Turning tide in Indiana (media to GOP you have already lost now drop dead)

Boston Globe ^ | April 26, 2008 | Charlie Savage

[Impy]

FORT WAYNE, INDIANA - Throughout her life, Linda Eggert, a 51-year-old stay-at-home mother, has been a staunch Republican. But on May 6, when the marathon Democratic primary comes to Indiana, Eggert will cast her ballot for Hillary Clinton. more stories like this

* Obama making plans to attract voters and money for November * Obama, Clinton spend time in low-priority states * Poll: Obama, Clinton running tight race in Indiana poll * Pelosi: Clinton, Obama sharing the ticket not a good idea * Harvard Survey: Young voters favor Obama *

"Everybody is kind of rethinking their politics because of everything that is going on," Eggert said, citing her growing concerns about Iraq and the economy. She added, "Do I think [Indiana] could go Democrat for once in November? I hope it could."

Long an afterthought in presidential politics, Indiana Democrats - who haven't delivered their state in the general election since 1964, and haven't had a meaningful say in picking their party's nominee since 1968 - see the growing excitement over the contest between Clinton and Barack Obama as an opportunity to build up muscle in places where the party's national reach had atrophied.

The interest in the Clinton-Obama fight, they say, is helping to shift political identities. Thousands of people are signing up as new voters - 383,954 Hoosiers have registered since the 2006 election - while some people who have always voted Republican are deciding that they might just be comfortable casting a ballot for a Democrat.

[ishmac]

I definitely don't think Indiana will turn Dem or even moderate.

Patriotism runs so deep there. It's a bit like pre-60's America. Let me tell you a personal story: Although I grew up in Michigan, I went to High School in nearby South Bend because my small town in Michigan (Niles) didn't have a swimming team and I was a serious competative swimmer. Anyway, at the 1980 state championships I was preparing to swim my prelim heat in the 100 yd breastroke. As we were about to step up to the blocks, they stopped the meet for a general announcement. What was the announcement? The USA hockey team had defeated the Soviet Union 4-3. Now, I kid you not, the entire crowd leapt to its feet and applauded for 5 solid minutes. The entire meet stopped! It was entirely spontaneous, and not in the least jingoistic or aggressive. Just heartland patriotism expressing itself. I'll never forget it (especially 'cause my race got delayed and I had reprep myself mentally!)