Trail Recap

Another busy day Tuesday with events that stretched throughout the entire day.

First stop, the Indianapolis studios of WXNT, 1430-am. Abdul Hakim-Shabazz had me on to talk about my campaign, which is unusual. He often has me on as the opposition voice, as he did on the discussion on light rail. This time the purpose was to talk about the issues I am campaigning on, such as Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) voting machines, and an end to the gerrymandering of districts. Only had to suffer through a couple of calls asking about Federal issues that have nothing to do with the statewide office I'm running for. Abdul invited me back for another chat prior to the election.

Making a point on the "Abdul in the Morning" show.

After getting some business work done, I headed north towards South Bend, stopping at Rochester for an interview with Todd Hamm of the Rochester Sentinel. Again, I was talking about VVPAT, gerrymandering, and also the way any SOS candidate's results affect their party status. The article should run either today or tomorrow.

While the candidate forum was at IU South Bend, there was a distinct Notre Dame flavor to the event. This started with an interview with the South Bend Scholastic magazine.

The interviewer, Derek Snyder, asked a lot of questions that related to the Libertarian Party''s place at the policy table, and what students can do to be involved- especially if they are not Indiana residents, and thus inelligible to vote here.

There are many things students at Indiana colleges and universities can do, even if they cannot vote. They can staff the polling places, handing out palm cards and wearinig candidate t-shirts or lapel stickers. They can go door-to-door in support of local candidates. They can write letters to the newspapers on campus or in the nearby cities. They can organize their campus organizations. They can host Libertarian candidates to speak to their organization and to wider campus audiences. In sum, there are many things college students can do! An article will run with their next issue.

The big event was the Secretary of State's candidate forum at IU South Bend. There is a great deal that I could say about it, but I will keep it to highlights for now:

The event included four candidates, even write-in Bill Stant. I really enjoyed this aspect of the event, as these forums and debates too often exclude candidates who are on the ballot. Exclusion rips off the voters.

Four Secretary of State candidates, one room. From left: Joe Pearson (D), Mike Kole (L), Todd Rokita (R), Bill Stant (G).

It was interesting to hear Todd Rokita (R) and Joe Pearson (D) both talk about things that could lead to meaningful reform. Their positions sounded very much like my positions. Rokita surprised me when he picked up the gerrymandering issue. This is one Libertarians have been running on for years, but he took it and ran with it in detail- down to the formation of non-partisan boards to redraw the districts. Pearson backed VVPAT. Rokita has shown that the SOS can be a cheerleader for changes the legislature has to make. For all his fervor at this event, I don't recall him pushing Jerry Torr's bill to end gerrymandering during his tenure. It looks like my positions are being co-opted, and that's a sign of success.

It was surprising that the entire discussion focused on the Elections Division, to the exclusion of the Securities Division and the Business Services. I thought Rokita might go there, expecting that at least two of the other candidates have expressed more thoughts on Elections.

Due to having four candidates each with two minutes to respond to a question, we only got to eight questions. I felt that I left several excellent points up my sleeve, lying in wait. LPIN state chair Mark Rutherford advised me that it merely meant that I was well prepared.

All in all, this was a very good event. I wish there were more such forums and to wide audiences. It wasn't a debate, so claiming victory isn't applicable, but I was very, very satisfied with my performance and believe I made my mark this evening.

South Bend Tribune report.

Schedule Notes

Mon 9/25: Prep for radio and forum appearances. Fundraising calls in the evening.

Tue 9/26, 7-7:30am: Guest on "Abdul in the Morning" show on 1430-am WXNT to talk about the campaign and my issues. Those outside Central Indiana can listen online at www.wxnt.com

Tue 9/26, 6-8pm: Secretary of State candidates forum on the campus of IU South Bend. The incumbent and all challengers will be present. The moderators include Mike Collins, Jack Colwell, Beth Graham, Jim Wensits.

The event is free and open to the public. Supporters from northern Indiana are invited to this exciting event! Go to the Student Activities Center, Room 223, IU South Bend. Mapquest link.

