My Election Losers

Now it is time for my election losers.

1. The Indiana Democratic Party - Indiana went blue in a presidential race for the first time since 1964. So how did the state Democrats capitalize? They lost the Governor's race by a landslide, lost the other two state-wide offices, failed to pick up more than a seat or two in the Indiana General Assembly and did not pick up a congressional seat. It is important in politics that you take advantage of opportunities. I hear some Democrat operatives want to blame teh failure to do better on Jill Long Thompson. Most of the blame though should rest on the state committte's shoulders.

2. The Marion County Republican Party - While it certainly was expected that the Democrats would win the four county-wide offices, what was surprising was the 20% margin between the Democratic and Republican candidates. The numbers in Marion County have slipped so badly that it will be tough to recruit quality candidates to run county-wide.

3. The Indiana House Democrats - 2010 will be the first mid-term election for a new President. Historically the party occupying the White House takes a drubbing. The Democratic majority in the Indiana House is like ripe fruit on a low-level branch going into the last election before redistricting. If they lose, the 2011 session it will be the first time in decades that the Republicans completely control the redistricting process.

4. The National Republican Party - Leaderless and without an agenda, the Republicans are set to wander the desert for the next few years, wondering what went wrong. None of the other candidates who ran for President in 2008 seem the right fit to take the reigns of leadership.

5. Jill Long Thompson - She was never able to put together her own party and failed to take advantage of opportunities to make the case for her own candidacy and against Governor Daniels.

6. Linda Pence - While she appeared to be an adept politician with a strong message of change in a year people wanted change, she waited too long to go on television and was lost in the clutter. With a stronger governor candidate at the head of the state ticket, she probably would have scaled that last 1% to victory.