What if I ran for governor of Indiana?
Well, it’s official. Donald Trump has announced his running-mate. Indiana governor, Mike Pence, isn’t running for re-election anymore. He hopes to become our next Vice President. So it’s guaranteed that Hoosiers are going to choose a new governor this November. But who’s going to replace him?
John Gregg?
Representative Todd Rokita?
Representative Susan Brooks?
Lieutenant Governor Eric Holcomb?
…
me?
…
Like many Hoosiers, I held my nose when I entered the voting booth during primary season. I’m not sure if there were any candidates I was happy to support. I found myself voting against candidates instead of for candidates in many of the races. And those who ran for their nomination unopposed? I didn’t vote for anyone who didn’t have someone running against them. This state is full of too many great people to leave the decision-making to just a handful of people. This state has extremely smart people who can think outside the box and get things done. There’s a lot of common sense in Indiana. Why do we leave government in the hands of just a few people, many of whom are beholden to special interests instead of the concerns of Jack and Diane in Everytown, Indiana?
So I left my polling place feeling kind of disgusted. I fully believe in the potential of American democracy. It’s a beautiful thing. But we’ve let much of our government fall into the hands of an oligarchy that’s bought and supported by Big-Fill-In-The-Blank (Oil, Pharma, Hollywood, Climate, you name it, there’s a Big label for it). And that’s not OK.
Maybe it’s my fault.
So after I voted, I started to wonder if maybe I was partially to blame? Well, not just me, but all of us who might be considered Jack or Diane Hoosier. Maybe we’re to blame because we’ve abdicated our responsibility. There’s a good portion of citizens in Indiana who would be great civil servants. But, for whatever reason, none of us have. And so we’re left holding the bag with less-than-exciting choices to lead our State and Federal governments.
Is now the time?
So now there’s this tiny window of opportunity that presents itself. With Governor Pence leaving the governor’s race, the Republican nomination is now up for grabs. What if a non-establishment candidate, someone who isn’t bogged down by the insane politics we’ve experienced recently and can possibly bring some common sense and unity back to the State of Indiana threw his or her hat in the ring? I love our state. The longer I’m here, the more I love the people I can call my neighbors. And I want to see Indiana great again. So maybe I should listen to myself and take my own advice. I’ve told other people that if they don’t like the choices they see in the voting booth, then they should do something about it. Maybe that means they should run.
But maybe I should listen to myself. Maybe instead of telling everyone else they should do something about the choices by running for public office, maybe I should practice what I’m preaching.
Should I run for governor of Indiana?
Remember when Pat Buchanan left the Republican Party and ran for President as a member of the Reform Party? I do. OK, I really don’t remember much about his campaign or what he stood for, but I do remember that he presented himself as political outsider as he left the GOP.
And he had a catchy slogan: “Go Pat Go.”
As I’m contemplating this run for governor of the State of Indiana, I’ve settled on two slogans to help me with my decision. I’d really like your help in deciding whether to make this run.
If you think I should throw caution to the wind and toss my hat into the ring and run for Governor of Indiana in 2016, tweet something with the hashtag #GoMattGo. I know. It’s such a witty play off of Mr. Buchanan’s slogan.
[tweetthis]Matt Todd for Governor of Indiana! #GoMattGo![/tweetthis]
If you think I should not attempt to become the Republican candidate, then tweet something with the hashtag #NoMattNo. I know. I’m so creative. Right?
[tweetthis]Please don’t run for Governor of Indiana, Matt! #NoMattNo![/tweetthis]
Or you can leave your opinion in the comments section of this post. But please be respectful. No name calling in regards to other candidates. This post will be highly moderated and there will be a zero-tolerance policy.
Time is running out. I think the Indiana Republican Party has to make a decision very, very soon. I don’t have time to form an exploratory committee or anything like that. I don’t have a platform established. And I definitely don’t have the money to mount a campaign. This would have to be a major grassroots effort to convince the bigwigs in charge of the Indiana GOP to choose me over some well-established candidates.
With all of that considered, I plan on announcing a decision by Wednesday afternoon.
I know you’ll be on the edge of your seat in anticipation of this announcement. I know I will be.
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