Election Night: A Political Shift?

On election night Indiana, the “Crossroads State” may play a large role in a Democratic takeover in the house. In the past news anchors like Dan Rather have deemed Indiana a Republican stronghold and win early on in the evening. However, tomorrow’s election may be an entirely different story. A big issue for many voters in Indiana is the Bush administration’s failure to make progress on Iraq. Hoosiers are also disapproving of the Bush administration’s failure to create good manufacturing jobs and failure to address the US addiction to oil. These are also main issues on the National level. These issues coupled with congressional scandal and dysfunction suggest that Indiana could be a large part of a reordering of political balance in Washington. Residents of Indiana have friends and family members serving in Iraq, have a tighter budget due to fluctuating gas prices, and have lost jobs due to a national outsourcing. These issues are all very personal to them and come election day we may see this predominantly Republican state loose key seats to the Democratic party. These key seats (Districts 2, 8, and 9) may be just enough for the Democrats to take hold of the House. It is also important to note that these three districts have formidable Democratic challengers. In the 8th District, Ellsworth with his law enforcement experience on homeland security issues combined with his conservative view on abortion and guns could gain him the seat. In the 9th District, Hill a former Congressman is running on his Indiana Hall of Fame high school basketball legacy and reliable “Blue Dog” Democrat appeal. In the 2nd District, Donnelly a pro-life businessman and graduate from Notre Dame has a good chance. So when looking to the polls tomorrow we may see a shift in Indiana, that could give momentum to other congressional races across the country.
-Kiersten

See: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006611010367