U.S. House 5th District Race 2010

This will not come as a big surprise to any of the five candidates who are running for the GOP nomination for the U. S. Congressional 5th District race of where I stand. However, there is a reason that I believe everyone should consider as they evaluate their vote and support.

Under normal conditions I wouldn't have any problem with the gentlemen who have thrown their hats into the ring trying to win this long time safe GOP seat. It would be a great prize for anyone who wants to make a career in politics. I am a strong advocate if you want to unseat any incumbent in your party then the time is the primaries, but we must be team players in the general elections and keep our seats in place. If we were in a political debate that would have minor shifts in policies depending on who held the majority it wouldn't be a big deal. I would say have at it, may the best man win.

2010 is anything but normal conditions, America is in a fight for her very life. The results of this election could well determine if America will continue to embrace her Constitution, our freedoms, our free market way of life, or if we will descend into a Totalitarian Socialist regime where we all sign away our freedoms to become serfs and wards of the State. It is truly that serious. This is not the time to have any distractions in our goals, in our focus, and in the use of our capital assets.

Our collective focus should be in this order:

1. Win back the Indiana State House: We have to get rid of Pat Bauer before the redistricting map is drawn in 2011 to protect GOP seats.

2. Win back the U.S. House: Kick Pelosi to the curb, with a GOP controlled House, there is a very good chance we would be blessed with Mike Pence as Speaker. Can you imagine how wonderful that would be? With this we can totally emasculate any Socialist agenda of Obama's and make his last two years a true lame duck.

3. Win back the U. S. Senate: Kick Reid to the curb, and complete the weakening of Obama. Even if he and ACORN can get him a second term, if we hold the House and Senate we can stop him from causing harm.

The problem with this crowded race in the 5th is it is a total waste of energy, resources, and focus in the quest of any of the above goals. Let's just say that Mike, Dr. John, Luke, and Brose are all the greatest potential Congressmen in history in no particular order, they still don't offer us anything that will benefit any of those goals in 2010. I don't really care what your thinking is of Dan Burton, you will have to admit that he has been a consistent outspoken conservative. Frankly right now, he, Mike Pence, and Ron Paul are the three strongest conservative voices in all of the House. So, what would we get, we would trade a proven conservative, for one whom we will all hope will be equally conservative? We would trade a senior representative sitting on over 20 committees for a freshman who might get a couple to sit on, but with no power what-so-ever.

Okay, so if we get nothing of consequence then what do we give up? How about first and foremost focus on our shared goals. Then we lose capital reserves for other contested races we might be able to fund raise to unseat democrats both in Indiana and across the country. We must understand the dynamics of the 5th District, it holds Hamilton County, both the wealthiest and most Republican county in Indiana. A full 25% of all GOP votes in the State of Indiana consistently come from Hamilton County. Having five candidates, all high profile, who are pulling fund raising out of that county, it takes the finite amount of funds available to other candidates for Indiana House seats, or to target Baron Hill or others are used up in an intramural primary. This is a terrible waste of energy, funds, and focus.

What would make the most sense for each of us to do is to focus on taking democrat seats. What would prove that each of those candidates truly have our nation's best interest at heart, would be to suspend their candidacies, and go to work helping those running to beat current democrat seats. Can you imagine if Mike Murphy, Dr. John McGoff, Luke Messer, and Brose McVey were all out campaigning and doing fund raiser for their choice of candidates running against Senator Bayh, and helping Indiana House candidates bring in crowds and fund raise. This would raise their profiles throughout the State, and District, then in 2012 after Dan retires they can go at it. Who knows with them barnstorming the state campaigning for others, one might get high enough of a profile to take on Lugar in 2012 and put a Conservative in that seat!

I have nothing against any of these candidates, and if there wasn't so much to lose in 2010 if we don't keep our focus, I wouldn't care who won. But that isn't the case, we must keep our focus!