This space is provided by the City County Observer for our readers to make any comments they wish regarding the poll we are taking on the Indiana 8th District Congressional Election. The assumed candidates for this poll are Incumbent Republican Larry Bucshon, Vanderburgh County Sheriff Democrat Eric Williams, and Libertarian Andrew Horning.
We request that you keep your comments civil and support your statements with the deeds of these three gentlemen.
As Mr. Horning was placed into the poll when the count was Bucshon 28 – Williams 21, if anyone posts a comment to change your vote we will do so manually. Our apologies to the Libertarian Party and to Mr. Horning for our oversight.
You need a none of the above selection !
Who would you like to see?
I have always had a great deal of respect for sheriff Williams but I’m afraid he has sold his soul to the political powers that be.
Eric Williams has not said he is running yet has he? That means that you would have put one person on this poll that isn’t running, and left off two candidates who have announced that they are running already. Andrew Horning is running as the Libertarian, and Andrew McNeil is running against Bucshon in the primary on the Republican side.
wanted to thank the editor for making the addition of Andrew Horning to the poll.
Why does Horning and Williams have the same number of votes, but are showing 5% points difference in the poll? Also the total number of votes do not match up to the totals of the three candidates added together. It is 4 votes off?
I don’t understand the point of this poll. You have one candidate that has never mentioned running against two candidates that are running. I know that CCO always states that their polls are not scientific, but any poll where the Libertarian is the top vote getter would get laughed out of most political circles.
“I don’t understand the point if this poll, my team isn’t winning.”
That’s what I read into that. Keep ignoring the writing on the wall, fellow Republicans. Granted, I’m only 36 years old, but in my experience, sticking one’s head in the sand does not change objective reality. The voters are growing sick of the major Parties. If Republicans do not move back to being the Party of non-intervention and economic freedom, we are going the way of the dinosaur.
Honestly, I wouldn’t even vote if it wasn’t for Andrew Horning.
Phyllip Davis, libertarians have won thousands of elections throughout the nation in 2012 and ten this past november even though only a few states even had elections. So what is amusing to you is quite serious for others because they finally have a real voice and real reason for voting. I thought republican preferred competition? Then when there is some its always complaints. Sorry your guy is losing so badly, maybe he should try harder to be a real conservative like not voting to fund the NSA for starters.
It’s obvious that the Libertarians have rallied the troops to vote on the poll. I would guess that CCO had a spike in news IP addresses yesterday. Phil stop walking the fence. Are you a Republican or a Libertarian? Last month you had your name on the ballot for the caucus for Center Township Trustee Advisory Board. If I were Wayne, I would remove you immediately. You don’t bring anything to the table, other than ceremonial piercings for kids.
Phil Schulz, put facts where your typing is. List the thousands of elections won by Libertarians in 2012. I’ll be waiting.
Phil, to help you with my challenge, here’s a link to the LP website that lists every race where there was a LP candidate. I’ve looked through the top half and have not found a LP winner, maybe your “thousands” are in the bottom half. http://www.lp.org/2012-election-results
Phyllip Davis, Do you even work at all? You are on here more than any retiree or stay at home parent. How do you get anything done lol? I make one comment on here and you go bananas with it and respond three times. Does knowing the history of the nazis make me a nazi? I am simply defending the libertarians because you blatantly disrespect them yet their principles are more conservative than yours. I thought conservatives would show a little more love for those that value low taxes and small govt. I guess that explains your communist icon picture for your facebook profile pic. The same guy who burned innocent civilians with tires filled with gasoline. Wayne Park should remove you from your position for your hidden socialism agenda since you are suggesting i be removed for my conservative values. Most of all Phyllip Davis don’t disrespect my children and our religion!!!!! I’m serious stop it! Why do you have to bring my children into this debate??? Shall i bring up things in your family? No, because I’m a adult. I only discuss the topic on hand and don’t bring in other personal things about families into conversations where they don’t belong.
Here is list of LP candidates, learn how use a website. http://www.lp.org/candidates/elected-officials also look at all the other third party candidates from the green party, constitution party, ect. Just because someone is not republican or democrat doesn’t mean that can’t win and its not unheard of either. Abraham Lincoln ran on a third party ticket when he got elected. Please know your facts before you speak. Thanks!
