V21, N7 Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015 Subaru’s political evolution in Indiana broadsides from Democratic chal- A campaign liability in lenger John Gregg, who has criti- 1988 comes full circle cized Pence for a first-term legacy of creating low-paying jobs. By BRIAN A. HOWEY “Last week’s meetings LAFAYETTE – Just hours after with government leaders and busi- Gov. Mike Pence returned from a week- ness executives across Japan have long economic development trip in Ja- strengthened our economic ties pan, he was on the road to Lafayette. It with companies operating in Indi- was here that he sealed a $140 million ana and sparked momentum for deal with Subaru of Indiana Automo- job creation in the Hoosier State,” tive. Pence said as he was surrounded The flourish would be 1,200 Gov. Mike Pence joins Subaru executives and by Subaru executives, Democratic new high-paying jobs, a welcome news Lafayette Mayor Tony Roswarski for a 1,200 job Continued on page 3 cycle after Pence had taken a series of announcement on Monday. Ellspermann’s heavy hand in Fiorina debate By PETE SEAT INDIANAPOLIS – When you can’t follow the rules, change the rules. That was the strategy of Carly Fiorina’s campaign as it struggled to cope with the reality that she “The innocent victim of abor- might fall short of a spot on tion, children who die of hunger the main stage of the second Republican presidential debate. or from bombings, immigrants But she made it. And her team who drown ... the environment has one Hoosier in particular to thank. devastated by man’s predatory The journey began on April 20 in the ballroom of a relationship with nature.” downtown Indianapolis hotel - Pope Francis, speaking of where the former Hewlett- Packard CEO rocked the house challenges in Washington Page 2 in front of 800 Hoosier politicos at the reality. Richard G. Lugar Excellence in Pub- Nevertheless, Fiorina’s sup- lic Service Series snnual event (full porters hoped to turn that subjective, disclosure: The Lugar Series is a client yet universal, consensus into concrete of the firm I work for and I helped support heading into the next debate secure Fiorina’s appearance, but did because CNN’s criteria required as not attend the event). much. Based on the rules put forth by Among those present that CNN on May 20, a month after Ellsper- afternoon was Indiana’s Lt. Gov. Sue mann and Fiorina first crossed paths Ellspermann. An unabashed supporter and over a month before Ellspermann is a non-partisan newslet- of women in the political arena, Ell- officially joined the campaign, polls spermann was a natural audience for dating back to July 16 would be used ter based in Indianapolis and Fiorina’s story of overcoming obstacles to determine the 10 candidates invited Nashville, Ind. It was founded and building in 1994 in Fort Wayne. a successful It is published by career. So it WWWHowey Media, LLC came as only a slight sur- 405 Massachusetts Ave., prise when on Suite 300 Indianapolis, IN June 29 Fiori- 46204 na’s campaign announced Brian A. Howey, Publisher that Ellsper- mann would Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington serve as the Jack E. Howey, Editor campaign’s In- Mary Lou Howey, Editor diana co-chair. Maureen Hayden, Statehouse In that an- Mark Curry, photography nouncement, Ellspermann said Fiorina Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann greets Republican presidential candidate Carly Subscriptions would “place Fiorina last spring for a Lugar Series event. Ellspermann played a key HPI, HPI Daily Wire $599 problem- role in getting Fiorina into the Sept. 16 CNN debate. HPI Weekly, $350 solving before Ray Volpe, Account Manager politics, a behavior Americans desire on stage for the three-hour prime- and deserve.” time debate. Those rules were effec- 317.602.3620 Little did they know that both tively stacked against candidates who email: [email protected] of their problem-solving skills would gained late summer momentum and be put to use so quickly. in favor of those who showed promise Contact HPI Coming out of the first de- a few months ago. www.howeypolitics.com bates of the presidential campaign Recognizing the obstacle they season, Fiorina was flying high. The faced, on Aug. 26 the campaign sent [email protected] consensus quickly cemented that she an email to CNN in an attempt to Howey’s cell: 317.506.0883 dominated the “undercard debate” in change the rules. That entreaty was Washington: 202.256.5822 which candidates polling outside the met with resistance. A CNN spokes- Business Office: 317.602.3620 top 10 were invited to participate. On person responded that, “We believe that stage, surrounded by the likes that our approach is a fair and ef- of former senator