Warning: the following is a partisan political screed….
As many of you know, I left the Republican Party in 2000, when I foolishly believed that the GOP had hit bottom with George W. Bush. (If you’d told me that twenty years later I would look back on George with something approaching fondness, I’d have said you were crazy…)
In the intervening years, I’ve all too often found myself voting for Hoosier candidates I considered the lesser of two evils–people running for Governor or Senator who were at least not crazy.(I know–low bar.) But this year–okay, really next year–I am in a very different place. There are Democratic candidates for both offices that I am enthusiastically supporting, and I am especially involved with and supportive of Marc Carmichael’s campaign for the U.S. Senate.
Last night, I was one of several co-hosts for a fundraiser for Marc, and I introduced him to an unusually large turnout for what was a relatively high-ticket event. As I explained to a crowd of some eighty attendees, sometime in late July, I’d read an announcement by a guy I’d never heard of, named Marc Carmichael. He was running for U.S. Senate, and his announcement listed his top twelve priorities.
I agreed with every single one of them.
In a conversation about the upcoming elections, I told a friend of mine what I’d read. I’d have left it there, but he said we should meet this person, and he arranged a lunch for the three of us–something that would never have occurred to me.
We lunched.
We met a down-to-earth, engaging man with an excellent grasp of the issues–and, importantly, a politically savvy man with significant elective and legislative experience, who very clearly understands the challenges that face Democrats in Indiana. (You can read about his priorities and experience here.)
As those of you who are regular readers of this blog already know, I was hooked.
Jim Banks, who will be Marc’s Republican opponent, is a male version of Margery Taylor Green. He is one of the crazy Right-wingers currently threatening to shut down the government–a pro-gun, anti-abortion (with no exceptions!), anti-“woke” MAGA culture warrior who has endorsed Trump and called President Biden “corrupt.”
Hoosier voter’s choice is clear: sane and hardworking versus crazy and embarrassing.
In his speech at our fundraiser (interrupted several times by applause), Marc said he wanted to go to Washington to actually do the job. That line reminded me of something my own political experience has taught me: some people pursue public office because they want to do something–the job– and others just want to “be someone.” Marc has thrown his hat into this particular ring because, like many of us, he has grandchildren and he wants to leave them a habitable planet and a country in which they can flourish.
It is so refreshing to work for a candidate you can respect and admire, rather than someone you support because he or she is the lesser of two evils. Defeating Banks would certainly provide me with political motivation, but defeating him with a first-rate candidate would be icing on the cake.
So, I’m all-in on this campaign, and I am convinced that–assuming Marc can raise enough money to get his message out–he can win, even in Red Indiana.
Here’s my partisan pitch: go to the linked website, or to my previous post on Marc’s priorities. If you agree that he’s the “real deal,” and you share my opinion that Banks is appalling, volunteer or send money.
About the money: Marc doesn’t need to match the Club for Growth and Banks’ other far-right funders, but he needs enough to get his message out. The data I’ve seen confirms that most Hoosiers agree with that message–but they need to hear it. Marc has been out of elective office for many years, and when voters hear his name, they need to know who he is, what he’s done, and what priorities he will support.
If you are a reader of this blog who sees the world as I do, I’m asking you to trust me on this, and to put your money where our common political hopes and aspirations are.
Candidates in places more purple than Indiana won’t have trouble raising enough money to compete in 2024. We Hoosiers need to fund a repeat of 2008 –when Barack Obama won Indiana– by funding and electing Democrats as Governor and Senator in 2024. It’s time.
We CAN do this!
This blog will return to its usual preachy-ness on the issues tomorrow…..
You give me hope. Thank You
Done!
The MAGA virus has infested and infected so many brains that Rs will vote R, regardless of psychosis. But I’m definitely on board with this guy, and it’s the moderates we’re after.
Side note: I read that Biden will be visiting Michigan and the auto workers, ahead of drumpf. Good move! Democrats need to be ferociously aggressive and proactive, now more than ever.
Marc has my vote!
I’d recommend he work on his social media, getting the word out cheaply. X and Facebook time spent has a nice return. That’s why Obama invested time and energy in social media.
He made an introduction video — now share it after building up a following on social media. Advertise to get followers and repeat. Facebook is good because you can target the market, ensuring your dollars get in front of Hoosier eyeballs.
Good luck to Marc!!
The other Sheila,
GM’s CEO makes $28 million, and even the Democrats have ignored auto workers as they did railroad employees. Pelosi even forced them back to work (embarrassing).
This is why the MAGA reps are earning cred with the working class. The D’s are handing over the working class to Republicans. It makes it difficult for people like Marc to win elections in red states.
Marc will need every urban/city vote possible because the rural Rs will vote straight ticket republican. They’ve been fed the straight ticket kool aid for enough years that most don’t bother to know who they are voting for. They will keep voting against their own interests and continue to complain that nothing ever improves.
