What are we doing here? It’s less than 5 months to Election Day and people are wondering what to believe. My perspective comes from the inside of a very active Congressional campaign and of being at the front watching people, hearing opinions and seeing the political climate in Indiana is truly a privilege. I’ve been introduced to an amazing variety of people and places.
There seems to be a very big question mark floating above people’s heads like cartoon bubbles, wondering what to believe and hardly believing what they see and hear. It’s so obvious when listening to others and what their concerns are that people are really asking questions about what effects them with an earnestness that I don’t think I’ve seen before.
From what I’ve observed, there are more and more people asking questions, a lot of them for the first time. They are vocal and growing in numbers and first timers, newbies in fact to the topic of Politics.
I think it’s the real happenings that are making people question, “What is going on?” Illegal wiretapping, the government checking out people’s bank records for the past 5 years without anyone’s knowledge. Cuts in essential funding to things like, I don’t know…MEDICARE?? Cuts to Student grants while Colleges and Universities are raising their tuitions. Basic fundamentals like public education (elementary schools for one example) not being able to meet their basic obligations like employing teachers, lunch programs for the disadvantaged and forget about frivolous things like Music class or Art classes. There are so many lay offs of teachers and outsourcing of jobs in many industries and I mean OUTSOURCING like our Prisons, Hospitals and Roadways. The funny thing is, there was an announcement this morning that Honda is building a plant in Greensburg, IN and will employ 1500 people, while the opportunity of employment is a great thing, however, the economic climate in this area as well as surrounding states are in such a weak and critically poor condition that they are expecting people from Louisville, KY, Cincinnati and Dayton, OH and parts of Michigan or Illinois. 1500 jobs when you think of it, yes are a great thing especially in our district but when there have been upwards of 7,000 more FAMILIES living UNDER the poverty level since 2000 in our District alone doesn’t seem to be that big of a number. The fact that people are willing to drive 4 hours to get a factory job in another state is the reality of our world. It’s like this all over not just in our district; people are worried for their kids, their grandchildren, and their own future. Many, I suspect, are not just doing a lot of questioning this election cycle but really questioning the “deal” that the current administration has been giving them and a great many are realizing they have a HUGE case of buyer’s remorse.
I’ve been learning a lot about what people are looking for in their elected officials and I say keep at it, make them accountable and never let them become complacent. They are supposed to represent us, serve our best interests as constituents. My husband Barry Welsh is the Congressional Candidate in Indiana’s 6th District and I’m very proud to be his wife. I don’t think I would have been so aware if it had not been for Barry running his campaign, the more I learn the more I can help. Barry learned this long ago; I’m just beginning to figure it out.
This is my diary and it is not vetted through the Campaign, but just a perspective of what I’ve been able to observe close up in an active Congressional Campaign.
Thank you for taking the time to read this diary.
Sincerely,
Sherri Welsh
Yes we see it every day. And not just those of us who are as closely linked to a campaign as you are. People are asking. How sincerely we connect to all these people may very well make the difference in the fall.
Keep up the great work.
Too true, your absolutely right, it’s not just apparent to those in the “thick of it” in an active campaign that see what’s going on. Yes, sincerely connecting does make a difference and it has had an impact on me in a very positive way.
Thank you for your observations and your encouragement.
Sherri
Hi Sherri,
So good to see you once again. I am so glad that you are out there talking to the people. That is very educational once one can actually listen to them..
I wish you lots of luck in your winning the race. I know that your husband is a good leader and cares much about the ppl. Thanks again for coming here and talking to us. You lesson learned is a good one too. Hugs.
Thanks so much for the very kind words, we are doing all that we humanly do to meet other people from the district, getting Barry’s face, name and message out to others.
Your right, meeting people is truly a learning experience, facinating and at times really heartwrenching.
Thank you for the hugs, too.
Sherri
Is there any polling data for your district out yet?
Polling on the IN-6 race thanks to Yoss at People Powered Polling.
And hello from the IN-9th down south, Sherri. Keep up the great work! Pence needs to go! BTW, I dropped a little something for Barry at ActBlue several days ago. Not much, I know, but every bit helps, as I’ve seen in my own little county campaign this spring.
Wow, how cool! Thank you for the great encourging words and for the hello and best wishes and very much for the contribution. We very much appreciate it.
I don’t think Barry has seen the numbers from this poll. Thanks for letting us know.
Sherri
Yeah, the campaign has done an informal poll, and Barry blogged about it. There is a group that is working on open source polling and Barry’s campaign is to be the prototype of the poll. From what we’ve been hearing the Republicans don’t have numbers to brag about or talk about for that matter. The attitude of the people on the ground and those that have contacted the campaign thru email or in person is exciting and keeps the campaign motivated.
Sherri