My Top 10 of 2011
As tradition dictates, it’s time for me to do my top 10 list of political stories for the year. The criteria are the same as always, magnitude and impact. Ironically, it was a pretty easy list to put together. So with that said, here we go, in reverse order.
10. Richard Mourdock challenges Dick Lugar for the U.S. Senate and finds out while the Tea Party movement has a lot of energy, they don’t have a lot of money.
9. Republicans redraw state legislative and congressional maps making it hard to be a Democrat in Indiana.
8. State Democratic Dysfunction; the fight and previous hard feelings over the recent battle over State Chairman make it even harder to be a Democrat in Indiana.
7. State takes over failing IPS schools, the only people who object are the status quo who have an interest in maintaining an educational system that would make Jim Crow proud.
6. GOP candidates for President hit the Hoosier state, odds are the nominee will be back to consult with Mitch Daniels.
5. Local and State Pols behaving badly; this year was living proof that if you are a state or local official, a Republican or Democrat, if you behave badly there are consequences and repercussions and usually they involve a grand jury.
4. Split in the Black Church over the Mayor’s race; this item demonstrated three things. First, not all Black people think alike. Second , God doesn’t like it when preachers go out and race pimp. Third, if I ever decide to attend church regularly, it will be the one of David, not Goliath.
3. House Democrats Exit to Illinois in an effort to put the kibosh on “right to work” legislation. In the end, they got a temporary delay and along with some Democrats from Wisconsin, did their part to help the Illinois economy.
2. Mitch Daniels Declines to Run for President and by doing so makes the job of every political pundit that much easier and that much more difficult at the same time.
1. Greg Ballard Re-elected Mayor of Indianapolis; thus disproving the adage that nice guys finish last, for a second time.
