looking forward to Thursday's debate

The campaign has gone well so far. Our media coverage is solid now-- excellent in the south part of the district and emerging quickly in Bloomington, Seymour and Columbus. We're clearly above the media's radar now for the most part. (Campaigning at "Sellersburg Celebrates!" tonight, it was encouraging for a bunch of people to say they had heard of me or seen me in the paper.)

And then, there's the debate. What a great opportunity-- for my campaign and for the public to hear underemphasized issues and provocative points. It should be a smile! I'm looking forward to the experience-- and all that I'll learn. And I'm looking forward to taking a few more steps forward in moving our campaign forward.

Tune in to WTIU if you can. It may still be covered on other local channels; as they say, check your local listings. And if nothing else, you can watch it (live or later) on WTIU's website.

debates and debating debates

Good news this week-- that I'll get to participate in the August 31st debate in Bloomington. Thankfully, a few requests and making our case to the sponsor was enough to get the job done. We're looking forward to adding substance and important but overlooked topics to the proceedings!

Since my inclusion, things have gotten "curiouser and curiouser" in terms of the format. Baron has made the most noise about wanting debates. But of course, he declined to debate me (an economics professor!) on the demand and supply of gas when Sodrel was busy. He also seems to be the biggest stickler in negotiating certain details.

Interestingly, he wants this first debate to be on just one issue-- not surprisingly one of the ones central to his campaign-- our nation's energy policy, gas prices, etc. (It's not a great issue for him-- and pales in comparison to the issues he ought to emphasize-- but it's apparently one of the best he has in a limited arsenal.)

It's an odd thing to demand a single-issue debate since it gives the impression that he can only handle one issue at a time. And it's an interesting strategy to lobby for this particular issue, since it is so obviously self-serving. What will voters think about his approach? What happens if the negotiations backfire? Stay tuned!

All 20 county fairs!

We wrapped up the County Fair season in Corydon at the Harrison County Fair. We had ten supporters with us-- a great way to finish up. With the yellow T-shirts, people certainly noticed us!

Over and over again, we heard people groan about the other two other alternatives. It was especially gratifying to hear local party activists express dissatisfaction with
a.) the spending and debt of Sodrel and Co.; and
b.) Hill's lack of focus on primary policy areas.

We look forward to the next phase of the race!