This forum is sponsored by the Political Debate Club and Student Government Association of IU South Bend, the League of Women Voters of the South Bend Area, St. Joe Valley Project, Political Science Club, and American Democracy Project of Indiana University South Bend.

Lafayette Report

Three events in Lafayette & West Lafayette today, all very positive.

The first was an interview with the Purdue Exponent's Mike Westervelt. He asked questions related to the office I am seeking, which is always refreshing. Plus, he was interested to learn about the various rules and measures tied to the outcome of an Indiana Secretary of State candidate, plus the way the Primaries benefit the Rs & Ds. He indicated the article would run mid-next week.

From the Exponent, I went to WLFI TV-18, for an interview with Allysa Rossomme. Her questions related to both the office I am seeking and to the Libertarian Party generally, but also to ballot access issues in Indiana. She was also interested to learn about how appointments to offices are related to the outcome of an Indiana Secretary of State candidate. She was unsure of when the piece, a feature on Libertarians, would run.

Cracking jokes on the set with TV-18's Allysa Rossomme.

Two in a row. In fact it's fascinating to find that most reporters had no idea of the significance of the Secretary of State's race, but they are very interested to learn about it. I'm delighted to tell reporters about it. Interesting to note that clearly no Ds or Rs talk about it.

The final event was a dinner with Tippecanoe County supporters at the Little Mexico II restaurant. Excellent food! Great conversations, from midwives to charter schools, Casey Shoaf's campaign for Sheriff, and my campaign by and by. We passed out bumper stickers and yard signs, and noted commitments to work the polling places on Election Day. Big thanks to Randy Young for arranging the dinner on very short notice!

Tippecanoe County Libertarians surround me at dinner.

With a little time between events before dinner, I am pleased to note that I stopped at the XXX Root Beer stand near the Purdue campus. I love the myriad Purdue related photos crammed on the walls at the Triple-X. Excellent root beer in a frosted mug while reading an AJ Quinnell thriller is rather an excellent way to enjoy a rare spare half-hour. Eat your heart out, Michael Jarrell!

Friday Schedule

We're making a day in Lafayette today!

1:30 Interview with Purdue Exponent
3:30 Interview with WLFY TV-18
6:00 Dinner at Little Mexico II restaurant, 8 East Earl Avenue, Lafayette

All supporters are invited to come to Lafayette for dinner! We will have Kole yard signs and bumper stickers available.

Constitution Cafe Discussion

I thought I would never see the day when WXNT's Abdul Hakim-Shabazz had his comments kept to a minimum, but I saw it at Shapiro's this afternoon. Now we know who gets the words in edgewise with Abdul- Law Professors! Co-Host IU law professor Jeffrey Stake gave a lengthy intorduction to the subject, beginning with the origins of eminent domain in Roman society.

This discussion on eminent domain was a lively one. Some took a utilitarian best public good position, while others took the defense of the individual and property rights side. It was interesting to consider that while the Framers clearly allowed for eminent domain takings, and placed a restriction on it in the Fifth Amendment, it has taken 219 years and the Kelo v. New London case, plus the sheer volume of eminent domain cases, to get to where the states have been at long last proactive in writing laws to better define the restrictions on eminent domain takings.

I enjoyed the reaction Jim Hurst got from the event organizers. When Abdul pointed to Jim and declared him the eminent domain poster boy of the NK Hurst Company, the reaction was unabashed delight. I think one must be a vegetarian, because when Jim described the Hurst product line- 15 bean soup, lentils, etc.- she looked like a kid meeting Santa Claus.

Schedule Updates

Today, I will be attending one of this week's great "Constitution Cafe" series of presentations in celebration of Constitution Day, which commemorated the signing of the US Constitution 219 years ago. My great regret is that I could not attend them all. Check out My Daily Constitution, and get this- Free copies of the US Constitution will be distributed at all branches of the Marion County Library. This is simply an excellent program.

