Jischke Possible Competitor for Governor Daniels

From several sources, the new gubernatorial candidate for the Democrats is in the works to oppose Governor Daniels in two years.  The reality is that the Democrats did not have any candidate that had a chance of making a dent in Daniels prospects at re-election. 

Assuming no great stumble on the part of Daniels, and none is likely, the Democratic Party needs someone who has state wide name recognition, no known baggage, and can align with someone in Northwest Indiana to get the Lake County Democratic Vote.  The Lake County vote is a necessary win, by a wide margin, if any Democrat is to succeed in a State-wide office.

The current person the Democratic Party is attempting to recruit to run for Governor of Indiana is retiring Purdue University President Martin Jischke.  This was originally heard from one good source two weeks ago and since then has been confirmed by two others.

This would fit in with Jischke's sudden "retirement" as Purdue's president.  He is leaving at the age of 65.  The Board of Trustees would have readily given him an extension to 70 like they did with Beering.  This type of sudden exit is usually indicative of either a new political move or concern with an investigation of some past official activity.  The more sensible alternative explanation for the retirement is the former.  No one has even attempted a credible explanation for this sudden desire to join the 65 retiree set.

Jischke would be a good candidate for the Democrats, especially if he ran with someone from NWI, like Tome McDermott.

Jischke's main problems is that he has done little to promote the development of most of the State and as far as NWI is concerned he has continued to promote the institutional racism that provides less funds for Hoosier higher education black and Hispanic students as opposed to their white counterparts.  That alone could be disastrous in the end for any possible Jischke candidacy.

Comments

[Sir Hailstone]

Word in Marion County it's going to be Indy mayor Bart Peterson. Bart is making several trips to Gary and Hammond to raise funds for himself and for Marion Co. Prosecutor candidate Melina Kennedy.

Then there's the land swap deal with NIPSCO and the City of Gary that netted a cool million for Bart's mayoral war chest.

Reply: "I have heard for a long time that Mayor Bart Peterson would be the candidate against Governor Daniels. And I was sure that this was a done deal. But I have been assured by Democratic operatives that the discussions to recruit Jischke are on going now and there is a definite plan by the Democrats to get him to run.
Now that does not mean that in the end it won't be Peterson; or that Peterson may decide to waite another term and then run. We will have to see. But the recruitment of Jischke, whether successful or not, are definitly ongoing."