Baron Hill for Governor?

[JSojourner]

He's mulling a run...


http://www.wthr.com/global/story.asp?s=11707712

[Bo]

He should run. That way it will be payback for the Republicans who will probably try to gerrymander him out of his seat in 2012.

[ajc0918]

He should run. That way it will be payback for the Republicans who will probably try to gerrymander him out of his seat in 2012.

If he even survives 2010...

[Bo]

He should run. That way it will be payback for the Republicans who will probably try to gerrymander him out of his seat in 2012.

If he even survives 2010...

I think he will. Hill is a fighter, even though I could be wrong.

[tmthforu94]

Keep dreaming...
Even if he ran, he couldn't beat any of the main Republican possibilities. Pence would destroy him.

[Landslide Lyndon]

Keep dreaming...
Even if he ran, he couldn't beat any of the main Republican possibilities. Pence would destroy him.

Isn't Pence aiming for Lugar's seat?

[tmthforu94]

Keep dreaming...
Even if he ran, he couldn't beat any of the main Republican possibilities. Pence would destroy him.

Isn't Pence aiming for Lugar's seat?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think Lugar is retiring.
http://www.lugar2012.com/

And would Pence really want to wait until 2018 when he could become Governor in 3 years?

[JohnnyLongtorso]

Why wouldn't Pence just wait for Boehner to get dropped by the Republicans and move up in the House leadership?

[tmthforu94]

Why wouldn't Pence just wait for Boehner to get dropped by the Republicans and move up in the House leadership?

Being a Governor or Senator looks more impressive when running for President.

[Bo]

Why wouldn't Pence just wait for Boehner to get dropped by the Republicans and move up in the House leadership?

Being a Governor or Senator looks more impressive when running for President.

Is Pence really interested in running for President, though? What strengths does he have? He doesn't strike me as a very appealing candidate.

[tmthforu94]

Why wouldn't Pence just wait for Boehner to get dropped by the Republicans and move up in the House leadership?

Being a Governor or Senator looks more impressive when running for President.

Is Pence really interested in running for President, though? What strengths does he have? He doesn't strike me as a very appealing candidate.

His strengths are that he appears to be intelligent, he is conservative, but not the point point moderates would be scared of him, and he seems to have some integrity. In all honesty, I think he'd be a betteropponent to Obama than most of the "frontrunners".

[Holmes]

His strengths are that he appears to be intelligent, he is conservative, but not the point point moderates would be scared of him, and he seems to have some integrity. In all honesty, I think he'd be a better opponent to Obama than most of the "frontrunners".

Not a good way to start describing a person.

[tmthforu94]

His strengths are that he appears to be intelligent, he is conservative, but not the point point moderates would be scared of him, and he seems to have some integrity. In all honesty, I think he'd be a better opponent to Obama than most of the "frontrunners".

Not a good way to start describing a person.

Well, considering some of the other Republican candidates, that is a huge plus. Don't know him well enough yet, but in all the interviews I've seen, he has his head on straight, so that automatically puts him ahead of many Republican leaders.

[timmer123]

Keep dreaming...
Even if he ran, he couldn't beat any of the main Republican possibilities. Pence would destroy him.

Isn't Pence aiming for Lugar's seat?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think Lugar is retiring.
http://www.lugar2012.com/

And would Pence really want to wait until 2018 when he could become Governor in 3 years?

The situation had better change by 2012.

Dick Lugar is a lousy senator.  He needs to retire in 2012.

[tmthforu94]

Keep dreaming...
Even if he ran, he couldn't beat any of the main Republican possibilities. Pence would destroy him.

Isn't Pence aiming for Lugar's seat?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think Lugar is retiring.
http://www.lugar2012.com/

And would Pence really want to wait until 2018 when he could become Governor in 3 years?

The situation had better change by 2012.

Dick Lugar is a lousy senator.  He needs to retire in 2012.

Explain, please.

[JSojourner]

Why wouldn't Pence just wait for Boehner to get dropped by the Republicans and move up in the House leadership?

