All About Indiana
Posted by Zach Wendling on 8 January 2005 | 7 responses
The Howey Political Report released the list of the 50 Most Influential for 2005. Topping the list: Gov. Elect Mitch Daniels, of course. The big issues: the Governor’s relationship with the Senate (which I get the impression will be rosier than Howey anticipates), Bayh’s run for the White House, future gubernatorial races, and southern Indiana power brokers, esp. Indiana’s 9th Congressional District.
7 Responses to “All About Indiana”
A “must-read” if there ever were one… too ‘many’ excellent points of commentary!
The highest ranking southern Hoosier is Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel, where Howie writes, “Weinzapfel becomes the most powerful Southern Indiana political figure…” That’s a joke, and highly debatable. Weinzapfel is a career politican who has found that if you run for election enough times you’re bound to win an office eventually. He’s not the most powerful politician and certainly not the most respected in Southern Indiana.
What made me laugh was the assertion that Weinzapfel was a gubernatorial contender. Sure he is, and I’m in line for the U.S. Senate.
Isn’t Weinzapfel barely 30? And how many elections has he lost, besides the time he ran for Congress, and he barely lost that one, if memory serves.
While the ranking may have overinflated things a bit, I think you guys are as well. Who else besides him and Hotstettler is worth mentioning in that corner of the state?
This smells like Republican fear to me.
Joseph, if you really think that Weinzapfel is more influential than Jim Kittle or Steve Carter, you’re free to persist in your delusion. But a Democrat mayor in a Republican county who has to deal with a Republican House, a Republican Senate, a Republican Governor, and a Republican congressman…perhaps he is not tremendously influential.
If you read my comment, Paul, you would see that I agreed there was every possibility Weinzapfel was overrated. And I never said he was more influential than Kittle or Carter.
You simply called me delusional and then completely ignored the questions I asked. I was responding to specific criticisms of Josh’s; specifically, that Weinzapfel was a career politican who finally got lucky and won an election.
So, I will ask it again:
How many elections has he lost, besides the time he ran for Congress, and he barely lost that one, if memory serves.
Who else besides him and Hotstettler is worth mentioning in that corner of the state?
I don’t remember how many times JW has run for office and lost, but he was a state rep for at least 1 term before running for the 8th district against Hostetler in 2000 (I think).
My worry about JW is that Evansville and surrounding areas will not see him for what he is – a very liberal Democrat – and he will grow until the truth becomes obscured by his popularity. He does not represent the overwhelming sentiment of the district, nor the state, and I think time will bear that out. Whether it does in time to prevent him from becoming powerful remains to be seen.
He also has a dreadful speaking voice, which may stunt his political career.