I've said some really good things about Republican Jon Elrod. He's a likeable guy, and he was the only Republican who refused to sign a PR ploy request for a vote on SJR-7, the constitutional amendment prohibiting same-sex marriage. There's NO WAY that could have been easy in the Indiana House Republican Caucus. Cajones of steel, said I. I've even tried, somewhat jokingly (but also somewhat seriously) to recruit him into the Democratic Party. Rest easy, Republican Friends of Elrod...absolutely NO success in that effort.
What I liked about him was that, while he would work hard for victory, I had the sense that as long as he did things "the right way," he could live with defeat. This was evident during the congressional debates before the special election. He could have bashed Andre Carson publicly, but he didn't. (Yes, I know. He hit him with some anti-gun mailers that weren't flattering, but compared to most scorched earth campaigns, one mailing is tame stuff). Call it gut instinct, but winning almost seemed secondary to running a good race for Elrod. In this respect, he personified the difference between people whose motivation is just "to make money" and those who adopt an attitude that if you do things the right way and do what you love, the money will follow. Elrod's initial run for HD 97 was not Step 1 in a ten-step scripted plan for obtaining the highest possible elective office.
But now it seems the political ambitions have stolen him. Brendan O'Shaughnessy of the Indianapolis Star reports that Jon Elrod has resigned as the R candidate from the 7th District Congressional race so that he can be appointed to fill a vacancy left in Indiana State House District 97, his old district which he had to forfeit to run against Carson in the first place. Elrod knew he had an easier chance to win in HD 97 than in a re-run of the special election, so he bailed out.
To paraphrse Ross Perot, I hear a giant sucking sound. It's Jon Elrod's credibility going into a toilet and flushing itself. (I guess this explains why I never got a response when I e-mailed and asked him to flatly deny the rumor that he was even thinking about this).
I suppose the likeability factor might still be there, but almost everything else is out the window. Jon Elrod went from being the guy who wanted to be your neighborhood congressman to the guy who just couldn't live without representing ANY neighborhood. He could have waited for two years, stayed active in the community and come back, but somehow he wasn't able to withstand either (1) the temptation of keeping and/or expanding power; (2) political pressure from the Republican Party, which had not been an issue before now; or (3) a combination of 1 and 2.
How can any constituent trust that he wouldn't sell them out to preserve his standing? He may have said he takes no pleasure in "walking away from a fight," but he actually sprinted away from it.
One could say that it's unfair for me to be disappointed in a candidate simply because I had an impression of him that turned out to be wrong. After all, he never claimed to impervious to the lure of power.
Yeah, good thing.
12 comments:
Lest it be forgotten: Jonathon Elrod was originally elected to a 4 year term on a Township Board but after serving only 2 years, bailed on those voters and ran for the State Legislature.
Voters have got to demand he pledge to serve a full term if elected and not go gallivanting after some other elective office!
Kick him when he's down. Naughty, naughty, Wilson.
One might think you're not being a good sport. ;)
Wilson only stated the fact that Elrod has been a office hopper and has not finished a term yet without running for another term. He seems to have an attitude that he is entitled to an office. It doesn't matter which office he runs for in November. Voters do not like to elect office holders who run for another office after they elect him. This is the third time for Elrod. I say three strikes and you are out!!!!
I respect Jon very much. His decision is a reasonable one considering the outcome of the congressional race he has run so far. He would do much betterfor the cause by keeping a seat in the House.
I think Wilson needs to stop spouting that line all over every blog in the county.
Just how long was Andre a CCC member before jumping ship? It certainly wasn't even half a term!
There are plenty of points to be making right now regarding Elrod. That is not one of them. I don't have a big problem with politicians climbing the ladder-it is the nature of the beast. I do have a problem with it if they make a pledge not to do so or they do what Elrod is doing now-getting out of the kitchen when it gets too hot.
I would rather be a losing congressional candidate than a losing state rep candidate........
There are only 4 eligible committeemen in House District
97. That should make for an interesting caucus....it says something about the state of the republican party in Marion County.
F O U R ? ? ?
I believe Gary Welsh is one of them. Finally he might have the chance to be the political kingmaker he dreams he is...
The precinct he is committeeman in is a dem precinct which Mary Ann Sullivan will carry by a large margin.
Never underestimate the amount of pressure Brian Bosma and Mike Gentry can bring.
One sure sign to me was that neither lifted a finger to help Jon in his CD race (though Gentry is primarily responsible for foisting the hapless "Maverick Strategies" on Jon, though they made out like bandits on the race financially). Bosma even promised me personally that he would personally donate, then get some colleagues from the House to donate as well. Neither happened, which raised my suspicions some time ago.
In the end, Jon is probably his own worse enemy. While he can be extremely likable and down to earth when he wants to be, he's also smarmy, arrogant, often immature, insular and knows or understands little about loyalty. Heck, his own campaign people had no idea he was doing this, let alone party brass.
Jon, we hardly knew ya.
Wilson, I must admit that I made a mistake. While Gary's precinct is a good strong Democrat precinct, it is in John Day's house district NOT Jon Elrod's district. So Gary cannot help him there.
Wilson, that's kinda funny that you bash Elrod for not finishing a term, but look at your boy Carson. He didn't come anywhere close to finishing his term on the CCC. People who live in glass houses shouldn't thrown rocks.
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