You said they won thousands. Prove it or stop speaking false claims. Not that it’s any of your business, but I was home with a sick kiddo today. How is a party that is pro-choice and same-sex marriage conservative? The LP is only conservative when it comes to limited government. Wayne should strip you from being a PC for your repeated rants against the Republican party. Nothing more.
Phyllip, please read the Libertarian Party platform. You are completely incorrect on both the Pro-Choice and same sex marriage. libertarian candidates are both pro-life and pro-choice and the party platform is in favor of leaving it to the states. currently the law is pro-choice with the supreme court ruling. Bringing to the states would at least make half of the nation pro life vs none of them. So that is a huge step in the right direction. regarding marriage, libertarians don’t support govt being involved in marriage at all, as in removing it from the tax code altogether. Rand Paul has suggested the same thing. the govt should not control religion. Please look up the definition of small govt and what conservative really means. Maybe you should at least read the republican party platform as well, I can cite the Green Party and Constitution party platform for you too if needed. partisanship is ruining this country. I will stand up for the people using any party and vote for whoever I like based on what each person stands for. Stop agreeing with establishment just to agree and get a pat on the shoulders. Plus, you are on here everyday. Not just once in a while when the bug is going around but almost every article and you post several times. find a new excuse.
Eric will give the Congressmen all he wants and more.
Mr. Horning may be the biggest joke in Indiana politics since Marvin Scott and Don Bates.While Andrew seems to be a nice fellow, a door knob could get elected before he can. Once again, he is the kind of candidate that gives Libertarians a bad name. Andrew sneaks out of his home base every few months and starts his serial campaigning,just so his name can show up in print and on TV.I must say that he always does provide us with comedy relief that keeps these races interesting. There always must be a muse in every race.Last cycle it was Mourdock,this cycle it will be Horning,,,Thanks for the entertainment Mr. Horning ! We really do appreciate it.
I disagree. I see in Mr. Horning someone who is dedicated to changing the course of politics in his State and Country. He seems devoted to the ideas of individual liberty, free trade economic principles, sound money, and foreign non-interventionist principles.
Mr. Horning, unlike the incumbent, at least, would be his own man. What you see is what you’ll get. Nothing less, nothing more. I suspect that will help his appeal with frustrated Party voters and Independents. A “pox on their houses” sentiment should help libertarians in general in an atmosphere of extreme displeasure with Congress. Whether its enough to win, I don’t know. Stranger things have happened. This is for certain, your characterization of Horning as a seeker of a personality cult is unfair and frankly grossly uninformed.
Why do two of the candidates simply have their party and name (and of course “incumbent”, as Buschon is the incumbent)…but one of the 3 listed has his occupation as well?
You didn’t list Buschon as “Dr. Larry Buschon” even.
This seems rather one-sided (liberal/Democrat) in the way in which this poll was set up.
No occupation should be listed…and an argument could be made that “incumbent” shouldn’t be on there either. These things distort polls dramatically.
shouldn’t have the party next to them either. people should be aware of the persons political beliefs and stop voting for just the letter behind their names. We might actually get better candidates elected if we started doing that.
While I agree with this…each of these individuals chose to be a part of their party, which in and of itself says something about each of them. If they didn’t want the party, they should have run as an independent.
Some people’s choices are based upon the political district that they run in. In Vanderburgh County for example, unless you are a Democrat, you will not win the 4th Ward. So choosing a party may be more related to your ambition to run and win office rather than defining your political beliefs.
Brent
Things don’t look good for Buschon, considering that this is a right-leaning site. I think it is more likely that Weinzapfel would donate his leftover money than waste it.
The one thing that trumps the right-leaning tendencies of the readers/posters on this site is Antiestablishmentarianism. The snakes, er moles, that feed information to CCO get a pass, everyone else is cannon fodder.
Count it please
Also…your percentages clearly aren’t accurate. Fix your poll!!!
Please check the math on the poll. The totals don’t match, and the percentages are off significantly.
Some people emailed to change their votes. The one who did this manually failed to adjust the vote total. It was just reset so the total adds up correctly.
