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 They have been replaced by power, expediency, and back-scratching, orchestrated by the gatekeepers of the political establishment.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.