Republicans Win

Following a few of the recent elections, it seems voters are stepping up and making their voices known. Republican Greg Ballard, newcomer with no political experience who was outspent by more than 10-to-1, scored an upset Tuesday night, beating two-term Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson.

Ballard, a 52-year-old retired Marine Corps lieutenant colonel, capitalized on public discontent over property tax increases, a hike this year in the Marion County income tax and the city's crime rate. (more)

From Take Indy Back and The Musings of Brian Groce:

While I can’t honestly say whether or not Greg Ballard will be a better Mayor of Indianapolis than Bart Peterson was/is, I will say that I’m happy to see some fresh blood in there. And if people don’t like the job that he’s done in his first term, they can go to the polls in four years and make their statement. But I plan on giving him the time to prove himself either way, as change does take a little time.

From Blue Indiana:

Greg Ballard's supporters are calling it "the biggest upset in Indiana political history," but the more significant thing to me about last night's ousting of Mayor Bart Peterson is the shot over the bow that it represents to each and every incumbent on the ballot in 2008. The message is simple and straightforward: Voters are angry, frustrated, and won't hesitate to use their votes to give incumbents the boot, no matter who that means they are putting into office.

From Call Me Ahab:

The simple fact of the matter is that Marion County residents were tired of the status quo. The blame for rising crime and skyrocketing property taxes was placed directly at the feet of the incumbents - combine that with the fact that Ballard and the Republicans ran an excellent grassroots campaign equals a big win.

It’s worthwhile to note that the Marion City/County Council had a complete power shift as well; Republicans now control both the Council and the Mayor’s office. [snip]

One final note, I would like to say that Bart Peterson’s concession speech was dignified and professional, with none of the usual whining that we’ve seen so often. He went out with class, and should be held up as an example of such.

I think we are going to see more of this around the country. What say you?

Comments

[Stormwarning]

However, you failed to mention that Ernie Fletcher, Republican Gov. of Ky. lost to former Democratic Lt. Gov. Steve Beshear. This now raises concerns about whether Mitch McConnell becomes vulnerable in the next Senate election.

[Bill Mitchell]

FLASH: To be released at 10 AM ET on RASMUSSEN: Romney breaks out 15-point lead over Giuliani in NH; up from 9 a month ago; 3-point lead in September...

[Skunkfeathers]

There's a long way to go to November '08; but the usual MO will be: local concession speeches tend to be conciliatory and professional. The RNC -- if it suffers big losses -- will conclude that their "base" wasn't energized. The DNC -- way too smug for their own good, which is fine with me -- will resort to their whiny "we didn't get our message out" if they lose.

What the DNC fails to realize, each losing cycle, is that they DID get their message out. And a message of appeasement, defeatism, raise taxes, class warfare, victimization and minority dependency, as well as their blatant disregard for the rule of law on a variety of fronts (voting, illegal aliens, etc), is usually denounced by the general electorate.

[Grouch at Right Truth]

The vote does sometimes have powerful effects. The county mayor here (a Republican) was ousted during our last election because he rammed a wheel tax that nobody wanted down our throats. With him went every county commissioner that voted for the tax. Every damned one of them was given the boot. The Democrat who is now the mayor pledged in his campaign that he would repeal the wheel tax......WE STILL HAVE THE WHEEL TAX. He comes up for re-election in 2010.

In fact the wheel tax was voted down in a referendum and they imposed it on us anyway. I still haven't figured out how they did that!

Anyway, congratulations to the folks in Indy. Maybe the next time the Colts and the Pats meet, the Colts will come out on top. What a great game!