIAN A. HOWEY INDIANAPOLIS – The next four weeks end an epic era – two for that matter – in Indiana politics as U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar and Gov. Mitch Daniels prepare to leave elective office for what they say quality to it. Both Lugar and will be the final time. Daniels were spawned out of For the last half century, the L. Keith Bulen political ma- Lugar and Daniels, once mentor chine. But when it came to an and acolyte, ushered in profound end this year, the GOP machine changes to the Indiana political came stunningly close to seizing and policy landscape. It is unlikely up with potential catastrophic that any future tandem of public results for the party. officials will offer the width and But, first, the legacies of breadth of dramatic policy and the Daniels and Lugar. good politics they rendered. To- In Lugar, likely to have gether they polled almost 10 mil- been the most prolific vote lion general election votes (Lugar getter in Indiana history for Gov. Mitch Daniels in his Statehouse office on Wednes- 7.13 million; Daniels 2.8 million). the foreseeable future, his day while U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar (right) gives his farewell The story of this tandem speech on the Senate floor a few hours earlier. (HPI exit has an intriguing alpha/omega Photos by Brian A. Howey) Continued on page 4 Debate commission tweaks By BRIAN A. HOWEY NASHVILLE, Ind. – After the Oct. 23 debate in New Albany that probably altered the outcome of the U.S. Senate race, you can make a case that the Indiana Debate ‘‘We found our campaign caught Commission provided a proper forum for discussion in the gubernatorial and in the liberal media cross hairs. Senate races that had relevance and Never has Indiana seen a more impact. However, this being only the obvious example of media bias by second election cycle for the commis- sion, which was created in 2007, some reporters more interested in de- tweaks are in order. feating conservatives than report- In the spirit of constructive feedback, here are some thoughts to ing the news.” - Mourdock Campaign HOWEY Politics Indiana Page 2 Weekly Briefing on Indiana Politics Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012 ponder: Rupert Boneham into a conversation 1. Provide different for- beyond the sound bite. The commis- mats. The three gubernatorial sion should consider a series of differ- debates and two in the U.S. Senate ent formats, so that in each race there www.HoweyPolitics.com race used the identical format in all is variety that prompts the candidates five events. This included two-minute into different types of responses and opening statements, a series of one- at varied lengths. Howey Politics minute responses to viewer questions, 2. The use and treatment Indiana 30-second rebuttals, and a second of journalists. The citizen questions is a non-partisan newsletter response. The debates then went into are valuable and should be included based in Indianapolis and a middle “Lincoln-Douglas” format in at least one debate in each con- Nashville, Ind. It was founded where a candidate could raise an is- test. But journalists were minimalized sue, a counter from the other candi- during the entire process. The biggest in 1994 in Fort Wayne. dates, and then end with a response. beef here is that the press corps was It is published by And then it confined to a “filing WWWHowey Media, LLC was back to room” outside of the 405 Massachusetts Ave, the one-min- main venue. Essen- Suite 300 ute responses tially, we were kept to viewer from witnessing the Indianapolis, IN 46204 questions and entire event. We had 30-second no access to take into Brian A. Howey, Publisher rebuttals. It account reaction from Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington ended with a the audience, which Jack E. Howey, editor brief closing is a crucial part of statement any story involving a from each debate. Subscriptions candidate. This format is an invita- Journalists need to be ac- $350 annually HPI Weekly tion for sound bites – which already commodated in the main venue, far $550 annually HPI Weekly and dominate the campaigns via their TV enough away from the candidates so and radio ads – and became duplica- that typing doesn’t become a distrac- HPI Daily Wire. tive, particularly in the gubernato- tion. Secondly, journalists cover the 'Call Adrian France rial debate when the second event day-to-day campaign, know the issues, 812.455.4070 or email seemed to be a rerun of the first. The and should be allowed to pose ques- [email protected] candidates drove home much from tions to candidates during the debate their stump speeches and promoted sequence during at least one event. their websites. As it stands right now, journalists can Contact HPI What would have made the only ask questions after the event. So www.howeypolitics.com Lincoln/Douglass section much better the public doesn’t get to witness the [email protected] is if the moderator was empowered journalists questioning the candidates, 'Howey’s Cabin: 812.988.6520 to step in and insist that a candidate and the journalists don’t get to wit- answer a question – or, perhaps, to ness the public during the debate. 