What the hell is wrong with Indiana?

[MrScorpio]

As a Michigander, I've always viewed the state as an unruly neighbor.

Most of the people that I had problems with during my service time came from Indiana.

The rest of the Big Ten is voting for change, these people are stuck in the past.

Any ideas?

[Kittycat]

1. Don't hate me people from Indiana...

But I've always considered it the dustbowl of the midwest. I used to drive from Columbus to our office in Indianapolis - then occassionally on to Springfield, IL to see family. It was always flat, tiresome, worn and just - dusty to me. It just feels stagnant there.

[kestrel91316]

2. Lots of corn, lots of farmers, too few college-educated white collar workers???

[tularetom]

3. Lotsa Cletuses there

[liberalpragmatist]

4. Hey, Indiana's close this year!

The state voted for Bush by 20 points four years ago. Surely the fact that Obama is within striking distance (and was so even before the financial collapse sent Obama's numbers soaring all over the country) means something.

Plus, the Obama ground game is EXCEPTIONAL. They've poured money into the state and it's genuinely competitive. They could very well win the state -- in fact, Nate at fivethirtyeight.com projects that if the election were held today, Obama WOULD capture Indiana, albeit VERY narrowly.

[anneboleyn]

23. Yep. it is within two or three points this year and may even go blue!

Most recent polls showed Obama within three points of McCain.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

27. It could fall to Obama. Which Democrat won Indiana in the past?

[grantcart]

5. Indiana is a great story - Voted for Bush by 21 points and is now very close

Indiana is also the state with the highest percentage of newly registered voters.


Let's reserve judgement on Indiana until election night

[Schulzz]

6. To be fair, Bush won Indiana by 21% in 2004.

He won NC, for example, only by 12 points. It's probably only this close, because Obama is from Chicago.

[chascarrillo]

7. 'Sundown towns' a Hoosier legacy

'Sundown towns' a Hoosier legacy
by John Clower
March 11, 2007

Oolitic wasn't where they'd planned to go. But in the summer of 1980, geologist Unni Rowell was fairly new to Bloomington. With her two daughters in town for a visit, she thought an excursion to see the impressive limestone quarries in Lawrence County would be fun.

So they drove toward Bedford on a Sunday morning, saw the exit to Oolitic and decided spontaneously to check out the active quarry there.

Downtown Oolitic was nearly deserted, except for a friendly young man who approached to ask if he could help. Learning of their interest, he gave the three fair-haired, fair-skinned women an impromptu, well-informed tour and historical overview of the quarry.

"As we got ready to leave," Unni recalls, "I said, 'Oolitic looks like a very nice town.' The young man pulled himself up, poised and proud, and said, 'Do you know why it's a nice town? There ain't no n*****s here.'"

http://www.bloomingtonalternative.com/node/8170

[WCGreen]

8. I do believe the last lynching in the north occured in Marion Indiana

in 1930...

[elfin]

9. Indiana was totally controlled by the Klan

in the twenties and thirties. It still bears that legacy. In many ways, it is the old racist South, despite islands of sanity here and there.

It is very different than what we associate with the Big Ten "culture", but we always expect it to have finally grown up. This year will be a big test for them.

But they voted for Bayh - so maybe there is a better chance than their history might suggest.

[Doctor_J]

10. They're not letting the NW Indianans register/vote

The GOP anti-democracy corps has been particularly vicious in that area. If the election were on the up-and-up, IN might well go O.

[IndianaGreen]

13. GOP is not waiting for election day to steal the election

They are doing that now!

[Jack Bone]

11. We're busting our humps going door-to-door..

registering people to vote and asking them to vote early.

You could always drive south and help!

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/inoffices

[mucifer]

16. I'm going from Chicago to Gary tomorrow. It's lots of fun!

There is a huge GOTV going on in the working class dem areas where voting is low. Expect a change in the polls soon.

[Jack Bone]

18. Thanx for helping!

I went to Toledo back in '04, that was fun too.

I'm sticking around the home-front this year as we're close enough to make a difference!

Thank god, for the wonderful weather we've enjoyed this season. It's allowed more people to canvass!

Good Luck 2morrow and thanx again!!

[IndianaJones]

12. As an Indianan, I always viewed Michigan as somewhere to go if I didn't want a job. nt.

[jberryhill]

15. Oh SNAP! /nt

[MrScorpio]

17. See what I mean?

:shrug:

Wooo, boy! :eyes:

[IndianaJones]

19. hold on, this will help...

[MrScorpio]

21. We'll get you guys NEXT year

Damn skippy!

[IndianaJones]

22. Michigan State is the premier football program in the state. nt.

[MrScorpio]

25. They may be fellow Michiganders, but if you cut me, I'll bleed Maize and Blue

I'm no sunshine fan!

[skooooo]

26. We're Hoosiers!@

damn it

[IndianaJones]

28. can't bring myself to use that word. nt.

[d_b]

14. No idea

GOTV could take it though.

[renie408]

20. It's in the middle. Middle children always have problems n/t

[skooooo]

24. Mr. Scorpio..

You should know that the southern part of Indiana is virtually cut off from the rest of the state. Say, go south of Bloomington to the Kentucky border. There are no major highways going north-south, except 41 up to Terre Haute. Therefore, people in southern Indiana identify more with southern culture.

From Evansville, IN, it takes about 4 hours to get to Indianapolis vs. 2 hours to Nashville.

Proposals to build a highway to better connect the south to the rest of the state have been met with virulent-protest on the part of some few, but well publicized individuals.