Mr. Bucshon has been abysmal on civil libertarian issues; case in point: he voted for the reauthorization of the Patriot Act and NDAA. He has done nothing to quell the rampant march of militarism, interventionism, or domestic spying that I recall. I don’t remember seeing him rise in opposition of the Libyan intervention or what could have been another disastrous intervention in Syria. Someone correct me if I’m wrong on any of this.
I think the American people, and the people of the 8th District, are looking for someone who has the moral fortitude to say “no” to the Ameriquals and ERBCs of the world. I don’t see where this guy has it.
If you compare his voting record with John Boehner’s, it is nearly identical.
I remember Buschon claiming 2 years ago that he was going to have more town hall meetings and be more accessible to his district. Since that claim, he has had two public appearances in Evansville, both of them were limited to 1 hour sessions. 30+ minutes of his boring speech and less than 30 minutes for a controlled question and answer session of mostly Buschon supporters. Both of the appearances were during business hours when most people (except wealthy donors?) could not attend.
Brent
He did have one evening town hall meeting, but he did it on Halloween night so the turnout would not be that good.
I missed that announcement. And the Courier & Press has only one Town Hall meeting listed under his name on their calendar. It was back in May of 2012.
Then maybe my complaint is that they are poorly advertised….
Horning for 8th
Back in September, Bucshon refesed to hold townhall meetings in Evansville while on break. Instead, he held a $1000 per plate fundraiser at The Patriot Group HQ.
This was the guest list for that fundraiser. Who do we really think this man will be beholden to? The taxpayer? The average middle class man or woman on the street? I don’t see it. I see a guy content to sit on his hands and do what he is told by the whip. He is not his own man.
Steven Chancellor – Owner of Ameriqual Foods, maker of miliatry Meals Ready to Eat (MRE), former owner of Black Beauty Coal, former colleague of our very own Wayne Parke.
David Childs – President of Midland Powder CO, maker and wholesaler of explosives used in mining, demolition, and other projects.
Joe Craft – Owner of Alliance Coal (formerly MAPCO), Head of Mitt Romney Finance Campaign in Kentucky http://www.kentucky.com/2012/11/04/2395622/billionaire-joe-craft-at-nexus.html
Kelly Knight – Civic activist and former alternate delegate to the United Nations General Assembly, Head of Mitt Romney Finance Campaign in Kentucky
Robert Grand – Lawyer and Lobbyist at the Indy firm Barnes and Thornburg
http://influenceexplorer.com/organization/barnes-thornburg/90e0a7078a0d4b72b78ecd84ff51605a
John Hammond – Lobbyist for Ice Miller LLP. Both Ice Miller and Barnes and Thornburg lobbying groups have been hired in the past by Simon Property Group according to http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000037598&year=2013
Jeffrey L. Knight – Executive Vice President-Chief Legal Counsel at Old National Bank
Jeffrey Mulzer – Owner of Mulzer Crushed Stone, which supplies stone aggregate to public works projects
Jon Rich – CEO of Berry Plastics (also a member of the ERBC)
John C. Schroeder – President and CEO of Wabash Plastics, Inc. and Crescent Plastics, Inc. Board of Trustees at UE, Trustee at Wabash College. (also a member of the ERBC)
Kathy Briscoe – Owner at F.C.Tucker Emge Realtors
Kevin Eastridge – President of F.C. Tucker Emge Realtors
Carl L. Chapman – President and CEO of Vectren
Ron Christian – Executive Vice President External Affairs, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary at Vectren Corporation
Rita and Richard Eykamp – Owners of Mid-States Rubber Products, Inc.
