V26, N16 Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020 Lt. Gov. Crouch on politics, policy ascension as the 2024 She will focus on pandemic Republican gubernato- rial nominee is going response while preparing to have to be not only earned, but demon- for what will likely be a strated in terms of raw 2024 gubernatorial run power and clout if she wants to make history By BRIAN A. HOWEY and become Indiana’s INDIANAPOLIS – In December 1976 first female governor and again that same month in 1992, there in what would be the was little doubt that Lt. Gov. Robert Orr and state’s almost 208 Lt. Gov. Frank O’Bannon were destined to years of existence. be their party’s gubernatorial nominees four While Crouch years hence. would head up the Today, Lt. earliest Howey Politics Gov. Gov. Suzanne Indiana Horse Race Crouch is preparing status as a leading for her second term contender, just about that will include a every Republican we’ve vivid response to the talked with expects an once-in-a-century pandemic, as well as what extensive field. At this occurs when we reach the so-called “light nascent point, Crouch at the end of the tunnel” (i.e. the COVID-19 clearing the field as vaccine). Continued on But any inevitability of Crouch’s page 3 Importance of parties By MARK SOUDER FORT WAYNE – One of the oldest cliches in busi- ness is that there is no “I” in “team.” In business, you buy a brand, in which a real salesperson is increasingly less important. In politics, it is the “I” on the ballot and a “We strongly believe the vaccine declining percentage of voters who generally vote straight ticket. distribution process could begin When I was congressman, my wife Diane never particu- as soon as the week of Dec. 14. larly liked it when I told her on With this morning’s news that fall election days that probably 30,000 people voting today will Moderna has joined Pfizer in be going to out to specifically submitting an EUA, we continue vote against me. (For the record, my lowest margin was +8% and to be on pace.” my average margin was over - Vice President Pence, in a confer- 20%; closeness was not the point.) To tell someone running ence call to governors on Monday Page 2 for office that there is no “I” in team toral College vote total is projected has far less relevance than in most to be slightly higher than Trump’s in fields of work. If your self esteem is the previous election. Trump’s losing low, try another career. popular vote total is projected to be In politics, however, one slightly lower than Romney’s in 2012. of most important strengths of the To win reelection, President Howey Politics Indiana American system has been the dura- Trump not only needed to prove sig- WWWHowey Media, LLC bility (since 1864) of the dominance nificant fraud in one state, but in at c/o Business Office of two major political parties. Having least three larger states by margins PO Box 6553 two teams, or “tribes” as some like that would require significant cheat- to call them, provides stability to the ing. There is no precedent in U.S. Kokomo, IN, 46904 system. But those parties have never history for such levels of invisible www.howeypolitics.com been monolithic. They are coalitions, fraud. (Tammany Hall and historic like in a parliamentary system. Often urban incumbent party specific fraud Brian A. Howey, Publisher the party issue positions even reverse was not undetected on election days Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington over time. by media, the opposing party, or the Generally, in a presidential general public.) Mary Lou Howey, Editor election year, the presidential candi- A key part of the checks and Susan E. Joiner, Editor date defines the party’s team. In the balances in preserving the integrity state, it is usually the governor or a of our system is the responsibility of Subscriptions senator. In a congressional district, political parties. Election day workers the congressman. In a city, the mayor. and also observers are the respon- HPI, HPI Daily Wire $599 At the county level, it is most often HPI Weekly, $350 the combined grassroots connec- Lisa Hounchell, Account Manager tions of the local candidates plus (765) 452-3936 telephone the top of the ticket that year. (765) 452-3973 fax Campaigns with heavy advertising [email protected] – mayor, governor, and federal of- fices, but also increasingly the close Contact HPI legislative races – define the team’s [email protected] base vote but are augmented by a Howey’s cell: 317.506.0883 strong local team. Donald Trump, on the sur- Washington: 202.256.5822 face, challenged the entire premise Business Office: 765.452.3936 of the team concept. He spelled team “imei.” He did come to realize © 2020, Howey