Being a Governor or Senator looks more impressive when running for President.

Is Pence really interested in running for President, though? What strengths does he have? He doesn't strike me as a very appealing candidate.

His strengths are that he appears to be intelligent, he is conservative, but not the point point moderates would be scared of him

What about Pence is NOT frightening to moderates?  Any moderates out there find this guy appealing?

http://www.ontheissues.org/IN/Mike_Pence.htm

[Bo]

As a moderate myself (center-right on social issues, leftist on economic issues), I am kinda scared if Pence ever becomes President because he would favor the rich (and screw over the common people) even more than Obama.  The only things about him I find appealing are his oppositon to abortion and gay marriage.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

What about Pence is NOT frightening to moderates?  Any moderates out there find this guy appealing?

http://www.ontheissues.org/IN/Mike_Pence.htm

Kind of, but only because I know two of his children.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

There's no reason why a moderate Democrat can't beat a far right winger like Pence in an Obama state.

[nhmagic]

Hill will be defeated in 2010.  His opponent has raised I think an equal amount of money if not more and is a vet.  That plays well in Indy.

[JSojourner]

There's no reason why a moderate Democrat can't beat a far right winger like Pence in an Obama state.

Pretty much.  And Hill is closer to being a conservative Democrat than a moderate. 

My concern about Pence would be that he had the entire state's ear for a long time as a talk radio host.  He was often called "Indiana's Rush Limbaugh", except that Pence himself joked that he was more conservative than Rush.

Pence is passionately devoted to the teachings of Dr. James Dobson, D. James Kennedy and Jerry Falwell -- and has not been shy about saying so in local churches and at various anti-choice rallies.  He's a pal of the teabaggers and the birthers, though he is expert at being coy when necessary -- not exactly saying Obama is a "damn furriner".

The thing about Pence, unlike an Inhofe or a Demint, is that he is handsome and quite charming.  I've met him on several occasions and he really seems to be a likeable guy you would want to have a beer with.  (Though he doesn't drink.)  That's the danger posed by Pence (and Thune, I think, on a national level.)  The sound and seem so harmless...until you get into what they really believe and want to accomplish.  And I think both are members of The Family.

[nhmagic]

There's no reason why a moderate Democrat can't beat a far right winger like Pence in an Obama state.

Indiana itself however is fundamentally conservative in thought and belief for the most part.  A fluke anger vote doesn't change the fundamental makeup of the state.  It's not as if its fertile ground for democrat transformation.  Pence is especially safe in his district - thats Muncie right, yeah, he's not being defeated anytime soon...

[JohnnyLongtorso]

Hill will be defeated in 2010.  His opponent has raised I think an equal amount of money if not more and is a vet.  That plays well in Indy.

As of the third quarter, Hill's raised $644k, while the other guy has raised $215k.

[tmthforu94]

Hill will be defeated in 2010.  His opponent has raised I think an equal amount of money if not more and is a vet.  That plays well in Indy.

As of the third quarter, Hill's raised $644k, while the other guy has raised $215k.

And also, IN-09 isn't even Indianapolis. IN-09 is Indiana's southeast district, including Bloomington and New Albany

[JSojourner]

There's no reason why a moderate Democrat can't beat a far right winger like Pence in an Obama state.

Indiana itself however is fundamentally conservative in thought and belief for the most part.  A fluke anger vote doesn't change the fundamental makeup of the state.  It's not as if its fertile ground for democrat transformation.  Pence is especially safe in his district - thats Muncie right, yeah, he's not being defeated anytime soon...

I couldn't agree with you more about one Presidential vote not changing anything fundamentally.  You're quite right.  And even then, the vote for Obama was razor-thin.

As to Hill, I don't think the proposition was that Hill would win Pence's District.  It's that he is capable of beating Pence statewide.  Of course, Pence would still be the favorite, IMO.  But Hill would play well in his district, in Ellsworth's, in Donnelly's and in both Indianapolis and NW Indiana.  He would get trounced up here, however.