In talking with one of our TDD readers last night about the fallout from Evan Bayh's surprise retirement announcement, I mentioned the candidacy of Tamyra d'Ippolito. Tamyra who? A political newcomer who owns a cafe in Bloomington. An article in yesterday's Indianapolis Star pointed out that she had hoped to challenge Bayh in the Democratic primary, but was having difficulty securing the 4,500 signatures necessary (500 from each of the 9 congressional districts here in Indiana) to be put on the ballot. She needed about 1,000 additional signatures by noon yesterday to get on the ballot.
Ms. d'Ippolito expressed discouragement at not getting any support from the Democratic county chairmen, which unfortunately, is the nature of the political beast. Gone are the days of enthusiasm and a passion for public service as the requirements for participation in the political process. They have been replaced by power, expediency, and back-scratching, orchestrated by the gatekeepers of the political establishment.
As I shared with my friend last night, if the Republicans had been smarter, they would have rallied to Ms. d'Ippolito's cause and helped her get on the ballot. Because with an actual candidate on the ballot the Indiana Democrats would have been in an even bigger bind then they're in now. Instead of the small group of Democratic Party insiders determining who the candidate would be, they would be forced to contend with a candidate would most assuredly get beaten in November.
Either way, the Democratic establishment is reeling from the announcement of Bayh on Monday. For many people, he was the leader of the Party in Indiana and now they are battling the storms with a rudderless ship. 
UPDATE: Eric Erickson over at the Red State blog had the same idea.
Feigning support for an weak opponent in the hopes securing an easy win for your party...
I believe that qualifies as "expediency ... by the gatekeepers of the political establishment."
If not, it's certainly not a case of "enthusiasm... [or] passion for public service".
Listen, I don't live in Indiana or the US anymore, but I still feel connected to those that do. Your interests are mine to an extent. Represent an agenda that people can rally behind. Win based on your merit.
Anything else would be condemnable by 80% of the postings in this archive. Even though I disagree with a lot of the ideology I see here, I absolutely believe you can win without beating the system.
What we need are forward-thinking ideas -- a plan for coping with 21st-century globalization. With rising world powers and a knack for misgauging our own importance, we're short one dose of realism. Neither party will be able to address this in full.
Posted by: Derek | February 17, 2010 at 11:36 AM
Derek, you picked up on the double-edged reality of politics. And in the midst of a post that is actually intended to have a more light-hearted bent to it (e.g. the suggestion that Republicans campaign for the Democrat), my true frustration is that the established political networks in both parties tend to pull the levers more often than not. I don't know Ms. d'Ippolito, nor could I predict whether or not she would make a good Senator. But I admire her willingness to participate in the process. As someone who has spent a lot of time working in different political campaigns, the willingness to throw your hat into the ring is fraught with difficulties and signficant challenges from the very beginning. Furthermore, as she stated in the article, she was attempting to run as a citizen and not a politician. That is commendable and should be encouraged. Otherwise, we will be stuck with politicians, while qualified the common men (and women) are relegated to this sidelines.
Posted by: John | February 17, 2010 at 05:55 PM