Indiana
Political debates are strange contests, but occasionally make choices clear • Indiana Capital Chronicle
Americans expect more from political debates than we often get. This year is quite an exception.
I watched the first Indiana gubernatorial debate with great interest on Oct. 2. The hour-long event featuring Jennifer McCormick (D) and Mike Braun (R) was only a few minutes in when I could tell this was likely going to be a good night for Democrats. Only a few minutes later, I found myself disappointed because I knew this important moment was not going to be seen by as many Hoosier voters as it should have been.
Both presidential debates delivered, at a minimum, a clear contrast between the participants that should drive decision making for voters. President Joe Biden’s awful debate performance in late June led to a rallying cry from many in his own party for him to drop out of the race. The performance illustrated his greatest vulnerability; that he was just too old for the job.
Importantly though, polling data after that bad night didn’t move all that much. One could conclude it didn’t matter as much to voters as it did to the political class. More likely though, it confirmed pessimism about Biden’s ability to inspire movement in his already sagging position.
His eventual and historic withdrawal from the race, and the rallying around Kamala Harris drastically changed everything.
Debates can do that, though they rarely do. Usually, the contests are exercises in bias confirmation. Dr. Conor Dawling, professor of political science at the University of Buffalo wrote, “Debates can help solidify, or reinforce, choices for folks who are already fairly to very certain which candidate they intend to support.” Yes, this is what we normally get out of them.
However, this year’s battles have delivered more than that several times now.
Gubernatorial contest
The McCormick/Braun debate last week is one of them. Any objective viewer should have been able to see several things. McCormick had a better grasp of the details of the job. She was better prepared for the predictable questions, and she was confident in her delivery from start to finish.
Braun gave, at best, a lackluster performance that raised more questions than it answered. I first wrote that the Republicans were running a campaign about nothing in its quest for the governor’s office last October. This is the third time I will remind Hoosiers of that sad truth.
I have seen gubernatorial campaigns, and the governing strategies that followed, which seemed to be designed around a “don’t make any mistakes” sort of game plan. Former Gov. Evan Bayh was committed to the strategy, and it served him well. Former Gov. Mike Pence was also committed to it, though he did make a few large, damaging mistakes during his one term in office.
Braun’s biggest mistake last week, on admittedly a much smaller scale, was comparable to Biden’s June failure. He appeared unprepared for the predictable questions, and his lack of sharpness made him appear old, a critique that he has largely avoided so far. His non-answers to one specific item made it abundantly clear to me that he would not be defending recent comments made by his running mate, Republican lieutenant governor nominee, Micah Beckwith.
Vice presidential contest
Which leads me to the Oct. 1 vice presidential debate between Republican J.D. Vance and Democrat Tim Walz. This battle was mostly weird, to use one of Walz’s favorite descriptors, in that they were incredibly polite to each other. Walz was nervous and misspoke in a few cringe-worthy ways. Vance was slick and comfortable in the delivery of what amounted to a fact-checkers dream. Again, to the objective viewer, I would have to say that Vance appeared to “win,” if truth-telling didn’t matter.
But a funny thing happened in the post-debate polling. While many viewers saw it my way,
Walz’s favorability went up more than Vance’s did. Huh? The conclusion was that his every man persona was enhanced by his lack of comfort in that environment. So, did he win by losing, or was this a true exercise in a contest that had no prize to give?
I have never thought that the best arguer was a designation or talent that always equates to the best leader. If that were the case, I know some litigators who would thump every single person mentioned in this column like that giant bass drum the Purdue marching band drags around.
However, I am a believer that conversations are the best way to get to know a person. This belief drives my teaching philosophy to my speech students. I want them to connect with their audiences and make sure those audiences know them better, not just their topic, when they’re through.
With that goal in mind, the debates this year have been fantastic.
