Stunning upset
Pundits and politicians "are still shaking their heads over the results of the mayoral race in Indiana's capital" earlier this month, John Gizzi writes in Human Events.
"Two-term Mayor Bart Peterson, named by Indianapolis magazine as the Democrat to watch for the future, was on just about every Democrat's 'wish list' as a potential governor or U.S. senator before long. He was supposed to waltz to re-election this fall, and Republican heavyweights such as state party Chairman Murray Clark and Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi passed on a race against him," leaving the nomination to Greg Ballard, a former U.S. Marine who had never held office before, Mr. Gizzi said.
"But a funny thing happened to Peterson on the way to his rendezvous with destiny: He lost. As veteran Indiana GOP consultant Christ Faulkner put it, 'The next day in Indianapolis, with very few exceptions, there were two types of people in political and media circles: Those who admit they were shocked by Ballard's win and liars.'
"In what is so far the biggest upset of '07, Republicans won the mayoralty of the largest city in the Hoosier State with a political newcomer. To make the results even sweeter, a 15-to-14 Democratic edge on the City Council was turned into a 16-to-13 Republican advantage."
Mr. Gizzi added: "By all virtually all accounts, the two issues that made this stunning upset possible were higher taxes and a rising crime rate." |
