Delph's Challenge with Suburban Women
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
V24, N3 Thursday, Aug. 16, 2018 Delph’s challenge with suburban women When HPI talked Internal polls show Ford to Republican Majority taking lead as educated Caucus Chairman Jim Merritt, who also heads women take a key role the Marion County GOP, and referenced the By BRIAN A. HOWEY numbers showing Delph ZIONSVILLE – The numbers send- trailing, he acknowl- ing shock waves through the Statehouse edged that the Carmel come from SD29, where Democratic chal- Republican is facing a lenger J.D. Ford apparently has nearly a real challenge. Delph told 10% lead over State Sen. Mike Delph. HPI Wednesday, “Please Matt Zapfe of the Senate Majority send me the poll you are Caucus wouldn’t referencing with cross- confirm num- tabs and I will be happy bers published at to respond accordingly.” two other sites, The fascinat- though that cau- ing part of this is what’s cus was appar- going on with the voting ently the source bloc of the cycle, the of the numbers. IndyPolitics had Ford “educated, suburban leading 45-35%. An internal Democratic female voter.” On that poll conducted on Ford’s behalf had him front, SD29 fits that de- leading 53-44%. Among those voters who mographic as well as any say they are “almost certain” to turn out, Ford’s lead expands to 55-42%. Continued on page 4 Enemies and patriots By BRIAN A. HOWEY NASHVILLE, Ind. – There was a packet leaning up against my condo door in late spring 2016. Left by Deputy Chief of Staff Matt Lloyd, it was a note from Gov. Mike Pence with a copy of SEA80 and the signing pen he used “I had a wide-ranging conver- a few months before. The note from Pence read, “Thanks for sation and productive meeting your work on this.” It would be the last with Judge Kavanaugh. This was communication between the an important opportunity to Indiana governor destined for the vice presidency and this sit down and talk in-depth with Hoosier journalist. Pence’s Judge Kavanaugh.” assessment, though, was ob- servant and relevant. Between - U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly 2014 and 2016, Howey Politics Indiana and reporting by myself and Matthew Butler searched Page 2 for answers on how to deal with the the sexual abuse scandal involving clandestine methamphetamine labs USA Gymnastics, filing public records that numbered close to 1,400 per requests in 10 states and ultimately year. They were contaminating homes, resulting in the conviction of Dr. Larry motel rooms and vehicles. There were Nassar, the Michigan State University hundreds of children in these hovels team doctor who sexually assaulted exposed to toxic chemicals, and public dozens of female gymnasts. In our safety and code officials were facing view, that team should have won a Howey Politics Indiana injury. Pulitzer Prize for their diligence. Through this publication and There are frequent investiga- WWHowey Media, LLC 405 my weekly newspaper column that tions by WTHR-TV’s Bob Segall and Massachusetts Ave., Suite runs in more than 30 newspaper and Sandra Chapman, and WRTV’s Ra- 300 Indianapolis, IN 46204 TV station websites across the state, I fael Sanchez, Kara Kenney and Paris www.howeypolitics.com branded Indiana as the “Methamphet- Lewbel. But these ranks are shrinking, amine State.” To be a steward here as are those that cover the Indiana was to feel embarrassment about such Statehouse, city halls and county Brian A. Howey, Publisher a designation. Working in tandem with courthouses across the state. Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington State Rep. Ben Smaltz and State Sen. At this writing, we find our- Cameron Carter, Editor Randy Head, along with the Indiana selves with two institutions, the U.S. Joel Weyrauch, Editor Prosecuting Attorneys Council, and presidency and the Fourth Estate Mary Lou Howey, Editor Accelerating Indiana Municipalities press, with clenched hands gripping and a number of mayors there, we each other’s necks. Mark Curry, Daily Wire, photo hammered away on To watch and hear Jack E. Howey, Editor the issue of re- President Trump over Emeritus stricting the sale of the past two years is pseudoephedrine, to become inured with the key ingredient Soviet phrases that were Subscriptions in the making of finally banned follow- HPI, HPI Daily Wire $599 meth. Despite fierce ing the death of Joseph HPI Weekly, $350 opposition from Stalin. The press is the HPI Mobile, $5.95 monthly the home health “enemy of the American Ray Volpe, Account Manager consumer product people,” Trump proclaims industry, the legisla- at his rallies and on 317.602.3620 tion passed, and Twitter. It is an “enemy” email: [email protected] Gov. Pence signed it propagating “fake news.” into law. The characterization of Two years any American institution Contact HPI later, there has in such terms provokes [email protected] been a 74% decline in the number