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Indiana
Young male dead after shooting on Indy’s northeast side
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Police say one “young man” is dead after a shooting at the 1200 block of Rue Rabelais at about 7:19 p.m. according to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
That is near the intersection of 56th Street and Binford Boulevard.
Police say the victim was taken to Riley Hospital where he later died. Investigators say they are still working to identify the victim.
There was no known information about a suspect. Police did say that they believe this is a targeted incident.
There was no other information immediately available.
This story has been updated with information from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
Indiana
Mother and boyfriend accused in death of 4-year-old boy found in closet
This story contains descriptions of distressing circumstances involving children.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – A mother and her boyfriend were accused of causing the death of a 4-year-old-boy found dead in a basement closet on Monday.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department arrested Angel Lovely, 37, and Nicholas Bergdoll, 36, on preliminary charges of neglect of a dependent causing death. The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office by Friday had not filed formal charges.
A sibling found the 4-year-old dead on Monday, according to investigators. Lovely and Bergdoll were in the home at the time but told police they were asleep when he died.
Born premature with cerebral palsy, the 4-year old couldn’t walk, was nonverbal, and ate through a feeding tube. Lovely claimed she would rarely put the child in the closet, only “when he won’t stop screaming” or when she “needed a break.”
But when investigators interviewed Lovely’s three other children, they said that the boy “stays in the closet all day,” and that “mom locks him in the closet” and “does not pay attention to him.”
An exact cause of death hasn’t been determined, but the child was found with blood in his mouth. Lovely said he’d been aspirating.
One of Lovely’s children told investigators they heard the 4-year-old gagging but didn’t say anything because it wasn’t unusual.
A neighbor living on Monticello Drive, Michelle Johnson, told News 8, “It’s horrible. It breaks my heart.”
Johnson had seen the other children outside the home but never knew there was a boy in a wheelchair living there. She said if she suspected they were being neglected, she would have called police or the Indiana Department of Child Services.
“We’re supposed to be a village and raise kids together,” Johnson said. “That’s really heartbreaking.”
Bergdoll told police, according to the investigators’ report, that he didn’t agree with putting the child in the closet: “I am not going to tell her how to f****** raise her kids.”
“I’m sickened,” IMPD Public Information Officer Tommy Thompson told News 8 in an interview.
“Think about putting yourself in that situation. Every day, do you want to be in a closet? Locked up, no light?”
Court records show the Department of Child Services had removed the boy from Lovely’s care because of medical neglect, but she regained custody last year against DCS recommendations.
Thompson, the neighbor, hopes the tragedy can be an opportunity for others to speak up when they see a child who can’t speak up for themselves. “Maybe you’ve got to make that tough phone call. Reach out. The city has resources.”
Johnson wishes she would have known what was happening so she could have said something. “Children don’t have a voice and we’re supposed to be their voice.”
Help is available for victims of domestic violence, child abuse, and sexual assault. Below is a list of suggested resources, both national and local:
Indiana
Police arrest suspect in Westfield homicide
WESTFIELD, Ind. (WISH) — Police have arrested someone in connection to a homicide earlier this month in the Hamilton County city.
In a Friday night social media post, the Westfield Police Department announced the arrest but gave no details, including who was arrested or what preliminary charges the person may face.
“Due to the active nature of this case, limited details are available for release at this time,” the post said.
As WISHTV.com previously reported, James “Matt” Lushin, 47, was found dead shortly after 7:25 p.m. March 12 with trauma at his home in the 3900 block of Westfield Road, also known as State Road 32.
Social media posts from the scene showed police tape and emergency vehicles at a red brick house between Shady Nook Road and Gray Road.
Lushin’s obituary said the Kokomo native was a key partner with the real estate investment company, FLF Property. The obituary also said, “Matt was also a respected and accomplished member of the international poker community. He traveled the world competing in tournaments and built an impressive and successful career.”
Police have previously said the death was believed to be isolated, posing no ongoing threat.
Officials have not released a specific cause or manner of death.
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