A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Part II

And only six days late; must be a record. As discussed twice earlier, I was present at the Candidates' Forum on Women at the Ogle Center on the IUS campus on Tuesday evening. I had intended to use my digital camera's video function to take some rough-quality video of the candidates and their answers but, as I said earlier, the batteries died on me before the forum started. I settled for that old college lecture hall standby of taking written notes instead.

The first half of the forum wasn't terribly notable. The candidates spent most of the time agreeing with each other. They pretty much all wanted more education, incentives for "the jobs of tomorrow", and all-day kindergarten. The atmosphere was so civil that it was hard to discern whether there were any differences at all between many of the candidates.

Chris Byrd, whom I have blogged about before, was present. His opponent, long-time Democratic incumbent Paul Robertson, was conspicuously absent from the event.

Byrd was well-spoken and articulate, particularly in comparison to several of the other candidates. Bill Cochran seemed stiff and unprepared. Connie Sipes played several times to the women in the crowd, once extorting "Amen, sisters!" She got no audible response, positive or negative, from the audience.

Tim Berry, the Republican state treasurer and candidate for state auditor, engaged in what was either grandstanding or good speaking (depending on who you ask). He alone of the candidates was not wearing some form of suit and tie. Instead, he had a blazer and an unbuttoned collar on his shirt.

The other candidates stood behind the podium to answer the questions. Berry roamed. Sometimes, he stood next to the podium. One time he stood in front of it. Another time, he walked about on the stage while answering. He seemed quite at ease. I wanted to ask him where I could find signs for his obvious upcoming campaign for governor.

While there was much agreement, there were few new ideas from those present. The most telling answers came from a question about how the candidates would pay for the various new programs and tax incentives about which they were all agreeing.

Berry rather wryly, and correctly, observed that it costs the state nothing to give tax incentives for outside companies to come to Indiana to set up shop, and that the law allowed the state to issue bonds (go into debt) to fund initiatives to expand Indiana's economy. Others were evasive.

Chris Byrd alone of them provided a straight answer. Government must have priorities, he said. If something is a priority, the state should find the money from it, whether by budget trimming from less important things or from the state's emerging budget surplus. Unsurprisingly, no one advocated raising taxes.

Byrd also had what was perhaps the one big idea of the local section of the forum. He proposed a student loan payment subsidy in which the state government would provide a tax credit (for in-state students) or a direct payment (for out-of-state students) to reduce student loan payments for college graduates willing to stay in or move to Indiana.

The local section of the forum ended with everyone agreeing about creating all-day kindergarten. Daniels has a winner with that one; it will turn his polls around for him I think.

This bipartisan agreement and positive ending note was interrupted by the arrival of Paul Robertson, who came up on stage as the forum was ending and shouted an introduction of himself to the audience. He trumpeted--quite literally--his support for all-day kindergarten but gave no explanation for being absent from the rest of the forum.

Robertson worked the crowd in the intermission between the local forum and the federal forum, shaking hands and greeting people. I asked him about why he wasn't present and he said that he had a more important function to attend. He added that there were more of his constituents at that function than at the forum. I later found out that he was at the O'Bannon book signing in Corydon.

I overheard remarks from many of those present about how they were decidely turned off and not impressed by his late arrival, and his way of introducing himself. It might have been better for him to have not come at all.

I will wrap this up with a post about the federal section, hopefully tomorrow.