Yesterday, I received an email plea from a friend’s daughter. She asked that it be widely distributed, and it is worth sharing.
I am writing to you because I am very interested in who is elected as the next Governor for the State of Indiana, and with the election just one week away, I hope I have not waited too long to speak up.
I have been disappointed on a few occasions over the last several months to hear other Democrats talk less than enthusiastically about John Gregg – not because they don’t like him, not because they don’t think he would be a great leader, not because they think he would move Indiana in the wrong direction – but because he’s not liberal enough.
We all know where we live, right? Of course he’s not liberal – we are in Indiana!!
Debating the qualities of our candidate is not helpful at this stage in the process! That ship has sailed. He IS the Democratic nominee for Governor and we need to do ALL WE CAN to make sure he gets elected.
Is he perfect? I think he IS for Indiana. We live in a very conservative state and he is a conservative DEMOCRAT. But more than that, he is an intelligent, articulate leader with experience working WITH Republicans and Democrats to get things accomplished – like balancing budgets, investing in public education, etc. He understands that governing is not about US versus THEM. It’s about all of us WORKING TOGETHER to make Indiana a better place.
The alternative, I believe, is frightening.
Please do not allow democrats to undermine John Gregg as the Democratic nominee for Governor by talking about how you wish he was different. The stakes are too high. He is what he is and he is ELECTABLE in Indiana.He’s gaining momentum and has a solid chance to win if we rally behind him and help to make sure Democrats get out and support him. His campaign will work on convincing the Independents, Undecideds and moderate Republicans that he is the right choice for Indiana – and it’s working!
Please go forth and elect John Gregg!
Amy’s plea touched a nerve with me. John Gregg is, indeed, more conservative than I am. But I have already voted for him, and I did so with enthusiasm. I have three reasons for that enthusiasm: John Gregg, Vi Simpson and Mike Pence.
John Gregg is not an ideologue. He understands the state, understands the legislative process, and is focused on the things that are really important, like jobs and economic development. Does he have some positions on social issues with which I disagree? Yes. Is he likely to take steps to advance those positions? No. Those policies are clearly not his priorities; furthermore, the Democratic base simply will not support measures to ban same-sex marriage or to outlaw abortion. Let’s be blunt: Gregg will not take positions that are at odds with those held by the majority of his own party. ( I always try to vote for people who owe allegiance to the least dangerous constituencies.)
If you have any doubts about where Gregg’s priorities will lie, just consider Vi Simpson. Gregg chose Vi to be the candidate for Lieutenant Governor. She is one of the smartest, most principled people serving in the Senate. A true culture warrior would not have chosen Vi as a running mate–and the fact that Gregg did select her was a clear message that we can trust him to avoid the divisive social issues that motivate and consume today’s Republican candidates.
And then there’s the best reason of all to vote for John Gregg.