Another look at Lugar dynamic

To the editor:
Now that Democrat Joe Donnelly is entering the 2012 Senate race, Jack Ronald, editor and publisher of The Commercial Review, has written an interesting editorial on the dynamics of the election.
Like many looking at Lugar from the left, Jack feels that his willingness to compromise has “endeared Sen. Lugar to independent voters and moderate Democrats.”
He feels that strident Tea Party voices from the right have called for Lugar’s retirement, and that a Richard Mourdock primary win would “alienate many less-ideologically driven Republicans who have been proud to have Lugar as their Senator.”
Therefore, if Mourdock wins the primary, a pro-gun moderate Democrat could beat him.
I feel that the dynamic is just the opposite.
Lugar is popular in Indiana precisely because the majority of Hoosiers are totally ignorant of his voting record. A majority of Republican County chairmen have joined with the Tea Parties in supporting Mourdock because they know Lugar’s record.
These chairmen are not the “strident right” and Mourdock, who won election with 62 percent of the vote, is no Sharon Angle.
Once Lugar’s record becomes public knowledge he will lose the support of his base and his only chance in the primary will be crossover votes from his Democrat supporters.
History shows that when you run a wishy-washy left leaning Republican against a liberal Democrat claiming to be a moderate the Democrat usually wins. A rabid anti-gun Lugar who has lost his base against a pro-gun moderate Donnelly could become a Democrat win.
When Bush was president liberals, moderates, independents, and conservatives opposed the $500 billion deficits that Lugar voted for. Under Obama liberals have rediscovered the joys of big spending, but moderates, independents, conservatives, the Tea Parties, and some Republican Senators are still serious about needing a smaller government.
On his 2006 project vote smart questionnaire Lugar said he supported cap and trade that would drastically increase Hoosier electric rates.
He voted to ration political speech within 60 days of an election in the unconstitutional Campaign Finance law. He voted to confirm the three most left wing extremist justices on the Supreme Court. He voted for amnesty and social security for illegal aliens. And he voted to ban my incandescent light bulbs.
Hoosiers were proud of the conservative they elected 34 years ago, but few are aware of the kind of Senator he has become.
Stephen Erwin
Portland[[In-content Ad]]