| When John McCain announced that he wouldn't be spending any time or money in the Hoosier State, Mitch Daniels probably breathed a sigh of relief -- his political narrative of independence was secure.
Probably not as excited those first few weeks? State GOP Communications Director Jay Kenworthy, who would assume the awkward role of defending the McCain campaign's blunder-filled effort here, Baghdad Bob style.
He did an excellent job, under the circumstances, but his quote in yesterday's John Byrne column in the Post-Trib feeds into yet another bizarre meme Republicans have been pushing in the aftermath of Election Day. But Indiana Republican Party spokesman Jay Kenworthy contends Democratic ascension is a no-election phenomenon.
GOP supporters "just have to keep doing what we've been doing" to ensure the state remains solidly red, Kenworthy said.
"This was a great year for Republicans across the state," Kenworthy said, pointing to Mitch Daniels' big gubernatorial win and the victory for all four incumbent Republican congressmen.
Republican wins for attorney general and state superintendent of schools have GOP partisans further convinced that Obama's razor-thin success -- by about 26,000 of more than 2.7 million votes cast -- was an aberration, Kenworthy said. Razor-thin, eh?
Now, I'll be the first to admit that the statewide Republican ticket benefited from a lackluster gubernatorial campaign on our side, but let's be clear about the congressional races. The Republicans aren't defending a single Democratic-leaning district. We're defending three areas brimming to the top with GOPers.
Everyone won, that much is clear, but the double-digit margins in conservative areas by our Democratic delegation means a lot more than Dan Burton checking off another term.
Which brings us to the presidential race. I've already shown you that the county-by-county breakdown reveals a severe blue-ing of the state as compared to the last two elections, but this New York Times map of the political shift between 2004 and 2008 probably says it best. Not only was Indiana more Democratic this year than during the last cycle, but we displayed one of the most dramatic partisan movements seen anywhere in the country.  Barack Obama's victory here -- in a state that hadn't gone Democratic in 44 years -- was anything but razor-thin. The shift was huge. Which isn't to necessarily say we'll be cashing in W's for the next 44-years, but certainly is deserving of notice for the monumental victory that it was. |
