The news this week has shown what we already know: The Democrats choose to campaign negatively rather than talk about the issues.
But the real issues are clear. Democrat candidate Andre Carson is not ready to be a Congressman. He was appointed to the Indianapolis City-County Council just five months ago, and has yet to show a true understanding of the issues.
On Monday, Carson demonstrated that his actions do not match his rhetoric. In the morning he held a press conference announcing his commitment to education. That same evening, he voted at a Council meeting against a new charter school for Indianapolis children. On Tuesday, Carson backed out of a forum with Rep. Elrod at the last minute.
On Wednesday, Democrats launched their smear campaign.
Although Carson’s brief record does not hold up under scrutiny, he is considered by many to be the favorite, mainly due to his current cash advantage.
This is an upset in the making, one that is strikingly similar to another we saw in November 2007, when then-candidate Greg Ballard was a supposed underdog against former Mayor Bart Peterson. The media assumed Marion County was a Democratic stronghold and that the incumbent with stacks of cash would cruise to victory. When polls began to show otherwise, the Democrats launched their smear campaign, but Marion County voters were not swayed by dirty tricks.
Nor will they be on March 11. The Democrats are desperate. They cannot afford to lose another big race and will engage in nonsense and mudslinging if that’s what it takes. With your help, the 7th District can send a qualified leader in Jon Elrod to Congress.
Clark could have also thrown in the stunt Carson pulled on Friday using local law enforcement officers, including a fully-uniformed Chief Deputy Sheriff Kerry Forestal, for a staged campaign event to make him look strong on homeland security. As a former law enforcement officer, Carson should have known that was improper, but I doubt that a guy who has gotten every job he's held through his late grandmother's political connections cares much about such matters.
28 comments:
the repubs must really really be worried to go this negative so early........
I agree. Elrod has not enough time or money to make a dent in Carsons vote lead.
This is negative? Please define "negative" 7:36.
(Are you channeling Wilson?)
Murray Clark knows very well that in 2007 Ballard garnered only 44% of the vote in the precincts that comprise the 7th Congressional District. Jonathon Elrod will be lucky to achieve even that percentage!
As much as I'm opposed to Andre Carson, I have to ask if we expected the Republican chairman to say anything other than what he did.
And Peterson was not nearly as disliked as the Carons are.
Wilson...since you are so confident....Will you release current internal polling results?
Julia Carson (2006) and Bart Peterson (2007) both received 54% of the vote in the 7th Congressional District precincts. André Carson will do at least as well...
802 - what vote lead? Is someone voting already???
I've voted already! I just couldn't wait until March 11th to proudly cast my vote for André Carson so I voted early downtown at the Clerk's Office in the City-County Building.
Sorry 9:32. Elrod will lose by by at least 10%. Carson vote lead.
As of Friday, there were only 138 people who voted in person at the clerk's office. Another 579 absentee ballots have been mailed.
"Another 579 absentee ballots have been mailed."
Are the return addresses in Crown Hill?
Anon 8;35 reflects the typical kneejerk ignorant republican response. Those absentees probably include people who are ill, in nursing homes, too infirm to risk going to the polls in the middle of winter, lack transportation or are out of town. Perhaps Anon 8:35 would prefer that when people become older and ill that we simply shoot them as they are only taking up space and must not deserve the right to vote........when will the GOP stop all of the pandering re: the Demo GOTV program.
Andre Carson will be another puppet in congress if elected just like his grandmother was for andy Jacobs. He has no experience while having the same supporters she had, what can you expect? More mudslinging, dirty tricks and absenteeism.
Yes, he learned from her how to get elected.
It's no secret that Carson is not qualified.
Gary, Please tell us exactly why again that Elrod is so qualified?
I'm interested in exactly what Elrod has done for Hoosier taxpayers that directly has benefitted us in anyway.
I'm not so interested in what he says, but specifically his accomplishments for us.
In other words, I'm looking for action and not his words.
Melyssa, how about this, just for starters? (And I'm a Democrat):
Jon Elrod got elected twice in Democratic districts. By going door-to-door and talking to people. That district welcomes that; ask Ms. Sullivan, who just won slating Sat. for the same district, by doing the same thing: personal campaigning. Unlike the Mahern way, which is the lazy way, but that's another story.
During his first term in the House, he co-sponsored or wrote several bills, including two on education issues. Which is not easy from the minority side of the aisle.
Yes, he is running for office early in his life. The opportunity presented itself, and he took advantage. He gave up his legislative seat to do it. I think that takes a great deal of chutzpah: imagine, a politician gives up his incumbency to try for something bigger, instead of running safely with his legislative seat to fall back on.
Is that good enough? He is, by any measure, the most-wualified candidate Mar. 11.
11:20...thank you. After days of asking this question, I finally got someone to offer something to us.
However, how did his ACTIONS benefit the people in the 7th district? What was the education bill he co-sponsored. The key question is how are we benefitted by him?
I would argue that any campaign activity, including knocking on doors, is an action the candidate does for himself to get elected, and not work that directly benefits the taxpayer.
I would also argue that his "chutzpah" to run for a bigger office is more of a selfish pursuit for a shinier position at a bigger salary than it is serving us, the people in the 7th.
My main concern is that Jon Elrod actively campaigns as a pro-repeal legislator, yet I don't see that he has worked for the taxpayer on that front. I'm not aware of even one press conference stating his support for repeal or any interaction with the main camps of activists in his district that are publicly pro repeal.
What is more telling, and what I don't understand, is why Jon Elrod never showed for even one property tax rally.
You would think as a pro-repeal legislator he would be there helping us.