of a fierce response, with more than Howey’s cell: 317.506.0883 clandestine meth labs, from 1,452 in 300 American newspapers, newslet- Washington: 202.256.5822 2015 to 943 in 2016 and 371 in 2017. ters and broadcasters pushing back at Business Office: 317.602.3620 Meth is still available, moving from the “enemy of the people” notion in local production to the Mexican drug today’s editions. cartels, but the collateral damage to This is, however, a two-way © 2018, Howey Politics exposed children and toxic buildings street. Over the years, the Ameri- Indiana. All rights reserved. coming off the tax rolls has been dis- can press has evolved from straight Photocopying, Internet forward- tinctly mitigated. reporting — this is what you would ing, faxing or reproducing in I can make the case that with- have seen and heard if you had been out our press activism, it might have to the meeting — to an intermingling any form, whole or part, is a taken many more years, if it happened of reporting and commentary. violation of federal law without at all. Over the past generation, permission from the publisher. We are only a tiny contin- cable news has enabled a 24/7 news gent in Hoosier media willing to fulfill cycle, replete with talking heads, sen- a watchdog function. This past year, sational reporting and tribalism that we watched Indianapolis Star report- divide news consumers into silos — ers Marisa Kwiatkowski, Mark Alesia conservatives reaching for Fox News, and Tim Evans extensively report on Breitbart, and the Wall Street Journal, Page 3 moderates and liberals navigating to CNN, MSNBC, The cal press recedes, the scourges of meth, heroin, opioids, New York Times and Washington Post. HIV, racism and intolerance has invaded these communi- A decade ago, MSNBC’s Morning Joe was the go- ties? That our local jails are filled with addicts and the to begin-your-day political news magazine. But today it mentally ill, that OBGYN services can no longer be found has become a feverish responder to everything President in a third of our counties? That our schools are at the Trump does or says. The talking heads who populate that mercy of home-grown, adolescent killers who are causing show, Rachel Maddow in the eve- mortgage-busting referendums to ning and the conservative book- be foisted on our communities to ends of Fox & Friends and Sean harden entryways and purchase Hannity, also do battle on the metal detectors? editorial pages of the siloed press. Over the past year, the What were once opinion columns free press, the patriotic press, have become shrill screeds. The has been anything but “enemies” American body politic is under of the people. Look no further duress, attack, and, in some respects, self-immolation. The than the Pulitzer Prize lists. There you find the Cincin- population is cleaving into tribes. Friendships have ended nati Enquirer staff “for a riveting and insightful narrative over elections. Thanksgiving dinners are marred by hostil- and video documenting seven days of greater Cincinnati’s ity, or the topic of politics is simply banned. heroin epidemic, revealing how the deadly addiction has At his commencement address last May, Purdue ravaged families and communities.” Or the Kansas City Star President Mitch Daniels warned of this entrenching trib- for its “courageous, revelatory journalism that exposed a alism: “This new self-segregation has taken on a much state government’s decades-long obsession with secrecy.” more worrisome dimension. It’s no longer just a matter Or the Miami Herald which exposed the corrupted juvenile of Americans not knowing and understanding each other. justice system in Florida. Or C.J. Chivers of The New York We’ve seen these clusters deepen, and harden, until Times for showing, “through an artful accumulation of fact separation has led to anger, misunderstanding turned into and detail, that a Marine’s postwar descent into violence hostility. At the individual level, it’s a formula for bitterness reflected neither the actions of a simple criminal nor a and negativity. For a self-governing people, it’s poison.” stereotypical case of PTSD.” Daniels continued, “Pollsters have even begun to The free and patriotic American press has ex- use the term ‘hatred’ to describe the degree of estrange- posed the Kremlin’s assault on the U.S. election system, ment. They tell us that members of both tribes tend to the misogyny of Hollywood producers and executives, and belong mostly because of their animosity to the other side. the staff of ProPublica laid forth “a sobering examination In almost reciprocal numbers, they describe the other side of why the United States has one of the highest rates of as ‘closed-minded,’ ‘dishonest,’ ‘unintelligent,’ even ‘im- maternal deaths in the developed world, and why at least moral.’ As we trust each other less, trust in the institutions half are preventable.” of our society has eroded in parallel.