Political details are left to history

Some day, some future Hoosier historian will explain what the heck really happened this winter in Indiana politics.
For now, it’s anybody’s guess.
Did Sue Ellspermann initiate her departure from the job of lieutenant governor or was she pushed? And if she was pushed, was it because of friction with Gov. Pence, because of shortcomings in her job performance or because the governor thought he needed a different running mate when seeking re-election?
If she ends up as the next president of Ivy Tech Community College, is that position a golden parachute that was guaranteed for political reasons?
When did the notion of replacing Ellspermann with Eric Holcomb surface? And how did the three-way race for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate play into those discussions?
For now, nobody’s talking.
Ellspermann continues to be the good soldier, saying only good things about the governor, even though the process of booting her off the ticket leaves her out of a job, at least temporarily.
The governor, always tight lipped, isn’t saying anything that sheds light.
In other words, the whole thing is being handled with about as much grace and dexterity as the departure of Paul Ferguson as president of Ball State University.
Those of us on the outside know something happened. We just don’t know what.
And it could be years before anyone is prepared to speak candidly. Then the historians can fill us in. — J.R.