Daltonsbriefs's blog

Indiana Senate Debate at Warsaw Tea Party

I'll let one of the attendees speak for the event, since I was unable to attend, if you attended and have further thoughts please post in comments: 

Wabash Union: Victory in the debate, however, belonged to citizen legislator and family farmer Marlin Stutzman. In the interest of full disclosure, I voted for Stutzman in the straw poll afterwards, and I have for some time intended to vote for him in the May primary (and hopefully in November as well). I have a sneaking suspicion that the Tea Party leadership that hosted the debate supported him as well—Stutzman got the center podium, surrounded by Behney and Hostettler, with Bates and Coats relegated to the fringes. Part of Stutzman’s State Senate district runs through Kosciusko County, and this was clearly his territory.

But attempting to step aside from those biases, Stutzman still has clear strengths that would lead me to declare him the victor. His time as a farmer gives him a great connection with his Hoosier constituency, and he was able to masterfully weave his experience on the farm into his arguments about budgetary and tax issues. He was the happy warrior of the group—conservative, but not angry about it. He stayed on message, and wasn’t drawn into any particularly nasty squabbles—though the ever aggressive Hostettler did target his tax record in the State Senate. Stutzman delivered an adequate rebuttal, and the issue was left there. He also got the biggest applause line of the debate when he delivered a call for Washington to behave more like Indiana government—where there are citizen legislators who have to return home and “live under the laws” they enact.

These are exciting times to be a political junkie in Indiana. It’s a great time to be a conservative in Indiana. This is going to be a vigorous Senate primary and a vigorous general election campaign. Regardless of the outcome, I look forward to the fight.

Update via the South Bend Tribune:

Straw Poll Results

Marlin Stutzman 80Richard Behney 76Don Bates, Jr. 47John Hostettler 18Dan Coats 16

 

From Random Firings: At one point a very dangerous question was asked: "Who should be the next president of the United States." The reactions of the candidates indicated that they were all kinda blindsided by it and they recognized just how dangerous it was. It may have been the most revealing point of the debate:

• Behney answered first, and this was actually the high point of the morning with him. He quite eloquently answered that we don't know who that is, and that we probably "haven't heard the name yet".
• Stutzman praised Behney for his answer and expressed regret that he had to follow it. He broke the ice with naming specific people and named Indiana governor Mitch Daniels, which proved to be a popular choice with the audience.
• Hostettler said he voted for Ron Paul in 2008 and would gladly vote for him again.
• Coats mentioned a "Jim Harmon". I have no idea who that is, but Coats seemed to know him from his time in Washington and said we needed someone who could bring two sides together and not be combative. I give him credit for an outside the box answer.
• Bates expressed unabashed support for his Representative, Mike Pence. Another popular answer with the crowd.

Coming away from the debate, if I had to vote today I'd probably vote Stutzman, who seemed to strike the right balance of being experienced enough to know what he's doing, but without being tainted with the stench of being a career politician. Coats did well enough to overcome fears of being the "Republican Washington establishment's" hand-picked candidate. I came away liking him and I'd be comfortable with him as my Senator. Bates was impressive enough to keep tabs on. Both he and Coats still have a very realistic chance to win me over between now and May 4. Hostettler was impressive in his knowledge, but his demeanor was a big turnoff. Behney seems like a good guy, but just not ready for prime time.

For those who haven't been following along, former Senator Dan Coats decided last week at the behest of Washington insiders that he might like to be Senator again.   The conservative right is asking some hard questions of now-lobbyist Coats. Marlin Stutzman asks Dan Coats some questions

For Immediate Release

February 10, 2010

Marlin Stutzman Demands Answers from Dan Coats on his Current Job as a Lobbyist

Marlin Stutzman challenges Coats, “We want to see everything Dan Coats and his firms were involved with from a lobbying perspective. Hoosiers cannot afford a senator who has questionable ties to corporations, banks and anti-American governments.”

Howe, IN – State Senator Marlin Stutzman took a hard line today as he inquired about the judgment of former Indiana Sen. Dan Coats and his past and current lobbying activity in Washington, D.C. Coats, a former U.S. Senator who now lives in the D.C. Metro area and keeps a home in North Carolina, surprised many when he announced he may run for the US Senate in Indiana, where he has not lived in nearly 10 years.

“Dan, the ‘good folks’ in Indiana have some questions. How involved were you and your firm in securing billions of dollars in taxpayer money for the bailouts? What is your firm’s relationship with Harvest Natural Resources? Harvest is an oil company that partners with Dictator Hugo Chavez. Finally, and probably most concerning is your firm’s questionable ties to the terrorist breeding ground in Yemen. Although, I personally would like answers to these questions, Mr. Coats, I can tell you that I am not alone. There are countless people throughout the state that want to know the details on your career as a DC Lobbyist. We want to see everything Dan Coats and his firms were involved with from a lobbying perspective. Hoosiers cannot afford a senator who has questionable ties to corporations, banks and anti-American governments.”

The Hill – Coats lobbied for India Firm and country of Yemen: Web Version | PDF Version

Politico – Coats lobbied for Chavez-connected oil company: Web Version | PDF Version

Washington Examiner – Coats lobbied for Bank of America: Web Version | PDF Version

Washington Examiner – Coats lobbied for ‘Fat Cats’: Web Version | PDF Version

Contact: media@gomarlin.com

PDF version of release can be found here.

2008 candidates online - Winners

The 2008 Elections are really the first to be dramatically affected by online and social media. The major media really can't dominate as much as in the past, and many internet users are getting information and even interacting online.

Is your favorite candidate willing and able to interact online? If not, this may be the last election for your favorite guy or gal. I am willing to predict that social media and online interaction, online fundraising, and blog style communication will not go away, and will be the trump card in the future for many elections.

Barack Obama was really the break-out story in all this. I may not want him to be President, but am very willing to allow that he's "changed" the rules of the game in this arena. My hope is that in the final 30 days of this election, when more than half the public is interested, that John McCain's team will step up and join the 21st Century.

The writers of Wikinomics have been following this paradigm shift all year:
 

One would have thought that after all the stories about how Obama's online presence was key to his triumph in the Democratic primaries would have led McCain's team to focus on this... but apparently not.

Side note: for previous coverage of the role of wikinomics in this race, see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. (I'm always willing to let those I source get a bunch of inbound links, I read them, so I hope you will too)

It's time McCain team. Please, from one social media amateur to a professional campaign team, join the rest of us out here.

Now a challenge to McCain, and in state and local races too, supporters ... get online, go social media, say what you think and engage the conversations. If you just watch the liberal elite internet types dominate the new mediums, then you'll just be complaining about the "liberal media" next year again. This media medium is wide open and easy to dominate quickly. Get online for the next 25 days.