Rashid Hallaway – VP of Ameriqual, Registered Lobbyist, has lobbied for Patriot Coal, former consultant in the data mining and telecomm industry
http://www.opensecrets.org/revolving/rev_summary.php?id=71647
Daniel S. Hermann – Father of former Republican Chairman and current County Prosecutor Nick Hermann, President and CEO of Ameriqual Packaging. Director of Boys & Girls Club. Served on Vanderburgh Airport Authority Board. Formerly President and COO Black Beauty Coal. (also a member of the ERBC)
Robert Koch – Director of SIGECO, SIGCORP. President and Chief Executive Officer of Koch Enterprises, Inc. Previously a director of Fifth Third Bancorp. Retired in 2011. (also a member of the ERBC)
Fred Palmer – Senior Vice President of Government Relations at Peabody Energy
Ron Romain – President, Owner, and CEO of United Companies. CEO and President at Romain Buick Inc., United Leasing, Inc. and Professional Transportation, Inc. Treasurer of St. Mary’s Medical Center, Inc. Director of American Community Bancorp, Inc., St. Mary’s Medical Center, Inc., Welborn Baptist Foundation, Signature School Foundation, and Bank of Evansville (also member of the ERBC)
Skip Seaman – President of PAR (Product Acceptance & Research)
Brad,–I would hazard a guess, the first words out of the Master of Ceremonies mouth at this function were,–
“I see the Gang is all here”. 🙂
Exactly.
Stop the presses!!! Dr. Bucshon had a fundraiser and the people in attendance were the ones that could afford to attend. How corrupt can he be? I’m guessing that your point here is to discredit the fundraising ability of one candidate because your guy couldn’t raise that much money in a year. If you can’t beat them, make their legal fundraiser seem like a bad thing so maybe they’ll stop raising money and your guy has a better chance. A bunch of coal guys supporting the Republican at another coal guy’s event. No surprise there. How about saying, Ron Romain – Donated $5 million of his own money to USI’s business school? How about the countless money that the Eykamps have put into our community? I don’t even know why you mentioned Simon. THey don’t have a property in CD8. You are simply playing the same class warfare that you accused someone of doing to you last week. About Face!!!
The guest list speaks for itself. Ameriqual wants wars, or at least “police actions”, to continue so their MREs keep rolling out. Plenty of coal lobbyists there. Not sure what that Barnes and Thornburg lobbyist wanted. God only knows. I do know this fundraiser was held on the eve if the Syrian vote, which could have gotten mired in yet another country’s affairs. Luckily, the American people were having none of it.
Bucshon opposed the action of missile strikes in Syria, not because it was the wrong thing to do, not because we had no proof Assad was behind the chemical attacks (it has since been completely refuted in a Seymour Hersh article Assad was responsible), not because the US can’t afford another war, not because our wars of intervention in the internal affairs of other nations causes blowback of anti-American sentiment; no, Bucshon didn’t support the action because Obama should have stricken sooner, bypassing Congressional approval using the 1973 War Powers Act as justification.
While he did make passing mention of the question of Assad’s responsibility at the time, his main reasoning was “it’s too late”.
I am not impressed by this watered down balancing act between courting the prevailing public opinion of non-intervention while hedging his neo-con bets for the future when a Republican president gets in office and the question is revisited in Syria or some other country. We know where Bucshon will stand – the President should unilaterally strike countries without provocation, national security rationale, or even clear evidence of guilt. The people have had enough of this philosophy; if Horning or some primary opponent can articulate this to the voters, my guess is they’ll stand a good chance.
http://m.courierpress.com/news/2013/sep/04/no-headline—bucshonsyria/?partner=RSSb
Extremely educational, well researched and correct post.
Are you sure you’re a Republican?
I am a libertarian Republican, classical liberal, paleo-conservative, individualist; you might even call me a “new wave” or “Ron Paul Republican”. Whatever I am, I don’t agree with waging unnecessary wars having nothing to do with defense of our country, and I believe strongly in liberty as codified in the Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence, ideas which saw their genesis in the philosophies of people like John Locke.
I hated the policies of the Bush era and I equally hate the policies of the Obama era, which have been only topically and marginally different…like when a cereal switches to a different cartoon character or artwork on the box – the cereal is the same, just marketing has changed, and more impressionable kids and apathetic parents buy into the new packaging.
Despite Phyllip’s baseless accusations, I don’t believe in political tactics like class warfare, pitting false factions of people against one another over trivial matters in a Machiavellian pursuit of control via manipulation. This is the purview of our cynical ruling class. I’m interested in a frank analysis of things as they are; I’m interested in truth. That’s it.
The people that fund your campaign are the ones that have an interest in you being there. That’s not news. The ones that are always calling for campaign funding reform are the ones that lack the ability to raise funds.
I don’t necessarily think Brad was playing class warfare. He was merely pointing out that these are some of the men that Bucshon will be beholden to. You dance with those who brought you, right? To suggest otherwise than that appropriations will be made benefiting these men is ignorance.
