V22, N23 Thursday, Feb. 2, 2017 Trump ushers in political realignment egates unanimously backed Hill- Author J.D. Vance foresees ary Clinton and Gov. Mike Pence, Trump and Sanders melding and all but two members of the Republican National Convention into the same party delegation backed either Sen. Ted Cruz or Ohio Gov. John Kasich. By BRIAN A. HOWEY On Monday night at Pur- WEST LAFAYETTE – On a cloudy May 3, due University, bestselling author 2016, as tens of thousands of Hoosiers went to J.D. Vance, whose book, “Hillbilly the polls, a realignment occurred right before our Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and eyes. When the dust settled on primary election Culture in Crisis,” was interviewed night, Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders both won by President Mitch Daniels be- with 53 percent of the vote. It occurred despite the fact that Democratic leaders and super del- Continued on page 4 Great GOP fork in road By JOSHUA CLAYBOURN EVANSVILLE – We have reached a great fork in the road in the history of the Republican Party. The party’s bombastic leader and president has a passionate grip on many voters, giving them control of all branches of government. The coattails of “Rex Tillerson led his last success extend beyond Wash- ington and in Indiana helped organization in a lobbying keep Republican control of campaign to undermine the every office and body of state government as well as an over- national security interests of the whelming majority of the state’s municipalities. United States in favor of Russia, Faced with such success, Iran and corporation profit.” many of our Republican friends decided to strike a deal with the - U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly, who devil and urge loyalty and unity voted against Tillerson with Trump. In their minds, a Page 2 little immaturity on Twitter is a fair impartiality, the ethical use of legal price to pay to finally rein in Demo- process, and the rule of law as some- cratic policies and get things done. thing that must restrain the powerful Besides, they say, Donald Trump the as well as the common. He did not candidate or Donald Trump the show- flinch at the idea of giving unlawful man is different from the sane man orders to the military and expecting who will actually govern. them to be obeyed. This was Donald Nearly two weeks into the Trump the candidate, and if we have Trump presidency, we now know they learned anything during these first are wrong. The unprecedented begin- two weeks, it is that Donald Trump Howey Politics Indiana ning for the administration included the president is the same man with WWHowey Media, LLC 405 purposefully picked battles with the the same approach. How much longer Massachusetts Ave., Suite intelligence community, immigrants, will Republicans allow it to continue? 300 Indianapolis, IN 46204 and foreign allies; illegal executive As conservative icon David Brooks orders; elevation of political advis- wrote in the New York Times, “With www.howeypolitics.com ers over military and foreign policy most administrations you can agree experts; gaslight- Brian A. Howey, Publisher ing and lies; and a Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington general chaotic and Jack E. Howey, Editor bumbling approach to executive organi- Mary Lou Howey, Editor zation. This presi- Thomas Curry, Statehouse dency is everything Mark Curry, photography we feared and it will only get much worse. Subscriptions The focus HPI, HPI Daily Wire $599 now turns to our HPI Weekly, $350 Republican friends Ray Volpe, Account Manager who are the only 317.602.3620 ones with any real power to do something about it: sometimes and disagree other times. email: [email protected] What will you do as it inevitably gets But this one is a danger to the party Contact HPI worse and Trump pushes the bound- and the nation in its existential nature. [email protected] ary of what is right or constitutional? And so sooner or later all will have to Howey’s cell: 317.506.0883 Where is your red line that cannot be choose what side they are on, and live crossed? Your answer to those ques- forever after with the choice.” Washington: 202.256.5822 tions will color not only your own Sadly, the decision point Business Office: 317.602.3620 legacy and the party’s, but also the for too many of our Republican friends country’s. will come only when public opinion © 2017, Howey Politics Conservatives will under- polls or electoral results shift. Perhaps Indiana. All rights reserved. standably cheer Trump’s nomination of that will work to keep them in office, Judge Neil Gorsuch, but it may cause and perhaps their red line is simply Photocopying, Internet forward- some to momentarily overlook and the risk of electoral defeat. But that is ing, faxing or reproducing in forget Trump’s dangerous and de- cowardice, not leadership. any form, whole or part, is a structive approach to the law. Trump’s I believe some Hoosier Re- violation of federal law without entire career, as well as his campaign, publicans have the courage to stand permission from the publisher. show him to be someone who knows up on principles, decent behavior, and little and cares less about the U.S. the rule of law. We see glimmers of Constitution as a constraint on what hope from former Gov. Mitch Daniels, government can do; an open, repeat- state representative David Ober, and ed, boastful abuser of legal process LaPorte Mayor Blair Milo, who have against the weak and those who have each in their own way shown lead- crossed him; an explicit advocate of ership and courage in standing up the use of regulation and prosecution for what is right. We must fan those for political score-settling; someone flames and encourage them. with open contempt for the ideals of As former Bush administration Page 3 official Eliot Cohen wrote in The Atlantic, “All can dedi- time to determine which path you will take. History will cate themselves to restoring the qualities upon which this judge you, and all of us, for the decisions Republican offi- republic, like all republics depends: On reverence for the cials take in the coming months and years. We are praying truth; on a sober patriotism grounded in duty, moderation, it is the right one. v respect for law, commitment to tradition, knowledge of our history, and open-mindedness.” Claybourn is a Republican attorney in Evansville. We have reached a fork in the road. Now is the may be too fast for Washington, but Americans can relate Trump and numbers to it because of our daily lives. How many of us never have enough time in a day between work and kids’ activi- By TONY SAMUEL ties and the unexpected daily twists and turns? But we INDIANAPOLIS – With my day job, I just had keep at it until it all gets done. The more Washington tries coffee with an up-and-coming Republican star who was to slow him down, the greater support for him will grow. not initially a Trump supporter. While not thrilled with The sheer number of problems being solved will everything our president has done overshadow any missteps. Trump is a man of action. He over the first two weeks, he was proved it with the Carrier announcement and other jobs happy with 85% of what has been announcements even before being sworn into office and accomplished. He was extremely he hit the ground running on Jan. 20 like nothing we’ve pleased with the selection of Judge ever seen. Neil Gorsuch as the Supreme Court This is what America will respond to and this nominee, as are so many others. is what will make the numbers come out in his favor. As the 85% statement Whether it’s bringing back jobs by cutting taxes and roll- sank in after our meeting, it struck ing back burdensome, job-stifling regulations, challenging me that this is going to be a num- pharmaceutical companies on high drug prices, taking the bers game. If someone who was appropriate steps to repeal and replace Obamacare, mak- probably one of the last Republi- ing the best choice for the Supreme Court, and yes even cans to come around to accept Trump is at 85% now and doing what he feels is necessary to keep Americans safe, says that he could be a great president if he changes a President Trump has already proven that he is a man of few things here and there, then I think the numbers will his word and that he won’t rest at all while there is work continue to look good for our president. to be done. Other numbers to look at are the thousands of Speaking of keeping us safe, while it’s easy to protestors and numbers of protests in parts of the country criticize the rollout of the moratorium on immigration from and what they represent. Will these numbers grow or will the seven countries plagued by terrorist recruitment and they burn out soon enough because of the lack of solu- training and easy to misinterpret the rationale behind it, tions offered and the unwillingness to engage in a grown- let’s not forget that we are at war with Islamic radical ter- up dialogue? rorism and this president is taking action to prevent an at- In two years, will the Republican Party do what tack rather than let one happen, only to condemn it later. I is needed to keep the high numbers of Trump support- for one am tired of the inaction that leads to more attacks.