Indiana

INDIANA, IT?S GOOD TO BE THE KING (MAKER)!

By Abdul Hakim-Shabazz

Get ready folks for a political blitz the likes of which this state has never seen. Regardless of the results of Pennsylvania tonight, both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama will be here more than you probably care to think about right now. Hillary does well with older, working class, less-college educated voters who tend to be white. Barack does better with younger, more affluent, more educated voters who tend to be black.

I think the dynamics inherently favor Barack because a significant number of Indiana Democrats are in Marion and Lake Counties which are Barack strongholds. Clinton supporters have conceded Marion and Lake County so she will have to turn out other areas, like South Bend.

Southern Indiana is another story altogether. I don’t see any reason why Congressmen Baron Hill or Brad Elsworth would want Hillary at the top of the ticket in areas where she is not popular.  And Barack has to figure out a way to connect with those blue-collar Reagan Democrats.  Of course this is all politics and a day is a lifetime.

I never thought as an outsider looking into Indiana’s culture that I would ever say it was a good thing that this state didn’t change. But the smartest thing I’ve seen Hoosiers do in a long time was not change the state’s primary date.

Congratulations my friends, you are now the king maker or queen maker as the case may be! And remember, with great power, comes great responsibility!

Full post as published by Indiana Barrister on April 22, 2008 (boomark / email).