IN-SEN: Brains or Braun?

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

State Senator Mike Delph currently trailing his Democratic challenger 43–57% in IN-S29, with 56% of the vote in.

[MT Treasurer]

Bayh-bayh, baby!

[Joey1996]

Another one bites the dust.

At least Beto putting in work

[Reaganfan]

Donnelly just called Braun to concede.

[TML]

This goes to show that running as Republican-lite nowadays turns off progressive base voters (which includes working-class voters who the Democrats used to dominate) while doing little to attract so-called moderate Republicans. It was mostly these type of candidates who lost downballot under the Obama administration. While I would have preferred a Donnelly win to a Braun win, I hope this serves as a lesson for the Democratic Party to appeal to working class voters more in the future.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Donnelly wasn't a progressive

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

This goes to show that running as Republican-lite nowadays turns off progressive base voters (which includes working-class voters who the Democrats used to dominate) while doing little to attract so-called moderate Republicans. It was mostly these type of candidates who lost downballot under the Obama administration. While I would have preferred a Donnelly win to a Braun win, I hope this serves as a lesson for the Democratic Party to appeal to working class voters more in the future.

[Joey1996]

Donnelly wasn't a progressive

No, really?

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

I lived next door and IL, all taxes are low, IN doesn't like tax increases, that's why Donnelly lost. Fear of tax hikes

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

State Senator Mike Delph currently trailing his Democratic challenger 43–57% in IN-S29, with 56% of the vote in.

Silver lining for IN Dems tonight: according to NYT, J.D. Ford wins in IN-S29, 53–47% over Delph —almost exactly the inverse of the 2014 margin.

[Tekken_Guy]

I think it shows one thing. Obama-Trump voters aren’t coming back to the Democrats.  Dems took these voters for granted.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

People underestimated Braun on this site. 


I have made the comparison that Braun is a lot like David Perdue.
1. Both were business not politicians, but both had some controversial business decisions to defend
2. Both were from the Southern parts of their states.
3. Both were viewed as good candidates for the traditional but slipping away GOP suburbs around the major city
4. Both had come from behind to defeat Representatives in the primary.

[Lechasseur]

I think it shows one thing. Obama-Trump voters aren’t coming back to the Democrats.  Dems took these voters for granted.

Agreed

[Pandaguineapig]

I talked to a friend who worked on the campaign, their internals only had them up 1-2 points but all the undecideds broke for Braun (pretty much the same way Young and Holcomb won two years ago)

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

Sounds like Braun won by 10 pats.

[DabbingSanta]

Sounds like Braun won by 10 pats.

Porter County isn't out yet, so I expect the margin will decrease a bit. Still a very impressive victory for Braun.

[mvd10]

Ehm, I wouldn't say Obama-Trump voters won't come back to the Democratic Party considering it looks like GOP candidates did worse than Trump with the WWC. According to the exit polls they went from 67% to 61%, something I'd call a pretty big swing.

[RINO Tom]

I think it shows one thing. Obama-Trump voters aren’t coming back to the Democrats.  Dems took these voters for granted.

Agreed

This is a fine argument to make, but I would use a different state, LOL.  People usually mean Obama 2012/Trump 2016 voters, and Indiana went decidedly for Romney.  When I think of an "Obama-Trump" voter, I am picturing someone in Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, etc.

[libertpaulian]

The Indiana Democratic Party seems to be giving the Florida Democratic Party a run for its money in terms of ineffectiveness.

John Zody needs to be fired like yesterday.

And Donnelly was a fool for hiring Peter Hanscom as campaign manager.  No one should hire him for anything again.  

[libertpaulian]

Oh, and with this result, I think it's safe to say the Butternut Democrat Era is dead.

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

The Indiana Democratic Party seems to be giving the Florida Democratic Party a run for its money in terms of ineffectiveness.

John Zody needs to be fired like yesterday.

And Donnelly was a fool for hiring Peter Hanscom as campaign manager.  No one should hire him for anything again.  

I canvassed for Democrats in Indianapolis. They are a hot mess.

[libertpaulian]

The Indiana Democratic Party seems to be giving the Florida Democratic Party a run for its money in terms of ineffectiveness.

John Zody needs to be fired like yesterday.

And Donnelly was a fool for hiring Peter Hanscom as campaign manager.  No one should hire him for anything again.  

I canvassed for Democrats in Indianapolis. They are a hot mess.

I compared the 2012 results to this year's.  Turnout in Lake and Marion was abysmal, and Donnelly lost ground in many places he won six years ago.  Looking at the numbers in St. Joseph County, they were awful for him.  I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up losing his old congressional district (both the current gerrymandered one and the one that he served before the Senate).

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

The Indiana Democratic Party seems to be giving the Florida Democratic Party a run for its money in terms of ineffectiveness.

John Zody needs to be fired like yesterday.

And Donnelly was a fool for hiring Peter Hanscom as campaign manager.  No one should hire him for anything again.  

I canvassed for Democrats in Indianapolis. They are a hot mess.

I compared the 2012 results to this year's.  Turnout in Lake and Marion was abysmal, and Donnelly lost ground in many places he won six years ago.  Looking at the numbers in St. Joseph County, they were awful for him.  I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up losing his old congressional district (both the current gerrymandered one and the one that he served before the Senate).

"I'm voting for the local Democrats, but I'm really not sure about Donnelly," was a common refrain I heard, when not getting the door slammed in my face by the Former Democrats of Speedway.

[libertpaulian]

The Indiana Democratic Party seems to be giving the Florida Democratic Party a run for its money in terms of ineffectiveness.

John Zody needs to be fired like yesterday.

And Donnelly was a fool for hiring Peter Hanscom as campaign manager.  No one should hire him for anything again.  

I canvassed for Democrats in Indianapolis. They are a hot mess.

I compared the 2012 results to this year's.  Turnout in Lake and Marion was abysmal, and Donnelly lost ground in many places he won six years ago.  Looking at the numbers in St. Joseph County, they were awful for him.  I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up losing his old congressional district (both the current gerrymandered one and the one that he served before the Senate).

"I'm voting for the local Democrats, but I'm really not sure about Donnelly," was a common refrain I heard, when not getting the door slammed in my face by the Former Democrats of Speedway.

Ouch.  Was Kavanaugh a factor, or was it the onslaught of "I'm not like those Crazy Democrats" commercials?

[Politician]

Donnelly losing so decisively should put an end to the "we need to run moderate heroes to win in red states" myth.