Politics that if the Senate and the House Indiana. All rights reserved. were controlled by Democrats, impeachment and conviction were Photocopying, Internet forward- a constant threat. But in lambasting ing, faxing or reproducing in any and opposing in primaries non- form, whole or part, is a violation loyalists, the president’s concept of federal law without permission of team was still rooted in “imei.” sibility of each party. They deserve from the publisher. His personal obsession in Georgia everyone’s thanks because without that could cost the Republican Party them, a free system does not work. control of the Senate is but the latest The president was con- Jack E. Howey example. What should have been solid cerned about alleged fraud months editor emeritus run-off victories now need rescuing ago. Why was there not an emphasis 1926-2019 from his attacks on the integrity of the put on recruiting people – in time to system. get training, not last-minute panic – What is most relevant to fill these positions in areas about right now is Trump’s driving desire which they were concerned? If you to establish that he’s not a “loser.” have not focused on building your He deserved his day in court, as I’ve party, and don’t develop your own, written, but he had to prove, not al- why do you think you will win in lege, fraud. This obviously was a likely court when you were short of trained doomed effort because Biden’s Elec- observers? Page 3 The legal cases, for which millions of dollars were fires the Homeland Security administrator who claimed the spent, had minimal, if any, evidence. They presented as- election was honest, smears statewide and local elected sertions about what could theoretically happen, not facts Republican officials who have participated in trying to pro- about what did happen. The lawsuits turned the losing vide fair elections, and in general undermines confidence in candidate into the biggest loser we’ve had in modern our system of government. Trump also did the same thing times. Donald Trump lost the popular vote and the Elector- after the Iowa caucuses in 2016, in which he claimed Ted al College vote by significant margins. Then, asking for his Cruz stole it and the Iowa Republican Party was complicit. days (and weeks) in court, he received them in four states Moveon.org and leaders of BLM have repeatedly (Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia and Wisconsin, as well as attacked our legal system as untrustworthy. They attack dismissals in Nevada and Arizona). the fundamental structures of capitalism and the institu- For nearly two weeks, a man obsessed with not tions that support it. The far left views government as an being a loser has been pummeled with accurate stories untrustworthy swamp. Many Republicans are now peddling about losses in courts at every level in every state where the same swamp attacks. he contested something. His narrative of the election being As a nation, we have fought off extremist at- stolen, essentially alleging that the process was rigged, tacks from both ends. Some valid critiques are absorbed by has been rebuked over and over again, including by judges the impacted party. But it seems to me that this constant he appointed. There is no legal argument being presented battering of the structural fairness of the best system, that would overturn an election. People voted in the ways and most flexible, that the world has ever known is more they were allowed to vote. wobbly than in the past. Both parties can hopefully help It has become increasingly embarrassing as Trump stabilize it so we don’t descend into chaos. v now attacks the legal system, suggests that the Republi- can-controlled Department of Justice is part of the effort Souder is a former Republican congressman from to defeat him, continues to attempt to emasculate the FBI, Indiana. up the GOP ladder, holding office in Vanderburgh County, Crouch, from page 1 then the Indiana House, becoming Indiana auditor before Mitch Daniels did in 2003 with quick exits by David McIn- Eric Holcomb tabbed her to fill out the ticket in late July tosh and Murray Clark (leaving just Eric Miller) isn’t likely 2016 after Gov. Mike Pence left to run for vice president. to happen. Crouch has been a significant partner to Gov. The potential 2024 field will likely find feelers from Holcomb from a policy standpoint (the lieutenant gover- Attorney General-elect Todd Rokita, Republican Chairman nor’s portfolio sprawls across the administration), as well Kyle Hupfer, U.S. Reps. Trey Hollingsworth and Jim Banks, as politically, donating $2.5 million to Holcomb’s campaign Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness, former state senator Jim coffers.