Rick Santorum and fective way to deal with the highest © 2015, Howey Politics Indiana. current U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, number of candidates we have ever All rights reserved. Photocopy- Fiorina exuded confidence and poise encountered.” ing, Internet forwarding, fax- and an ability to deftly swipe at Hillary Fiorina’s campaign naturally ing or reproducing in any form, Clinton in a way other candidates had disagreed and quickly developed a whole or part, is a violation of been incapable of doing. All of that lather, rinse, repeat public relations is, of course, a subjective measure. campaign to shame CNN into doing federal law without permission “Winning” a debate is not a real thing; their bidding. That effort hit its peak from the publisher. it’s simply a perception of viewers and on Sept. 1 when Ellspermann sent an pundits and not based in any actual uncharacteristically sharply worded Page 3 letter to CNN head Jeff Zucker top tier of three or four demanding the rules be al- serious contenders for the tered in Fiorina’s favor. nomination. The letter, which was In an interview co-signed by more than 250 with WTHR’s Kevin Rader, individuals from across the Ellspermann downplayed country including nine other her role in the effort. “Our influential Hoosiers, stated, letter, my letter, might “Carly Fiorina has already have been one piece of proven that she deserves to (getting her on stage), be on the main debate stage. but the important thing It’s time for CNN and the (Re- was we got it done and publican National Committee) she was on that stage and to recognize it as well.” America got to see her… Within a few hours, and I think America is CNN relented and amended now watching and I look their rules to stipulate that any forward to a very strong candidate placing in the top Carly now going forward.” 10 in polls conducted after the As America first debate would also earn a watches the weeks and spot in the next primetime de- months unfold, let the bate, ballooning the stage to 11 participants and securing historical record show it all started with a letter from Indi- Fiorina coveted space in the spotlight. ana’s lieutenant governor. v With their problem solved, it was up to Fiorina to deliver and just as in the first debate the universal consen- Pete Seat is senior project manager at the India- sus quickly gelled that she one of the few bright stars of napolis-based Hathaway Strategies and author of the night. As a result, Fiorina could be off to the races. If the book, “The War on Millennials.” He was previ- she plays her hand correctly and builds considerable mo- ously a spokesman for President George W. Bush, mentum between now and the Oct. 24 debate, she could U.S. Sen. Dan Coats and the Indiana Republican invariably find herself not only in the top 10, but in the Party going to go to the Japanese. And the word ‘Japanese’ was Subaru, from page 1 in big, red, capital letters. “It was a powerful ad at the time,” McDaniel said. Lafayette Mayor Tony Roswarski and members of the In- “I’ll never forget it. That ad was pretty brutal. And they diana Economic Development Corporation. “Subaru chose were playing on some old animosities dating back to World Indiana as the home for its only assembly plant outside War II.” Japan, and now the company is choosing Indiana once The Los Angeles Times observed in an October more.” 1988 story on the Indiana race: “When the Japanese come This news also came as Indiana’s jobless rate de- to town in the Midwest to announce the opening of an scended to 4.6% in August, an eight-year low, below the auto plant, they are typically met by a frenzied celebration. 5.1% U.S. rate, and the lowest in the Midwest. But in Indiana, they have been met instead by political It is hard to believe that a generation ago, in the controversy, seemingly built upon latent American fears of 1988 gubernatorial race, Subaru was a controversial topi- a Japanese invasion of the nation’s industrial heartland.” cal news item. It helped pave the way for Democrat Evan As the Bayh-Mutz race reached the homestretch, Bayh to end the two-decade-long Republican gubernatorial the $500 million Subaru-Isuzu joint venture was taking dynasty. shape in former farm fields on the edge of Lafayette. It “I can still see that TV ad,” said Mike McDaniel, the was the first-of-its-kind deal, proposed in May 1986 and campaign manager for Lt. Gov. John Mutz, who was trying finalized that December to fend off the Bayh after the two automakers insurgency. “That first explored seven states. commercial claimed As lieutenant governor, it was a bad deal and Robert Orr had pioneered that all the jobs were Indiana’s economic de- Page 4 velopment with Pacific rim nations.