Drawing the Wrong Conclusions

Curt Smith and Micah Clark have been quoted extensively in the wake of Tuesday’s primary, celebrating the social conservatives–especially “defenders of marriage”–who won their races. According to Micah, this proves that Indiana voters are “pro-life and pro-traditional marriage.” (Translation: anti-woman, anti-gay.)

Micah Clark began his post-primary newsletter with that message.

Yesterday’s primary election was as close to an across the board sweep as you will ever see in politics.   Republican voters finally got their chance in a few state legislative districts to express their anger over the failure of the GOP dominated statehouse to pass a marriage protection amendment.  If only there had been more conservative challengers in legislative races where establishment Republicans had voted for the unraveling of marriage.

In addition, incumbents targeted for their defense of social conservatism won as well.   You may recall when Rep. Bob Morris stood alone under immense criticism for pointing out that the Girl Scouts of America’s national organization had grown closer and closer to Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider.    The establishment loathes conservatives whom they cannot control and Bob is one of those.  In spite of a misguided high-profile pro-life endorsement of his pro-homosexual marriage opponent, Bob won the primary re-election yesterday.

Actually, as I recall, Morris made the bizarre claim that the Girl Scouts promoted abortion and turned girls lesbian….but I digress.

The newsletter went on (and on) in that celebratory vein. Micah went so far as to suggest that Eric Turner’s recent ethics problems were the result of leaks by “pro-homosexual” lawmakers. (Because Jesus would have been A-OK with his behind the scenes arm-twisting to protect his own pocketbook….)

So, are Micah and Curt right? Do the primary results vindicate their views? This is Indiana, after all.

Unfortunately for that conservative thesis, it ignores two very inconvenient facts: turnout was unusually low, even for a primary; and the social conservatives who won were Republicans running against other very conservative Republicans.

Reported statewide turnout for both parties was around 10% (in Marion County, it was a pathetic 7.9%) and a number of races on both sides were uncontested. Furthermore, primary voters in both parties are notoriously more ideological–the right wing of the GOP and the left wing of the Democratic party are the reliable primary base.

What the results do unequivocally tell us is that the Republican party is moving farther and farther to the right. Clearly, supporters of candidates running against the Very Most Rabid Righteous did not come out to vote on Tuesday. The primary left Indiana’s GOP ever more firmly in the hands of its radical fringe.

Today’s GOP is the party of Richard Mourdock, Curt Smith and Micah Clark.  The party of Richard Lugar and Bill Hudnut is long gone.

The question is: will Indiana Democrats (or Libertarians) mount respectable challenges to these candidates in November? Will voters have a reason to come to the polls, and an actual choice when they get there?

If that happens–if there is decent turnout and reasonable opposition–and the Christianist Caucus prevails in November, Curt and Micah will have a legitimate victory to celebrate.

Tuesday’s results, however, just reminded me of the old Bob Newhart line: What is the sound of one hand clapping?

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And the Prize Goes To….

It’s primary election time, boys and girls, and once again there’s a robust competition for the most intellectually dishonest political ad of the season.

I gotta tell you, this year’s competition has been tough! The Mourdock/Lugar contest has certainly given us some top contenders, and it has been really hard to decide which of the Dan Burton-wannabes running for the 5th congressional district is pandering most shamelessly to the cretins they evidently think are most likely to vote in the primary in that district.

But in the past few days, we’ve had a new entrant, and he has absolutely blown away the competition. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you: Luke Messer.

Actually, that may be unfair; watching this spot, I have to assume that the real Luke Messer has been the victim of some alien body-snatcher.  I can’t believe a real human would run what looks like a clumsy parody of a political pitch by someone from a galaxy far, far away.

The Messer figure in this ad (addressing people who evidently don’t know anything about how our government works–or these days, fails to work) says if we send him to Washington, he’ll “repeal Obamacare” “stop bailouts” and “balance the budget.” All by his little self, according to this spiel, which includes no suggestion that such tasks might require the cooperation of others.

Now–assuming this really is Mr. Messer and not a simulacrum–there are two possible explanations for this pitch: he’s a moron, or he thinks GOP primary voters are.

Either way, I’m declaring a winner! For political obtuseness, pomposity and sheer chutzpah on a scale not previously achieved, the award for most embarrassing candidate of the primary season, Indiana edition, goes to Luke Messer!

Stay tuned for the general election, when the Democrats will also compete.

And may God have mercy on us all…..

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