If it’s not class warfare, then I don’t see the reason to include the Romains, Eykamps,Koch, Mulzer or Briscoe. The whole “ERBC is illuminati” conspiracy is class warfare.
Mr. Davis why don’t you go hire in your rat hole! Your a liberal idiot.
No, Phyllip is no liberal. I am a liberal, and trust me, Mr. Davis is not.
I am not a liberal nor an idiot, but you are most definitely a coward. I guarantee that you would never call me a liberal idiot to my face. Scumbag troll.
What have I ever posted that would lead you to believe that I am a liberal. I am a far-right Christian. I would assume that you must have made that assertion based on my appearance, because you have never seen me type anything remotely liberal.
Ok, he is an idiot.
“Ok, he is an idiot.”
Don’t forget middle, it’s the Christmas season.
I’m a republican delegate and I’m voting for Horning because I’m sick of the 2 party system.
Bouschon has made just enought crazy votes to hold his right/reactionary flank in line.
His strategy is to support RTL, Guns, coal and most establishment repulbican ideas. Then criticize the president 24/7 offer no alternatives that could open himself up to criticism and keep his mouth shut about anything else the rest of the time. He’s executed on that very well. From a pure poltical point of view that’s pretty smart.
Charlie Cook’s partisan rating for IN-08 is R+8, so unless Obamacare becomes very popular in the next 6 months(not out of the question I give it a 15-25% chance) and there is a huge Democratic wave Buschon looks home free.
On top of that any D candidate would have to have cross over appeal to attract some R voters Willams and Weinzapful have neither after supporting consolidation etc.
Final analysis: Buschon is as safe as a bug in a rug.
You forget itll be a three-way race. With a well-known L on his right, he ain’t snug as a bug. Even an average Libertarian will take about 8-10% of the total vote. If the candidate starts taking a higher percentage, even marginally (13-18%), most will be taken from the Republican in the race, and cause the Republican defeat.
The Republican Party generally has needed to move back toward its own platform for a long time. My seeking the political center and compromising on core principles and by subscribing to an interventionist, police-the-world foreign policy, a la the nutjob John McCain wing, and by being lazy on civil liberties issues except those pertaining to the Second Amendment, the Republican Party drives away young, energetic people in droves. It doesn’t have to be that way.
If an average Libertarian will get 8-10% of the vote, what does that say about Rupert Boneham and Bart Gadau? They got 4% and 3.6% respectively. No disrespect to them, but your love affair with LP is distorting your view from the facts.
For starters…HORRIBLY run campaigns explains why they received such low percentages. In addition, statewide races and national races get below the 8-10% mark…they are different types of races.
Let’s just not have another representative for 12 years that doesn’t take PAC money, doesn’t vote the party line, doesn’t take the lucrative Congressional pension, and bases his votes on the Constitutionality of the bill.
Remember, Buschon gets a full pension with 2 more years “service”. Yet the “representatives” of this country cut the military pension to 50% after 20 years and 75% after 30. I honestly do not believe the citizens of this counrty believe this is a fair situation. A majority of true representatives need to be elected who will have the guts to correct this stupidity. Should ANYBODY be entitled to a full pension for 6 years working a job less than 50 percent of the days during those 6 years. We need 554 candidates who will run on that platform.
How big would the government need to be phyllip Davis to control abortion. I would think it would need to be a lot bigger to me it’s a major hypocrisy of the repb party to say they want small gov when they go on about this. Libertarians are more about small gov than any party.
Also I don’t like Obama care but but the republican line of keep the federal government out of you and your doctors relationship should apply to abortion if your going to be consultant. It should be banned on a state level if anything make it about states rights.
Also every voter should know who their representatives are representing because a majority of the time it isn’t their constituents who vote for them, it’s the people who fund there campaign. It’s almost impossible to run for office unless your wealthy and that’s a problem. The way things are today leads to most politicians being bought and payed for already.
Based on this poll, it looks like Republicans need to get on board with a real candidate and vote Libertarian…so they don’t waste their vote on a guy who can’t win (isn’t that the argument made by Republicans to Libertarians? lol).
I am for Andy Horning.
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