The event is a discussion on eminent domain. WXNT's Abdul Hakim-Shabazz co-hosts along with IU law professor Jeffrey Stake, at Shapiro's Downtown, 808 S. Meridian St., at Noon.

I joked with Jim Hurst that the location must certainly have been chosen for dramatic effect, being in line of sight with the NK Hurst Company property.

Tomorrow's scheduled event is an interview with WLFI-TV in Lafayette. Tippecanoe County Chair Randy Young is putting a dinner event toghether, so supporters in the region need to keep their Friday early evening social calendars clear. Look for more details later today!

Yard Signs- All members of the Kole Campaign Team have yard signs in the trunk of their cars. When you see me, Rob Place, or anyone else on the team, be sure to ask for and get your yard sign!

FOP Report

The Indiana Fraternal Order of Police is hosting candidate nights across the state as they gather information towards making endorsements of candidates.

I am very excited for the possibility that I might have earned the FOP's endorsement tonight.

Because I am not running for legislative office, there were no promises of voting in line with the FOP's position on things. However, I did express that it was my constant dismay that governments at the municipal, county, and state level all seem to have their priorities exactly backward. Indy and the State fought over control of the socialized football stadium, but when people notice we have a murder problem, funding the police is suddenly an idea whose time has come! As a Libertarian, I believe in very few functions for our governments, but public safety- police, along with fire, EMS, rescue, etc.- all should be fully funded, and funded first as top priority.

Many FOP members remarked to me afterwards that they thought my comments were 100% right on the money.

FOP has endorsed Libertarians in the past, such as Brad Klopfenstein and Richard Bees. I am very hopeful that I will be one of the next Libertarians to earn this distinction.

Letter in Noblesville Daily Times

I was pleased to see my letter printed today. Monday at 7pm is a time where there is incredible competition for my time. While I went up to rally the Fort Wayne Libertarians, I could have also gone to do the same for the Indianapolis Libertarians, or to the Indianapolis City-County budget meeting, or to the Fishers Town Council meeting.

I would have liked to have gone to the meeting in Fishers, as the hot topic was the possible ban on smoking on private property such as restaurants and bars. Unable to be in two places at once, I did the next best thing and sent a letter to the Noblesville Daily Times, who printed it today. Highlights:

Consider how a ban, or even entertaining a possible ban, actually plays out. It negates the property owner's ability to set policy on his property while allowing everyone else who does not own it to have first say. This is un-American and wrong.

Moreover, it's bad business. A uniform ban removes the edge those progressive business owners had when they voluntarily went smoke free. Also, smoking patrons will now have an incentive to take their business from the many restaurants and bars along Indiana 37 in Fishers up north to Noblesville, where there is no such ban.

I find these laws frustrating in that the public's response has been so muted thus far. Where is the defense of property rights? Why are the property rights of another so easily dismissed or ignored merely because your ox is not gored? Whatever happened to the live and live spirit a la Voltaire, that could suggest, "I do not smoke, nor do I promote smoking, but I'll defend your right to permit on your property"?

I'll look forward to the meeting with the public hearing. I hope I'm surrounded by citizens defending property rights rather than kids sent by the schools, as happened in Greefield.

Schedule

I will be attending the Fraternal Order of Police's meet the candidates event this evening, with an interest in earning their endorsement. This is possible- The FOP endorsed Brad Klopfenstein for City-County Council in 2003, when I was Brad's campaign manager. So, this is an event I have been looking forward to for some time.

Here's the upcoming schedule as we know it right now:

Tue 9/19, 6-9pm: Indiana FOP PAC Legislative Night, 1427 E. Washington St, Indianapolis
Fri 9/22: Interview with WLFI-TV, Lafayette
Sat 9/23, Noon: Pagan Festival, Broad Ripple Park.
Tue 9/26, 7-7:30am: Interview on Abdul In The Morning show, WXNT 1430-am, Indianapolis
Tue 9/26, 6-8pm: Secretary of State candidate forum, South Bend

Look for events to be added on the 19th & 26th in the areas we're travelling to.

