Louisville Courier Journal EDITORIAL: April 27, 2008
A Hoosier choice
When the campaign for the Democratic Party's nomination in this year's Indiana gubernatorial race began, 48-year-old architect Jim Schellinger seemed to have a lot of advantages -- more money with which to campaign, more endorsements from Democratic officeholders, more business background about which to brag.
Since then, his opponent -- 55-year-old Jill Long Thompson, a former member of the U.S. House and a U.S. undersecretary of Agriculture -- has run a vigorous campaign, taking stands and making proposals, while Mr. Schellinger has done a lot of listening. He leaves the impression that he has some difficulty deciding what his candidacy is specifically about. In the campaign's first and only debate, Ms. Thompson seemed more willing to answer questions directly.
The race appears to be close: Thompson leads 47 percent to 41 percent, according to a poll released last week, with 12 percent still undecided.
With Ms. Thompson, you know what you are getting. She has had a significant public career, and she is willing to confront, clearly and directly, major issues facing Indiana. Mr. Schellinger, by contrast, tries to make a virtue out of not being a politician, as if years of personal and positive involvement in government somehow should be held against his opponent.
Maybe familiarity with public process was what made it possible for Ms. Thompson to identify quickly and specifically, when asked, the one recommendation from a recent bipartisan report on local government reform that she would have the state legislature adopt. She cited removal of appointed boards' power to impose taxes. Mr. Schellinger demurred, explaining that some ideas might be good for some localities but not for others.
Both these candidates could be good for Indiana, but Ms. Thompson would be better.
