Indiana and the President

[ranosgol]

It is time once again for Indiana to surrender its electoral votes to the GOP candidate. It is time once again for Indiana to take pride in being one of, if not the first state to report a GOP victory for President. It is time once again for Indiana to let the GOP wedge issues of Guns, God and Gays sway its electorate.
It is time for Indiana to continually vote against its own best interest over issues the GOP will never solve or is unwilling to solve to your satisfaction. The GOP does not care about these issues but uses them every election to sway voters. If it did solve them there would be no reason for you to vote for them.
So go to the polls on November 2, 2004 and vote for BusH and the GOP. I suggest you also bring a copy of the Constitution so you can rip it up and burn it. This act will demonstrate your loyalty to the party before you get fitted for a brown shirt.

[Kolesar]

1. I lived in W. Lafayette, Indiana for three years

I was not real happy there. Do you live in Indiana?

[ranosgol]

4. Yes most of my life.

I have lived here all my life except for my time in the Navy..six years active duty ...:)

GUNS GOD and GAYS

That is it in a nutshell.

They think Dem's are gonna take their guns away, ban the bible and let gays run around!

I am not gay nor very religious and do not mind a reasonable from of gun control.

Indiana has been devastated economically by Reagan, Bush and Bush again yet we have union members voting for Bush the very same person wanting to cut our overtime!

I just want to scream!

[Kolesar]

20. They burned a cross on the yard of a black fraternity when I was at Purdue

That was in about 1979. I was a teenager and from out of state, so I did not even get the significance of a cross-burning. The Klan culture was definitely unwelcome in the town I came from in Ohio in the 1960s. In fact, when the Klan marched there in the 1920s, it turned into a riot and the Governor declared martial law and brought the national guard in to establish order. The same thing happened in Uniontown, Pa.

[bluestateguy]

2. What about Marion County?

See my old thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=151x491

[ranosgol]

5. It will go dem but wont be enough to sway the heartland of state.

Like the one post said if indiana is undecided for more than a half hour that is bad for Bush. It has gone GOP every year since Lyndon Johnson and wil so this year no doubt.

[Hand]

3. Indiana has always baffled me that way

I mean, they're right next to Illinois and have their share of industry, good sized cities, etc. I'd have thought their demographics would be similar. (NOTE: I've lived in Ohio and Illinois, which border Indiana, and they sure as hell LOOKED similar.)

Still it's a known Repuke stronghold during presidential elections. Weird.

I also remember in 1992 that Inidiana was "too close to call" for more than half an hour. "Bad sign for the president," they said. And so it was.

:hi:

[kokomo]

15. Redistricting has helped Republicans to maintain power.

Indiana gave the nation Wendell Wilkie to ran against FDR! William Jennings Bryan (born in Salem, IL), the populist Democrat was very popular here. Bryan was really a conservative, held racist views, and of course defended creationism in the Scopes "monkey" trial.

Indiana cities are Democratic but get placed with enough rural counties to give Republicans a majority. South Bend used to elect only Democratic representatives to Congress, but redistricting has diluted their power so now north central Indiana is represented by a Republican, Chocola. Kokomo, a big union (UAW) town has been squeezed off from the rest of Howard County to be included with South Bend, 80 miles to the north. The rest of the county is included with Rep. Dan Burton's suburban Indianapolis district, 40 miles away. Burton doesn't want Kokomo to threaten him. Central city Indy has been sacrificed to the Democratic party so the Republicans can get the rest. Rural northern Indiana is highly Germanic, including the conservative but pacifistic Amish, Mennonites, and Brethren. Kokomo is in the Quaker band that loops through Muncie to Richmond. I have never understood how so many pacifists can go against their religion to support the hawks who have taken over the Republican party.

We used to call U.S. 40 (now I-70) our "Mason-Dixon" line as southern Indiana except for the German river cities, and places around Jasper, were mostly inhabited by Scots-Irish out of eastern Kentucky. There is even a noticeable southern accent in the southern half of the state.

The state has always been a bit racist beginning with Native Americans. Jim Crow "laws" were even up to the northern part of the state. The KKK even held power over the Indiana Assembly in the 1920's, and one of the last lynchings in the US, was at Marion in 1930, where two black teens were strung up, and the third, a 16 year-old escaped with his life. The cities are very Catholic (two of the nation's oldest Catholic schools, Notre Dame and St. Mary's of the Woods were founded here). The rural areas are very Methodist, Baptist, Disciples, Presbyterian, Lutheran, BUT increasingly becoming more evangelical/fundamentalist. The Church of God started here, Billy Sunday (precursor to Billy Graham) once had his big tabernacle at Warsaw's Winona Lake. The Wesleyan (conservative) Methodists have their university in Marion. Nearby is Taylor University, a conservative Baptist University, as compared to the more liberal American Baptists who run Franklin College.

[hippiechick]

6. Pardon me for taking offense

but who the fuck are you and what is the point of your post ?

I live in Indy and know more than a handful of DU'ers and other liberal Dems who have been working at the grassroots levels to bring change, who are getting out the vote, and who plan on voting Dem.

