I am
Barry Welsh and I am the Democratic Party Candidate for Congress in Indiana's 6th District.
We had a couple of great events today which included a Democratic Party Family Reunion.
I am writing this because we did not have the same negative experience that has been the subject of a recommended diary.
I read the negative diary, and I am not doubting that it is a true story, and I am not arguing that the writing that comes from the party is not the greatest. I totally agree that you cannot keep doing the same things with the same people and expect different results, but that is what the National party strategists want to do. There is no coherent National Message, but there are a bunch of individual independent thinking candidates that have great messages for their districts.
I am writing because not all is bad, and that side needs told as well.
We did not do a canvas today. We went to a Family Reunion this afternoon and a parade this morning.
The National Party invited individuals to hold these reunions to bring new people to vote. After all, let's not forget, people vote. These reunions are to mark 100 days until the election. This one was held in Bartholomew County Indiana.
It was an excellent event, and it was energizing, and very well attended. The food was great. The Columbus Newspaper was there covering the gathering, as both Baron Hill and I were scheduled to attend. This is one of the counties that we share.
I had met three or four of the people that were there. All of the rest, I was meeting for the first time.
There were people that used to be active and stopped, and were now back. There were people who were at their first Democratic event after tagging along with a friend. There were people that had been poll workers for 50 years. There were high school kids talking about having a meet and greet with me with other high school kids in their town.
There was small talk, and there was serious discussion about GOTV and about absentee ballots and new voter registration and education. A key here, this is not just Democrat on Democrat. All of them were saying how they are reaching out to Republicans, and how they are responding. People have had enough around here.
Another example of how the atmosphere has changed.
Today we were also in a parade in Morristown Indiana which is in Shelby County, which is a Republican county.
In 2004, when I was running for Indiana State Senate, we were in this same parade and on the ballot in this same county. I was the only Democratic Candidate in the parade two years ago, but there's more...I was The ONLY Democratic Candidate on The Entire County Ballot.
This morning, there was an entry from the State Representative Candidate, the Sheriff Candidate, The Democratic County Party, and us. Each one of these candidates, in this county and in each county, bring their own new people to the party, and potentially to the ticket.
I can't speak for anywhere else in the country but I can honestly tell you that the Party is energized at the base, and is serious about change here in this area. Can we counter the GOP GOTV? Can we win the swings, independents and libertarians?
Oh in case anyone is wondering if our Parade/Horse and buggy campaign is having an impact. Click Here It will take you to Mr. Pence's site, where he makes it appear he has been at all of the same events we have.
You have to read the wording carefully, as it says "the campaign" not the candidate, and the 'campaign is one or two people, not a group, and they promote a group walking in a parade that doesn't happen until this Saturday! These are old pictures recycled to make it appear that they are active. It is a sham and with his money he shouldn't have to do this. I have numerous people to back all of this up, this is really not what we expected from him. We thought he would ignore us, not try and steal our hard work. Why would he do that?
There are Democratic Candidates standing up all across this Nation just because if someone doesn't, then the other side has free rein and no one iscalling BS, and if no one is calling BS then BS gets accepted without challenge or thought and that is not good for anyone. Now if standing up and calling BS doesn't have value for a party on a National level, what really does?
I was asked by the largest paper in this district to respond to Mr. Pence's vote on the Minimum wage:
"Since I announced our candidacy, I have pledged to the people of this district, this state, and this country, to work toward an increase in the minimum wage in just such a framework as was passed in the House after midnight Friday. Mister Pence voted against the minimum wage increase and fired another shot in the war against the middle class. Had he voted against it in protest of the attached Paris Hilton Millionaire Estate Tax Break, I would have respected that. But Mister Pence voted against the minimum wage increase because the economy is not in good enough shape? Mister Pence and Mister Bush have both been telling us how great the economy is, and now it is not in good enough shape to benefit those trying to survive on minimum wage incomes? This vote, along with his immigration position that seeks to flood America with sub minimum wage labor, and it is not hard for Hoosiers to see that Mister Pence is concerned about Corporations making profits and not Hoosiers making a living. This vote, and his vote to not regulate the other Big Oil men, and allow yet another 10 billion dollar three month bonanza for Big Oil, will not be forgotten by the voters of this district. It does not matter how much money he spends, the people will not forget how he has voted."
was my reply.
There are candidates all across the country trying to get things like this in their papers so that their grassroots will work. I just want to be perfectly clear and say thank you to each of them for stepping up, and their friends, their campaign staff, their relatives, and they themselves are welcome to comment, pump your campaign, pimp your event, or ask for donations under any of my diaries at anytime. Anyone that puts their name on a national ballot opens themselves up to things most people wouldn't want opened up.
The Republican philosophy of government is every man for them self, The Democratic philosophy is we are all in this together. Except when it comes to elections, then it is Republicans are all in this together, and Democrats it's every person for themselves. We are trying to change that in this district because I believe we are all in this together.
I am Barry Welsh and I am the candidate running against Mike Pence, George W Bush, and Mitch Daniels, war, despair, poverty, corporate oligarchies, and too many others to mention, and running for those without a voice, public education, peace, justice, understanding, responsible stewardship of the planet, the economy and the future.
Thanks for reading