Baron's Obamassiah Endorsement Fallout

Bring him on.





They're all stark raving mad.

And now for some photos from Flickr.

Baron at the podium, selling his soul for some cheap applause. The sunken and dark Emperor Palpatine eyes seem to be a recent development.

Baron already being left behind, as the Obamassiah moves on to bigger and better things.

Another podium shot.

Doesn't he just look so pleased to be there?

There are a lot of podium shots of him; I saw someplace that he talked for four minutes, so there was plenty of time to snap shots of him.

Again, he just looks so happy... like he may have just realized how badly he has screwed himself.

Money shot. This one will be in pictures. Moving pictures.

The sad, small man, all alone in the big room full of people that didn't care a lick to come to see him.

In terms of media roundup, Eric Schansberg has some thoughts. The News & Tribune has the story. So does Baron's hometown paper, the Seymour Tribune.

The comments are particularly damning:

I am wondering why Hill would endorse Obama... Sorry Baron you may lose my vote to Sodrel if you keep this up.

Baron should move to Bloomington. That is really who he identifies with and represents and who he panders to when he needs to get elected. It is certainly not the people of Seymour

One of the best things about voting in the Democratic primary this year is you get to vote against Baron Hill twice this year.

This was a move that Baron needed to make. He has to win at least 62 percent of the vote in Monroe County to win the general election in the fall. Barack Obama will soundly defeat Hillary Clinton in the primary in Monroe County. This is all strategic politics people.

Of course, Clinton will soundly defeat Obama in the primary in the 9th District, unless this person is implying that Baron only represents Bloomington...

What a foolish political move. What did he have to gain by announcing this now. Either way he was guaranteed to tick off at least half his constituency. His endorsement won't swing 100 votes in the whole 9th district for Obama and will cost himself many times that number. What an idiot!

There are a lot of indications that the long misery of Baron Hill is only just beginning, and it all stems from this endorsement.

Many in number are the angry Democrats that I have heard from and heard about from others. I am surprised by how many of them have indicated they intend to demand their contributions back, or who say they will never vote for Baron again (by undervoting, or whatever else) or will simply never lift a finger again to help his campaign.

These are not fairweather friends; many of them have been active in Democratic politics for their entire lives. For them, Baron's endorsement of Obama is the last straw.

In Harrison County, they have had numerous Democratic primary early voters that have already cast their ballots show up at the clerk's office and ask if they could revote or change their votes (they could, I guess in theory by some legal technicality, if they somehow spoil their own ballot after voting).

At the Hillary rally in Jeffersonville, I am told by one attendee that there was open speculation about who will run against Mike Sodrel in 2010. "His name was mud there," another said in an email.

Seventeen of twenty county chairs in the 9th District are for Hillary (Howey's count of ten is misleading and inaccurate, I am told by district Hillary supporters), as are the overwhelming majority of the local and state elected Democratic officials.

Moreover, they are all furious with Baron. Not merely just because he endorsed Obama--though for many that would be reason enough--but because he lied to them. Baron, it seems, made promises to the district chairs and various elected officials that he would withhold his endorsement until after the primary. He broke his promise, and that is not something that anyone in southern Indiana (Democrat or Republican alike) easily forgets or forgives.

As one Democrat indicated, the Republicans were able to tie Baron to Kerry in 2004, thus causing social conservative independents and Democrats to abandon Hill. Now, Baron has endorsed a senator that is further to the left than John Kerry. And, as if that is not bad enough, there are pictures, transcripts, and videos to accompany it.

The anger of Democratic voters may not persist until November (I suspect that a lot of it will wane).

The images, the words, and the videos however will endure forever.