Do Endorsements Matter?
The usual answer to that question is “no.” Until today. The Indianapolis Fraternal Order of Police is doing endorsements this week. On Monday officers gave thumbs up to Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi, Republican Sheriff Candidate Steve Davis and Angela Cypress, the candidate for Recorder. Like I said, if this were any other year the response would be “big deal.” But this year is no big deal.
This year we’ve seen nearly 120 homicides. (There’s a report someone was recently shot died in the hospital.) This is the worst homicide rate since 1998. Add to that the perception that government is out of touch (i.e., the Controversy in the Coroner’s Office, City-County Councilmember Ron Gibson’s run-in with the law, public safety being used as a political football, etc. etc.) And can you see why law and order might be on a lot of people’s minds. People worried about crime tend to support law enforcement. So having law enforcement’s support is probably a good thing to have.
Now taken in context, not all the FOP’s membership voted and a number of them have an axe to grind with Mayor Bart Peterson and Sheriff Frank Anderson. However, at the end of the day, if I were a candidate running at a time when crime was nearing an all-time high I’d rather have the FOP’s endorsement, than not.