Heck even David O. and Michael Rodman (democrats) came to our rallies. As far as I'm concerned, they showed the taxpayer more concern in this area than has Elrod, who campaigns on the pro-repeal platform that we've worked our butts off to put into the media. I am afraid it appears that he is attempting to capitalize from the sincere momentum we created.
It makes me wonder if Elrod uses the words "pro repeal" because he knows those words are popular with people in our district who were slammed with property tax.
Why isn't he DOING anything about property tax in this session? He seems more concerned about his campaign than he does about us.
And again, I'm paying attention Elrod's actions and not his words. Action counts and words are cheap.
So, being elected once before makes one qualified to hold office? Going door-to-door is great campaigning, but I don't think it should be confused with actions that lead to better policy.
How about, what has Elrod done for the people? Or Carson, for that matter.
I do know that Sean Shepard has been very active with the anti-property tax movement. That has a heck of a lot more value to me than being a decent campaigner or having the correct surname.
Democrats would do well to remember the Elrod-Hahern cliffhanger. Elrod has a way of making Democratic votes dissapear, fairly or unfairly. And with all the precincts getting distilled down into fewer polling places with more voters voting in new places, the stage is being set for another upset. All the Dems have to do is believe that the Carson money will carry the day, sit on their hands special election day and let the turnout take care of itself. Even though the property tax issue has nothing to do with the congressional race, there is still plenty of left over voter hostility from last November to give any incumbent (or one with the same name) a good case of the heebie-jeebies.
Nick the Dem
Anonymous....you didn't answer meylissa's question. You gave rehtoric and no substance. Let me ask....What has Elrod done, really done for our commmunity or his district? Give me a bill that passed he authored that did something...give me something. Some legal case he worked on that helped the community...something.
Melyssa, You are supporting Sean Shepard for one reason and one reason only. As you have broadcast in e-mails to people, Sean has promised you a job running his congressional office if he is elected. He plans to rehab an old abandoned house to use as a congressional office you tell us. Good luck with the zoning issues. The lack of judgment in Sean promising you a job to get you to go out and campaign for him is enough reason to determine he's not up to the job. Jon has been much more active in the community and has actually been elected and worked on issues important to our community. Sean has not held office and will never hold office as long as he continues running on the Libertarian ticket.
"Jon has been much more active in the community and has actually been elected and worked on issues important to our community."
You say this but no-one still has any sustance behind this comment. i am still waiting for a real answer....which is....nothing.
Melyssa, It is totally unfortunate that you have chosen to use your anti-tax platform to trash one of the few legislators who has actually been receptive to the issues Hoosiers For Fair Taxation has put forward. Your organization's effectiveness has been completely compromised to promote your own personal agenda. You can't expect your organization to be effective if you are going to trash the legislators who support your issues.
Gary? I have never once "trashed" Elrod. Show me where.
I am a taxpayer who was hit hard by property taxes. I've been used and abused by a former mayor and his regime. I have a right to ask tough questions. I pay their salary.
If you look back on the HFFT blog, you will see that Elrod was promoted and touted as a pro repeal legislator. That's not trashing.
The problem is that I am asking questions and not getting answers. That does not sit well with me or likely any other taxpayer.
Point out where I trashed Elrod and I'll apologize. Pointing out questions and probing is not trashing.
We've invited him to speak to his record of service to the taxpayer. We are ignored.
If Elrod is so good for what we're doing, then why on earth didn't he ever show up even once (JUST ONCE) to support us?
God knows, we could have used a pro repeal legislator by our side.
The truth is, Gary, Elrod has not put action behind his words. There can be many reasons for this. I just want to know what he's done for us and that's not asking too much.
Also, I don't mind eating my words if I am wrong. I just want to get to the truth of things.
The tax payers are sick to death of political rhetoric and spin with no substance.
Melyssa, You've already been forced to issue one apology on your blog to Jon Elrod. Need I say more. http://hoosiersforfairtaxation.blogspot.com/2008/02/apology-to-jon-elrod-and-correction.html
Gary, I was not forced to apologize to Jon Elrod. I called Elrod regarding the incident reported on the blue blogs about hiring Miller's friend and their marketing firm and he gave me a very good explanation of what happened.
As you know, I cannot stomach Eric Miller and what he attempts to do to a huge segment of our citizens with his homo-hating agenda.
During the call Elrod clearly stated he's raising money for himself and not the party. I was given bad information.
I took Elrod at his word and issued an apology. Principled people don't have to be "forced" to do what is the right thing to do.
You, of all people, should know I'm principled. Please don't make up things about me. If I was "forced" to issue an apology you should at least tell people who forced me to do such a thing.
I forced myself!
And, for the record, being principled doesn't mean that I'm always right.
And I don't support Sean for a job. It never entered my mind that I would work with him until he brought it up. I would be an excellent liason with people because I really do care about them. Caring about my state and her people is not anything that I fake. You of all people should know that about me. If I didn't care about the people in my state, then why would I do things like join a gay organization to promote tolerance of diversity when I'm straight?
It is not cool to try to portray me as some kind of opportunist. Anyone who has interacted with me and seen my dedication knows I do what I do because I care. They know it by my ACTIONS, not words.
As an aside, working for the federal gov't would probably be a pay cut for me. I do quite well in sales.
So Gary, please don't get snarky with me just because I make great points about Sean's candidacy and why he's better for our district than Elrod.
Sean's better because he's proven with service over the years that he truly IS FOR THE PEOPLE.
And besides, all that slime, like the slime that descended on Ballard, won't be nearly as likely to stick to Sean when he wins.
We need to do something different.
"Do what you've always done, and you'll get what you've always got."
It's time for bold change, Gary.
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