Lee Hamilton commentary: Why do politicians run for office?
November 16, 2022 If you followed this year’s elections, at some point the question probably occurred to you: Why do people do this? The endless campaign events, the constant scrutiny… and increasingly, the very real and alarming threat of political violence. What drives some “...”
John Krull commentary: Requiem for a political throwback
Rex Early gave me one of the greatest and, alas, most unprintable quotes of my career. It came on Election Day in 1996. In that race, Indiana Lt. Gov. Frank O’Bannon, a Democrat, ran against Indianapolis Mayor Stephen Goldsmith, a Republican, to become governor. Early, also a R “...”
John Krull commentary: Diego Morales’ message to Democrats
Republican Diego Morales delivered a loud wake-up call for Hoosier Democrats in the 2022 election. Morales, the GOP candidate for Indiana secretary of state, trounced his Democratic opponent, Destiny Wells, by a double-digit margin. Morales did this even though he is perhaps the “...”
Sheila Kennedy commentary: Bloomington media fail
Last week, I got a message from Jim and Tomi Allison. Tomi is a past, long-serving Mayor of Bloomington, Indiana (from 1983-1995) and she and Jim had sent this letter to the editor of the Bloomington Herald-Times. After over a week with no acknowledgement of its receipt–le “...”
John Krull commentary: Hear them roar
Women want to be heard. Women need to be heard. Women deserve to be heard. That’s the message I hear as I moderate a panel discussion at Indianapolis’ Central Library held by Women on a Mission, a group that pulled together many non-profits to create this forum. On the stage “...”
John Krull commentary: Debate rouses Senate campaign from lullaby land
While much of America has raged and roiled this election year with wrenching battles over abortion, inflation and the Mar-a-Lago raid, Indiana’s U.S. Senate race has been about as quiet as a library reading room on a sleepy afternoon. The incumbent, Republican Todd Young, has f “...”
John Krull commentary: Hopalong Rokita has his usual dinner
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita must find it hard to walk. The state’s lawyer doesn’t just put his foot in his mouth. He shoves it all the way down his throat and into his digestive track, which leaves him hopping clumsily around and falling frequently. Rokita’s latest “...”
John Krull commentary: No early warning system for these guys
The other day, a veteran political professional and I discussed a dying art over drinks. We were analyzing why a supposedly can’t-miss campaign had failed a few years ago. The old pro said that race fell apart because the candidate and his staff hadn’t submitted themselves to “...”
Lee Hamilton commentary: Why political skills matter
Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022 Now that this year’s primaries are over and general-election campaigns are revving up, it’s time to take a step back. I know, it seems an odd thing to do when all the media attention is shifting to focus on the US Senate, US House, and legislative cont “...”
John Krull commentary: A time and place for wisdom
The Indiana Court of Appeals rejected Attorney General Todd Rokita’s attempt to rush the Hoosier state’s draconian new abortion ban through the judicial branch as fast it raced through the legislature. Regardless of where the state’s courts ultimately land on the question, “...”