from my blog, Basie!
Maureen Groppe of Bayh's hometown paper the Indianapolis Star has a must-read article on one of the leading candidates for the Democratic nomination. For the people who only know him as Birch's son, I'd definitely recommend the piece. Groppe has this to write:
Admirers say he has the right attributes for a White House bid, especially a political resume and style that exude moderation. Yet Bayh's shortcomings, including a cautious personality that lacks star power, could be a challenge if he tries to compete on a national stage.
"Of all the people who have not run for president before, he's the leading new candidate," said Chuck Todd, editor in chief of The Hotline, an online political newsletter. "The only thing missing from him on paper from being the perfect candidate would be actually being Latino."
The key reason Bayh is being touted is the divide between Democratic -- or "blue" -- states along the coasts and parts of the Midwest and the Republican -- or "red" -- states everywhere else.
While President Bush racked up large margins in the red South and West and made inroads in the blue Midwest, Bayh was easily re-elected in a red state, raking in 62 percent of the vote. That's a higher tally than Bush's 60 percent in Indiana.
One of the problems for this former Indiana Governor and current Senator is that he although he is a maverick on the scope of John McCain, he is not nearly as well known as his Republican counterpart.
"If I were (Bayh), I'd pick out a couple issues in the Senate that matter to him . . . and become a national spokesmen on them," said Richard Harpootlian, a Democratic activist and former chairman of the South Carolina Democratic Party.
Merle Black, a presidential scholar at Emory University in Atlanta, agrees.
"He needs to make himself a lot better-known," Black said. "He's certainly not a household word. . . . At this stage, he would need to sell himself to prominent, influential Democrats in other parts of the country who can be his advocate."
Bayh gets points from political activists and observers for being telegenic and a smooth speaker. But he hasn't shown that he can excite a crowd, some say.
Groppe writes that two other possible problems also afflict Bayh. The first is that he has not shown an ability to excite crowds like some other candidates. (Truth be told, neither could John Kerry, but more than 57 million people voted for him, but Al Sharpton could and he tanked in the primaries.) Another problem Bayh might face is that moderation does not always work in the primaries. He does not have a perfect record on abortion and has taken moderate stances on a number of issues. Groppe explains that this moderation cuts both ways, though:
But Joe Andrew, former national and state Democratic party leader, said traditional litmus test issues won't be as important to Democrats during the presidential primaries as will picking a candidate they think can win nationwide.
"Bayh trumps virtually any other presidential candidate on the simple test of electability," Andrew said.
The article continues by laying out a number of other reasons why Bayh might be a good candidate--fundraising prowess, national security credentials, family values, etc.--and generally gives the reader a good impression of Indiana's junior Senator. It's a great piece and I recommend you check it out.
check out my political blog Basie!