Those of us in the rural areas have found that no matter how qualified a D candidate running for any office is, he or she may get only 25-30% of the votes. The D candidate will campaign hard while the R candidate doesn’t campaign at all because they know they don’t have to.
So, please, Marc really needs those of you in the cities to help spread the word about him. We will also do that in the rural areas, but we’ve found out that it always ends up being a lost cause. I would love nothing more than to see Jim Banks kicked to the curb!
Sorry to be such a Debbie Downer, but over the past several election cycles it has become much worse in the rural areas.
I met Marc at the Democratic meeting in French Lick recently. He is deserving of our vote, especially considering that his opponent is a cave man – and my apologies to Oop.
Like Sheila said – Banks is the male version of MTG, but has much more powerful interests supporting his Senate campaign. Club for Growth and ALEC are the most well known. He started prostituting himself out to those orgs during his first stint in the IN state legislature and they can count on him to say and do whatever they demand. They spent massive amounts of out-of-state money to defeat a much more intelligent and qualified candidate in the R primary during his first run for Congress several years ago. His opponent was the much more favored R candidate until Club for Growth spent massive amounts on tv attack ads. Those ads enabled Banks to squeak by his opponent.
Nancy, every vote will count. In rural and urban areas, the goal is to outperform prior years. Maybe, that number is 35% in the rural county I grew up in.
Sheila, I’m in. My earliest ever political contribution.
Republican derangement syndrome? The rural voters everywhere would rather sell their mothers into slavery than vote for a Democrat. How does ANY candidate break that intellectual wall? Economics doesn’t work. Rurals will tolerate being sold out by Republicans. The term cult barely scratches the surface at defining that part of the electorate. Of course, churches tend to rule the minds of the rural people in our country; not enough intellectual diversity, I guess.
Appreciate your post in support of Marc’s campaign. We need him in the Senate. We also need to do the same for Jennifer McCormick as our next Governor.
Amen, Mark! I have talked to her and she is one sharp cookie. We have outstanding candidates for Senator and Governor and, sad to say in an idealized world, they need money. I have donated campaign money to the campaigns of many out-of-staters such as Whitmer and the two senators from Georgia, among others, and now that I live in Indiana I have even better reason to donate to Marc’s and Jennifer’s campaigns, and will. Other than grocery and utility bills, I can scarcely think of any better use of my resources than, at bottom, investing in our democracy, currently the target of Trump and his Hoosier nihilists.
“….the rural Rs will vote straight ticket republican” “….Sorry to be such a Debbie Downer, but over the past several election cycles it has become much worse in the rural areas.”
Sadly, I must concur with Nancy’s assessment; although I don’t think robotic voting is limited to just rural areas. Someone in lock-step with a particular party, regardless of where they live, will vote straight ticket for that party. But I would agree that rural Indiana robots are programmed with an R.
In any case, I read through everything on Carmichael’s website, watched the video, made a donation, and will share my thoughts with people I know about both Carmichael and McCormick. Like Nancy, I hold no hope of swaying those programmed with an R, but can hopefully influence other independents like myself.
Sheila, some say Marc Carmichael deserves our vote…. I say we deserve and need Marc Carmichael to lead us to a better representation of real hoosier values. After meeting Marc, I am convinced how well-grounded and focused Mr Carmichael truly is.
Sounds good to me.
I don’t live in Indiana anymore, but it’s important to take as many seats as possible, so I donated.
I’d just add that although Democrats are already behind about 30% because of gerrymandering, we can’t handicap ourselves because we’re too laid back & pessimistic. And besides, Obama carried the state the first time around, proving it CAN be done.
Right you are, Stephen; and since state-wide offices are not suject to gerrymandering and Obama proved it can be done let’s not give up the ship prematurely. Organize! Talk to our rural friends and relatives! Donate! Whatever it takes to maximize the final electoral arbiter, i.e., TURNOUT!
Marc has my vote and money. Both are important. Thanks of using your platform to help him.
Done. Your clear support is enough for this California Ex Republican. Here we support blue with gusto. There you need assistance and I hear your voice. I would be going nuts there. Many have asked but frankly, few get my call. Katie Porter is my choice for Diane Feinstein seat but the food fight between the three vying for the chair is complicated because Newsome promised to appoint a black women to the next open seat. Wealth of options but difficult because that particular black women does not represent the younger generation I would endorse. Is that ageist?
Well at least I will be getting lots of Indiana Dem emails now.
I work for the Marc Carmichael campaign. Yes, we can do this..we can win this election. If anyone is interested in helping our campaign… volunteering, hosting a fundraiser, anything… please email me at mschaefer2121@gmail.com.
Yeah! Thank you. Jane