'Howey’s cell: 317.506.0883 reframe the question to hone in on Thirdly, while the public asked 'Washington: 202-256-5822 key issues that both candidates had many good questions, there was some 'Business Office:812.455.4070 ignored or dodged. duplication, and relevant issues, such In multiple debate series, a as the outside financing of the $30 © 2012, Howey Politics Indiana. varied format should include one used million Senate race, were never raised. All rights reserved. Photocopy- by Rev. Rick Warren in 2008 when he Joe Donnelly and Richard Mourdock conducted two extensive “conversa- should have been placed in a position ing, Internet forwarding, fax- tions” with Barack Obama and John to take questions on all of the national ing or reproducing in any form, McCain. We saw former Chief Justice money that spilled into their race. But whole or part, is a violation of Randall T. Shepard use this type of with citizen questioners, it never came federal law without permission format at an IU event in August. It up. from the publisher. v prompted Mike Pence, John Gregg and 3. The involvement of HOWEY Politics Indiana Page 3 Weekly Briefing on Indiana Politics Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012 the Libertar- sound violated participation agreements. This violates “fair ians. Early use” doctrine. Anything said or seen in an Indiana Debate last summer at Commission event should be fair game for use in any form an Associated or format going forward. To restrict its use is . unA- Press Managing merican. It makes no sense. If a candidate participates in Editors event, a debate, anything said or done should be fair game. It the Libertarians becomes part of the public domain. pressed news- 5. Production values. Younger viewers who use paper and radio nothing but high def told me the production values were a executives for real turnoff. I suspect in the next four years there will be more extensive great strides made by public television on this front, but it’s coverage of worth noting that people – particularly younger people – their candidates. And throughout the rest of the campaign, noticed. v Andy Horning and Rupert Boneham were dutifully included in many stories. The problem is, they represent no real power. Neither of them had any chance of winning. Nei- ther candidate had any power base in the Indiana General Delayed candidate reaction Assembly (which has never had a Libertarian elected into either chamber) or Congress, which has no Libertarians By BRIAN A. HOWEY serving. INDIANAPOLIS - The Oct. 23 U.S. Senate debate in Libertarians are “playing politics.” They don’t raise New Albany changed the outcome of that race, but neither money, build organizations that place their candidates in Democrat Joe Donnelly or Republican Richard Mourdock a position to win. Horning essentially admitted this during realized the implications of the latter’s “God intends” rape the press conference following the second Senate debate. remark until they exited the stage. Essentially, Libertarians are “fringe” candidates with the Until the last minute, Donnelly believed Mourdock only impact on an election being whether they get their was going to duck the Indiana Debate Commission events. customary 3% or whether it balloons up to 5 or 6% as it He believed that it was just going to be he and Libertar- did in the U.S. Senate and gubernatorial races. Too often, ian Andrew Horning participating. Mourdock didn’t agree the Libertarian candidate becomes the jokester, injecting to participate until just two weeks before the first debate opinions into the format or repeat websites or ideology, at WFYI-TV. The dilemma for Mourdock was that if he though they have no realistic chance of ever governing. I skipped the debates, he would have taken multiple news challenge anyone to go back and listen to Boneham during cycle hits (days prior, day of, days after debates), and the three gubernatorial debates and explain how anything finally decided to participate, with the New Albany debate he said had any realistic chance of becoming policy. I’m his “Todd Akin moment” undoing. Obviously, the Mourdock not saying bar the Libertarian candidate. They could be campaign and its national handlers/bundlers had ample included in at least one event. But the debate commission reason to be very afraid.