Gary Johnson to Return to the Hoosier State

Libertarian Party of Indiana Executive Director Chris Spangle confirmed on Facebook this afternoon that Gary Johnson will be returning to Indiana.  Spangle stated that Johnson will be at the Moral Fire Station in Shelbyville Wednesday at 6:00 pm. Spangle also indicated that Johnson will be in Indiana both Wednesday and Thursday, and other stops are being planned.

Johnson made a stop in Indianapolis earlier this month. He had a speaking engagement at IUPUI, followed by a fundraiser at the Rupert for Governor headquarters.

New Gary Johnson Ad

I know I risk turning this blog into the Gary Johnson Fan Page, but he's putting out good quality ads.

Here's the latest.

Please share with friends and family.  Please ask for him to be included in the debates.

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Gary Johnson: A New Ad

Gary Johnson has a new ad out.

I covered his first six ads in a series of posts on these pages a week ago.  I guess we'll consider this a follow-up.

Let's Talk Gary Johnson (pt. 6 of 6)

Now that the Republican and Democratic conventions are in the past, I want to spend a few days talking about the Libertarian Party's Presidential Candidate, Governor Gary Johnson.

He has a series of very well-produced commercials.  They are very upbeat and positive.  Unlike most political ads today, they spend their time to explain why Johnson is the best choice, instead of saying why the other guys suck.

Since you are unlikely to see these ads on TV too often, I am going to share them with you here.  Each day this week I will be posting one of Gary Johnson's ads.  I hope that, if you enjoy them and believe Gary Johnson should at least be considered by the voters, you will share these videos with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and in person.

Let's Talk Gary Johnson (pt. 5 of 6)

Now that the Republican and Democratic conventions are in the past, I want to spend a few days talking about the Libertarian Party's Presidential Candidate, Governor Gary Johnson.

He has a series of very well-produced commercials.  They are very upbeat and positive.  Unlike most political ads today, they spend their time to explain why Johnson is the best choice, instead of saying why the other guys suck.

Since you are unlikely to see these ads on TV too often, I am going to share them with you here.  Each day this week I will be posting one of Gary Johnson's ads.  I hope that, if you enjoy them and believe Gary Johnson should at least be considered by the voters, you will share these videos with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and in person.

Let's Talk Gary Johnson (pt. 4 of 6)

Now that the Republican and Democratic conventions are in the past, I want to spend a few days talking about the Libertarian Party's Presidential Candidate, Governor Gary Johnson.

He has a series of very well-produced commercials.  They are very upbeat and positive.  Unlike most political ads today, they spend their time to explain why Johnson is the best choice, instead of saying why the other guys suck.

Since you are unlikely to see these ads on TV too often, I am going to share them with you here.  Each day this week I will be posting one of Gary Johnson's ads.  I hope that, if you enjoy them and believe Gary Johnson should at least be considered by the voters, you will share these videos with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and in person.

Let's Talk Gary Johnson (pt. 3 of 6)

Now that the Republican and Democratic conventions are in the past, I want to spend a few days talking about the Libertarian Party's Presidential Candidate, Governor Gary Johnson.

He has a series of very well-produced commercials.  They are very upbeat and positive.  Unlike most political ads today, they spend their time to explain why Johnson is the best choice, instead of saying why the other guys suck.

Since you are unlikely to see these ads on TV too often, I am going to share them with you here.  Each day this week I will be posting one of Gary Johnson's ads.  I hope that, if you enjoy them and believe Gary Johnson should at least be considered by the voters, you will share these videos with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and in person.

Let's Talk Gary Johnson (pt. 2 of 6)

Now that the Republican and Democratic conventions are in the past, I want to spend a few days talking about the Libertarian Party's Presidential Candidate, Governor Gary Johnson.

He has a series of very well-produced commercials.  They are very upbeat and positive.  Unlike most political ads today, they spend their time to explain why Johnson is the best choice, instead of saying why the other guys suck.

Since you are unlikely to see these ads on TV too often, I am going to share them with you here.  Each day this week I will be posting one of Gary Johnson's ads.  I hope that, if you enjoy them and believe Gary Johnson should at least be considered by the voters, you will share these videos with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and in person.

Let's Talk Gary Johnson (pt. 1 of 6)

Now that the Republican and Democratic conventions are in the past, I want to spend a few days talking about the Libertarian Party's Presidential Candidate, Governor Gary Johnson.

He has a series of very well-produced commercials.  They are very upbeat and positive.  Unlike most political ads today, they spend their time to explain why Johnson is the best choice, instead of saying why the other guys suck.

Since you are unlikely to see these ads on TV too often, I am going to share them with you here.  Each day this week I will be posting one of Gary Johnson's ads.  If you enjoy these videos and/or you believe that Gary Johnson should at least be considered by the voters, I hope you will share them with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and in person.

