Motives for endorsement
At FWOB, Mitch reported on the progress of GiaQuinta's campaign. This included an article on his endorsement by the mayor of Fort Wayne.
GiaQuinta will benefit because the mayor is popular among voters in the 80th district. But the mayor didn't do it because he likes GiaQuinta or that he is Mark's boss. His endorsement came after polling showed GiaQuinta had a sizable lead. He wanted to endorse a winning candidate.
Does that mean he would have endorsed Paddock had the polls shown him to be winning? No. Due to his previous relationship with the GiaQuinta family he would not have endorsed anybody had Paddock been winning. Endorsing Paddock would have burnt some bridges that he will need later.
The mayor's true intentions were to work his own campaign for '07 without declaring his candidacy. He got a jump on the next mayoral race by getting his face on a mailer in an area that he will need to win handily in order to stave off the potential challenger in Paul Helmke.
Graham knows that the most active part of the 80th district is where Helmke is most popular. He also knows that Helmke has the ability to take moderate Democrats in that area. Graham can't win next year's election if he loses any of the Democrat base.
GiaQuinta will benefit because the mayor is popular among voters in the 80th district. But the mayor didn't do it because he likes GiaQuinta or that he is Mark's boss. His endorsement came after polling showed GiaQuinta had a sizable lead. He wanted to endorse a winning candidate.
Does that mean he would have endorsed Paddock had the polls shown him to be winning? No. Due to his previous relationship with the GiaQuinta family he would not have endorsed anybody had Paddock been winning. Endorsing Paddock would have burnt some bridges that he will need later.
The mayor's true intentions were to work his own campaign for '07 without declaring his candidacy. He got a jump on the next mayoral race by getting his face on a mailer in an area that he will need to win handily in order to stave off the potential challenger in Paul Helmke.
Graham knows that the most active part of the 80th district is where Helmke is most popular. He also knows that Helmke has the ability to take moderate Democrats in that area. Graham can't win next year's election if he loses any of the Democrat base.
posted by Indiana Pundit at 10:32 AM
8 Comments:
According to the Allen County Democratic Party the primary is on May 3rd.
Perhaps they have scheduled their own "fake" realizing that the Democratic primary is a disorganized waste of time.
Interesting- You wrote-"But the mayor didn't do it because he likes GiaQuinta or that he is Mark's boss."
You are correct. He is NOT Mark GiaQuinta's boss.
And the very fear many Democrats have, is that Mark will be Phil's boss....or as it is usually put, Phil will be Big Brother Mark's Puppet!
Good observation about the mailer giving the mayor -- as well as City Councilman Tim Pape and City Clerk Sandy Kennedy -- a chance to jump-start their '07 campaigns in the southside district. Note all the language in the mailer about "our" achievements.
Based on what I have been hearing ...Graham Richard did exactly that-lose Dem base-by endorsing GiaQuinta. First he broke his word to Paddock and others to stay neutral, Second he jumped into a race already fracturing the party and Third he violated a long standing understanding not to endorse one party member in good standing over another. Richard has passed GiaQuinta over time and time again for promotion, but thinks he is the right candidate for a state rep position because it benefits the mayor personally. Sad and disappointing. I Guess this means it will be worth it to Richard to give GiaQuinta months off work at his city job with the water department so that he can attend legislative sessions. Nice for everyone but taxpayers... we would be paying him twice. Twice as nice since already Giaquinta's salary at the city is more than twice what it was in his last job with the BMV.
I dont have a preference yet in this race, but this stinks. I may have to vote for Mr. Paddock because this certainly makes his campaig seem more above board.
Jeff, I'm not sure how you can say the D primary is a "disorganized waste of time" since whoever wins in the 80th D primary is highly likely to win in November. Plus check the website, it says May 2.
Gee, the loser Democrats could actually kill two birds with one stone. Here's what they should offer the loser of the 80th district primary: the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate.
How embarassing that they will let the nomination go begging for the first time in history.
The U.S. Senate candidate wouldn't win but it would certainly give him some prestige and visibility.
One problem, though, only Geoff Paddock is articulate and well-read enough of the two to hold his own with Dick Lugar. That's really why I think he should be the new state rep.
Why doesn't someone ask Paul Helmke what he thinks about being a US Senate candidate who "wouldn't win but it would certainly give him some prestige and visibility." Sounds like a grueling waste of time to me. Bayh and Lugar will be senators as long as they want to be.
Jill Long didn't think running for the U.S. Senate in an unwinnable race was such a grueling waste of time in 1986.
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