In a recent Indianapolis Star story, Mayor Tom McDermott, Jr. was listed as a potential Democratic Party contender to run for Governor of the State of Indiana. For those of you who are unaware, if he should win the Democratic primary, he would face incumbent Republican Governor Mitch Daniels.
It is true that the Indianapolis Star listed McDermott as one of many possible candidates, a slew of all the Democratic mayors in the State of Indiana. Frankly, no matter what your political leanings are, the only one who even made any sense, politically and experientially, was Bart Peterson of Indianapolis.
What Indianapolis does not understand is that the "comical" citizens, who make up a good percentage of Lake County, do not understand jokes or "tongue in cheek" and actually took this two sentence reference seriously. There was even a full newspaper story about the possibility of McDermott running for governor.
There was so much speculation by the 4 year olds that McDermott, Jr. had to come out with an official denial that he is considering running for governor.
This comedy cannot be made up. Lake County's one-half term mayor of a little city had to actually come out and deny that he is running for governor to squelch rumors that he is not running again for Mayor of Hammond. This would be a real threat.
The threat is that someone actually runs against him. The Cantrell East Chicago strategy has always been to make sure that no one runs against you. As long as it is done above board, it is all legal. The consequences though is East Chicago -- end of story. McDermott may very well not have anyone run against him in the Democratic Primary. For example it is generally known that he has cut a deal with one of his possible major challengers, Dan Repay, not to run against him. In exchange McDermott in his second term will support Repay for a county wide job, probably Steven Stiglich's old job. This sounds just like East Chicago with Mayor Pabey and his challenger, excuse me, former challenger John Aguilera. Mayor Pabey signed a $100,000 consulting contract with Aguilera and the next day he announces he will not be a candidate for Mayor of East Chicago. Both Pabey and Repay should be careful in these deals -- as the Sheriff found in the last race, McDermott cannot be trusted. He and Aguilera will play both sides.
They should also be careful because these kind of deals are illegal. It is not legal to pay someone not to run -- but as with many of these things, the problem is with proving someone was paid to not run. At best, if this is not technically illegal, it serves the citizens of Lake County and NWI very poorly.
As you Indianapolis people can see your jokes here are taken seriously by the "4-year olds." They do not see a problem with someone running for governor of a six and a half million citizen state when they have only achieved half a term of an 80,000 citizen city.
This same mayor is head of a city with one of the lowest K-12 test scores in Indiana with no improvement in sight. It is a city with one of the oldest average populations in addition to a growing brain drain that he seems to be incapable of reducing.
The mayor's only so called achievement, the Cabellas enterprise, is not only an environmental disaster, it is admittedly only due to his father. Now his father is another story and another anchor. His father is reportedly a Republican, consequently it has been difficult to recognize any specific Democratic ideals in the son who also was a Republican until he ran for mayor in a predominantly Democratic city. The father also has a history of skirting the law or at best dealing on its very margins, generally referred to as the "sleazy" area of business, although fully supported by the son, the Mayor.
Not only is McDermott, Jr. a political neophyte, a true preemie, he is dogged by questions of unethical and under-handed dealings throughout his administration. None of which bodes well for a Democrat running in a predominantly Republican state. A state where every state wide position in the last election was won by a Republican, for right or wrong, in spite of the national trends.
Obviously there are always exceptions. Evan Bayh was a Democratic governor for two terms; but, no one would associate the word "sleazy" with his father, the former Senator Birch Bayh. Then there is Frank O'Bannon who also was elected twice. But he had experience managing much of the State's bureaucracy while Lt. Governor under Bayh. McDermott, Jr. has absolutely no record of managing anything, except for his personal affairs.
What is he going to run on? I look good? Vote for me I am pretty? It should also be noted that in spite of his good looks not a single Democratic politician in NWI will speak well of McDermott, Jr. The terms usually used are egotistical, narcissistic, self-possessed, selfish, crazy, etc. Even the State Democratic Party will put his pretty face up as part of its organization but will not give him a vote.
Everybody else in the State of Indiana knows that McDermott, Jr. in a state wide office is comical. But, please Indianapolis, the tribal members here are not up to speed on the usual requirements for office, as can be well seen by who generally gets elected. So please quit pocking sticks through the bars and riling up the natives here. It can only make the situation worse because they really believe the joke.
Moshe, moshe, moshe....it only takes a minute for me to post a new post.
and ill keep doing it everyday you keep posting your unfounded rumors.
there is no deal with dan. you know it and i know it. you can either change the post and make it more truthfull or keep coming here every few hours to see what tidbits i leak out on the comments below.
but im not going to have friends lied about on here for you to furthur your own political ambitions.
june is right around the corner my friend, and if you dont want to spend it teaching in ft wayne, or indianapolis or some other place you would apparently would rather not be....than keep right on doing it. well see who has more endurance.
Posted by: steve fowler | Monday, December 25, 2006 at 10:16 PM