Obama's Gay Marriage Statement: Right Message, Wrong Reason...Again

President Obama declared yesterday that he now agrees that homosexuals should be allowed to marry.  In an ABC News interview, Obama stated that his views have been evolving and that now, "it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married."

This is an issue I feel strongly about.  I applaud Obama for publicly making this statement.

BUT...

This is the third time where Obama has seemed to only care about LGBT issues during a summer election season.  I'm glad he takes the stances he does, but I wish he didn't only do it when it was politically beneficial for him to do so.

You might remember that, in 2008, Obama campaigned on getting rid of Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT).  When Obama was elected, though, DADT was an issue that fell by the wayside.  Obama's Democrats had commanding control of both houses of Congress (57-41 in the Senate and 256-178 in the House).  Obama had the ability to, upon inauguration, get rid of DADT very rapidly and with no chance of losing.

But he didn't.  If DADT was really that important to Obama he had the strength to bat it aside and not look back.  Instead, though, after Obama was inaugurated you never heard about his dedication to ridding the military of DADT again.  That is, until election season in 2010.

Suddenly, with an important election looming, Obama was again vocal about his dedication to get rid of DADT.  DADT became a hot-button issue of the 2010 election.  Obama and the Democrats campaigned long and hard on the issue.

I'm glad they campaigned on the issue in 2010.  And I'm glad they were successful.  Readers of this blog will remember that, on more than one occasion, I questioned the sincerity of Obama and DADT because of the timing gap.  And I still do.

Since forgetting about DADT for almost two years before (re)making it an issue on an election year, Obama again forgot about LGBT issues.  It was something that wasn't mentioned at all for nearly two more years.  Until today.

Today, as another election season begins to steam ahead, Obama suddenly cares about the gay community again.  This time stating that he is now in favor of the rights of gays to marry.

Based on his history, I'll have to make a prediction on how this will unfold.  I believe this will be a hotly discussed topic for the remainder of the election season.  I believe Obama will most likely get re-elected.  Then, I believe, we won't hear much more about gay rights.  That is, until 2014.  During 2014, Obama and Company will again suddenly make LGBT rights and awareness an issue.

I don't doubt Obama's support for these issues.  I just wish he'd focus on them because he's dedicated to them and it's the right thing to do.  Instead, he focuses on them because he's dedicated to his Party and it's the right thing to do for Obama.

(FWIW, the Libertarian Party has been openly committed to LGBT rights since its founding.  Most Libertarian candidates, such as Presidential contender Gary Johnson and Indiana Gubernatorial candidate Rupert Boneham, have made pledges dedicating to fight for equality if elected.)

"Right to Work" Will Cause Both R and D Incumbents to Lose in November

I don't know what the motivation of the State Representatives is when it comes to right to work.  It could be a grudge match that they are finally willing to throw down on.  It could be that both sides just truly believe that right to work is such an important issue that it's worth stopping all other business for.  I only know one thing for sure...they sure aren't battling it out because the people of the state give a crap...because we don't.

Don't get me wrong.  There are some extremely vocal supporters on both sides of the issue. And I'm not saying I don't have my own opinion on right to work, because I do. But an independent survey on the issue by Ball State's Bowen Center said that, for the most part, we Hoosiers simply do not care about right to work.

The survey shows that approximately the same number of Hoosiers are for right to work as are against it.  Both those numbers come in right around 25% (27% for, 24% against, within the surveys margin of error.)  The remaining half of us?  Well they either don't know or don't care about the issue.

What's that mean for those representing us at the Statehouse?  I suggest it means they better get their acts together and either and pass or shoot down the bill - and quickly.  With this many Hoosiers apathetic to the issue, anything that happens on behalf of this bill that slows down or halts other legislation will simply be considered intolerable.

It's only been three days right now, but there is currently no end in sight for the Democratic walkout.  Democratic Minority Leader Pat Bauer has made several statements indicating that there is no current plan for the Dems to leave the state, or that the walkout will last as long as the one last year. Simultaneously, signs of hope for their return are currently few to none.  They are demanding the GOP agree to several statewide hearings on the issue, but there has been no indication from Speaker Bosma that he is willing to put the vote on the back burner while such hearings take place.

The Democrats have since announced that they will have their own hearings on the issue.  There has not been any statement as to whether they will return after they are completed.  One would assume that they would, but depending on the time frame of those hearings, it may be too late for their careers.

Simply, if the Representatives on both sides continue this childish fight for very long at all, the large number of Hoosiers that don't care about the issue will vote accordingly.  Not against Republicans.  Not against Democrats.  They will vote against incumbents.  If the Representatives cannot, for the second year in a row, reach enough compromise to even get business started, then this election year will be one full of kicking people to the curbs.

I'd like to add that there's something almost good about this...almost.  Politicians being so committed to an ideal they believe is truly for better of all, and willing to risk their jobs in support of that ideal (on both sides), is a rare thing.  I don't believe for a second though that either side is so committed to their side because of some great feeling of the better good.  Let's be real about this...this is nothing but politics as usual.