Yes, this state is maddening and the people do tend to vote against their own best interests. Those of us who live and work here are trying to get a finger on that pulse and turn the boat around.

Don't condemn all of us with your broad brush. You can rest assured that based on historical voting trends, there are plenty of other state forums you can get on and post the exact same tripe that you posted here.


:hippie:

[ranosgol]

7. Indiana will go Bush no doubt.

I am speaking in general terms as a whole. I hope the states does start to lean more dmeocratic that way in a decade the candidates might be felt to campaign here.

[UB4Me]

8. cheese and rice

Born Indiana.
More than 6 generations of Indianans in Dearborn Co.
Indiana has always been a wingnut stronghold.
That doesn't diminish your efforts.
Great gr grandfather had a house on the Underground RR.
Grandfather watched lynchings in Aurora.

That's the paradox that is Indiana.
Nutty wingnuts and great progressives.

Lighten up.

[ranosgol]

9. I live close by ....barth.. county :)

Indiana is a strange place..I agree wingnuts all over btu a few progressives that make a difference..:)

[ranosgol]

10. I was saying..SHE was going to vote that way..but Indiana will go Bush..

l

[salin]

17. great assessment

had a discussion a while back about the variety of progressive and conservative roots that are found here in hoosierland. Heck - even today - we have several extremist wingnuts in Congress (let's use a tactical nuke Buyer.... Shoot em watermelons up Burton... all breast cancer victims must have had abortions - or at least when I cite the studies that link the events I will make those who have had breast candcer cry Hostettler)... but we also have the only African American congressional representative who represents a majority white district. Until recent years, the first democrat in congress who opposed the Vietnam War continued to represent our state... In short, our state is a bit of a paradox.

Having been born here, and lived in other areas before returning, I can say that I love my home town (B-ton) even if it drives me nuts for at least a year each time I return here (liberal for Indiana standards, but really rather provincial compared to other liberal areas.)

[shesemsmom]

12. taking offense

Right on Hippie keep up the good work. I have worked Jefferson county so hard some people I have seen more than once, I have even worked a few other counties and I don't know if we can beat Bush but we can sure give him a race, Thanks

[salin]

18. Thank you - would love to see the "bloody eighth"

return to Democratic roots - esp in honor of the late Frank McCloskey (who died earlier this year.) Bloomington was redistricted out ... but we still watch the district closely. Thanks for your work.

[Johnny 99]

19. It looks good for Jennings

People are really starting to get turned off by Fuckstettler's negative ads which do not even come close to focusing on issues, and Jon is the best funded Democratic candidate in this part of Indiana in 30 years...so hopefully we'll send that zombie fucktard back to Evansville and the dustbin of history where that shithead belongs.

[VTHoosierPatriot]

21. Cock Holster

I really hope we can get that NRA poster boy back to engineering. I really thought Weinzapfel was going to take him last time, but oh well I sent my straight ticket absentee 10 days ago. I'm currently going to school in Vermont and to compare it to southern Indiana politically is impossible (Bernie Sanders is the man!!!). The funniest thing is how conservatives are in the closet here. I've never experienced it, and I'm all for free speech and political discussion but it feels great.
P.S. If anyone gets the Evansville Courier be sure to shit on it and promptly burn that conservative rag for me, Thanks.

[Johnny 99]

24. Hey, the C-J endorsed Jennings...

so they're aren't completely shit.

[shesemsmom]

11. Indiana and the President

I live in Southern Indiana. And I will not see this election year go by without a fight!!! I have been doing absentees for Kerry and I have turned in 220. If this State is handed to Bush it will not be easy for him due to myself and the others out there working hard to put a stop to it. I can't believe that any people can be sucked in by that moron again> I spent all day, yesterday, helping at a free continuous showing for Fahrenheit9/11 and minds were changed. And others enlighten or outraged. It ought to be required viewing for all voters. If we don't get him out of the white house, depression will be a reality that no one wants to see.Recession will look good. GOD HELP AND BLESS AMERICA!!!

[ranosgol]

13. I was born and raised in Jefferson County..:)

I was just point out the absurdity in Indiana as a whole not an individual.

[ranosgol]

14. I was in there today as matter of fact.

I agree wiht you that i can't belive people wil be sucked in by this moron again but lets face it they probably wil but if its closer than 2000 Kerry will win the election

[Johnny 99]

16. Who the hell are you again?

Yeah, with that attitude, the Dems will start winning for sure :eyes:

[shesemsmom]

22. ranosgol

fellow Jefferson countyian....alright. Where are you now. We have so few days left until this election, I feel like I ought to be doing something. My absentees are in and I guess I'll call voters. I feel like Ive had this county riding on my back for 6 months. I could never run for office as this has been so important to me. I am taking out my 4 years ago frustration out on this election. I have never done more than 100 absentees but it has been like I've been possessed. lol

[shesemsmom]

23. RISE UP

Looks like alot of good people here from southern Indiana. We can't let it go RED> lets claim all of southern Indiana for the DEMOCRATS!!!

[eleonora]

25. I'm with you

Hailing from Evansville. Go Kerry!