Lugar-Mourdock Post Mortem

Everything I read or see on television about the shellacking Dick Lugar took in the Primary is a bunch of hand-wringing over the Tea Party destruction of centrists in the Congress.

They haven't got a clue, or are once again trying to manage our perceptions to fit their own.

Talk all you want about Lugar's moderate voting record, that he's left of John McCain and only slightly right of the ladies from Maine.  That's not why he lost.

He lost because the citizens in Indiana found out he hasn't been in the state for 36 years.  Because he sold his house and moved to Washington when he was elected in the 70's.  And especially in recent years, was seldom seen or heard from by Hoosiers.

I may have been mistaken in my assumption that Senators are supposed to live in the state they represent. That Lugar did not is the reason he lost.

Not that the Tea Party and other national organizations that got behind Mourdock didn't have some effect on getting folks out to the polls.  But my prediction is that if all other factors had been exactly the same and Dick Lugar had a home in Indiana that he returned to most weekends, he would have again won his seat back easily.

The Gregg governor's campaign has siezed on this fundamental truth, and is trying it out on Mike Pence.  They're issuing press releases saying that Mike Pence is out of touch with Hoosiers because he's been living in Virginia for the last decade while serving as a congressman.  Problem is, Mike didn't give up his home and is seen back home frequently, especially since he started his campaign to replace Mitch Daniels. 

So Gregg's attempt to Lugarize Pence won't work.

Lugar's retired.  Not because of his voting record or his stated admiration for Barack Obama.  Because he's past retirement age and a creature of the DC beltway who disdains those hicks back in his home state.  It was sad to see his dripping disdain in his parting letter to the Hoosier constituents that decided to facilitate his retirement.  That bitter letter is beneath Dick's dignity, and he should have bowed out gracefully without the parting shots at us ignorant rubes.