Indiana GOP taps lieutenant governor to replace Pence

[DonViejo]

Source: The Hill

Indiana Republicans on Tuesday chose Lt. Gov. Eric Holcomb as their nominee to replace Gov. Mike Pence, who dropped his reelection bid after being named GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump’s running mate earlier this month.

The 22 members of the Indiana Republican Party's Central Committee tapped Holcomb over Reps. Susan Brooks and Todd Rokita and state Sen. Jim Tomes. Holcomb won on a second ballot after none of the four candidates secured a majority on the first.

“We’ve got work to do and a short time to get there,” Holcomb said at a news conference after the vote. “This campaign now officially kicks into high gear. This year as you all know, everyone in this room, has taken many twists and turns, but I am ready to answer the next call.”

In choosing Holcomb, Indiana Republicans picked a relatively unknown insider over better-known elected officials. Holcomb was a top aide to former Gov. Mitch Daniels and Sen. Dan Coats and a former chairman of the state Republican Party.

-snip-

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/governor-races/289273-indiana-gop-picks-lieutenant-governor-to-replace-pence

[sofa king]

1. Ha ha ha. Suckers.

Pence's pick is the gift that keeps on giving. Pence was upside down in approval and unlikely to win reelection, so cynical Republicans gave him to Trump to get him out of Indiana. Another cynical reason is that neither of Indiana's US Senators are up for reelection this year. Gerrymandering keeps the US Representative seats relatively safe for now.

Holcomb lost an election bid for state representative by accusing his opponent of supporting bestiality and child pornography, which he can never live down.

http://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2016/02/15/eric-holcomb-uniter-hatchet-man-clone/80332222/

Now, Holcomb inherits the negative approval numbers of his inept predecessor and he is sure to run a uniformly negative campaign in a climate where people are intensely tired of negativity. He might just deliver a couple of Indiana Representatives to the Democrats, but in all he's an uninspiring candidate who is unlikely to unify anyone or anything.

[Indydem]

2. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

Indiana has a senate seat up for grabs this cycle. We will probably get Bayh, who is a moderate blue dog Democrat, if he gets elected.

Mike Pence was upside down on approval, but he was in very little danger of losing to Gregg. What little polling was done repeatedly showed a repeat of 2012.

Holcomb was a protege of Daniels, a very popular former governor. His statements essentially chastising Pence on social issues and saying the emphasis should have been on economics and jobs is going to give him cover to separate from Pence and market himself as Daniels 2.0.

And finally, the beastiality/ child porn thing was 16 years ago; he will have no problem distancing himself from that and saying he was foolish to believe such a thing.

This guy is a serious political threat. If he can frame himself as a Daniels clone, we will not be taking the Gov mansion.

[sofa king]

4. Sorry!

I completely missed the Bayh thing. I am shamed.

However, I still think this guy is a loser. He's a comparatively easy target in a year where we have yet to see the full self-destruction of the Republican Party. He inherits Pence's negatives and Trump's negativity.

But, as I have already conclusively demonstrated, I don't know that damned much about it!

[caraher]

3. I don't think this is a walk in the park for Gregg

I don't think he inherits Pence's negatives, because he wasn't even in office when the RFRA furor happened... he can accept or disavow whatever parts of the Pence record he chooses, and most voters will believe him.

Trump tapping Pence was a win for Indiana Republicans... Pence was vulnerable. He might have won anyway, given the way Indiana votes (and especially if the knuckleheads excited about Trump turned out in a big way), but his name was associated with a lot of negative stuff any other candidate can sidestep if it seems advantageous. Sure, Pence is out of our hair, but there were too many as bad (or worse!) on the Republican bench. Ultimately Holcomb got the nod. (I expected Rokita and worried that they might instead pick Brooks, about whom I know little - which means that she probably wouldn't come with much by way of negatives.)