Another Fort Wayne Stop

I sat in on the regular business meeting of the Allen County Libertarians last night at the Mad Anthony Brewery and Munchie Emporium.

Big thanks to Chairman Mike Sylvester for inviting me to make a presentation on the progress of the Campaign, and to distribute yard signs to those present. I definitely appreciate the support contributions made by the members!

Taking in discussions at the end of the meeting.

We discussed coordinating efforts between the Enders Campaign for House District 80 and the Kole Campaign, to direct volunteers to staff the polling places at each precinct in Robert's district, and to do joint advertising. We've already co-produced door hangers with Robert's image one side and mine on the other, and he's been getting them out, door-to-door, at the rate of 125/week.

Ice Cream Social In Hagerstown

Many thanks to Rex and Susan Bell for hosting an ice cream social/meet the candidates event at their home in Hagerstown. It was a pleasure to meet many of the Bells' acquaintances here, including many who live in homes built by Rex, his brother Ross, and his son. I teasingly went fishing for complaints against Rex's workmanship, and nobody would take the bait. These folks trust Rex completely. I think he could run as a Communist and get votes purely on the trust he has generated.

Other candidates present included Marvin Heacox (Clay Township Board), Cheryl Heacox (Clay Township Board), Juli Stout (Jefferson Township Board), Jon Bell (Indiana House, District 56), and Felix Aguilar (Indiana House, District 50).

Mike, with Felix Aguilar, and LPIN State Chair Mark Rutherford, at the Ice Cream Social.

Rex & Susan's front yard, on SR 38. Looks great with Libertarian signs!

Yard Signs Available!

Supporters have begun wanting yard signs, and we have them in stock now and ready for your front lawn or the front window of your business.

Isabel shows off her Daddy's sign

Contact Rob Place by email (rob@robertplace.com) to get a sign. Those volunteering to staff the polling places on Election Day should request two signs- one for home and another for entrance to the polling place.

Comcast Taping Notes

I received a couple of emails asking about the Comcast Candidate Show in Marion County. What did you talk about? When will it air? These are easy to answer!

Comcast Channel 72
Tuesday, October 17th, 7-9pm
Thursday, October 19th, 7-9pm
Saturday, October 21st, 7-9pm
Tuesday, October 24th, 7-9pm
Thursday, October 26th, 7-9pm
Saturday, October 28th, 7-9pm
Tuesday, October 31st, 7-9pm

Comcast tells us, "There will also be promotional spots on other more popular channels to draw viewers in". Sounds like an excellent plan.


Comcast Presentation Script

Hello, my name is Mike Kole.

I am the Libertarian candidate for Indiana Secretary of State.

As your Secretary of State, I will work to ensure fair elections, and to improve upon the dismal turnout we’ve seen in recent years at the polls.


We need to end the practice of gerrymandering districts to protect incumbents.

Did you know that 44 of the 100 House seats will be unopposed this November?

And that 9 of the 25 Senate seats will also be unopposed?

This is the result of gerrymandering- drawing districts to ensure that Democrats will win some seats, Republicans will win others, leaving them to contest just a handful. It leaves voters uninterested in elections, and makes elected officials unaccountable. It leaves independent voters without a choice.

Gerrymandering is bad for representative government, and needs to be ended.


Hoosiers need to have faith in our voting machines.

That’s why I support using machines that produce a voter verifiable paper audit trail.

It’s a shame our state spend millions of dollars buying machines that are not equipped with this available technology.

Voter verifiable paper audit trail machines have a printed paper that accompanies the electronic voting. The voter can see that the votes match on paper and on the screen. They leave the voting booth confident that their vote was accurately tallied.

As Secretary of State, I will lobby the legislature to purchase machines with this technology.


Hoosiers need to be encouraged to vote in our elections.

The turnout for the 2006 Primaries was embarrassing, with a mere 23% of voters casting ballots statewide.As the top elections official, the Secretary of State should actively urge Hoosiers to vote.The current Secretary of State spent $1.2 million in ads promoting voter ID, but spent nothing urging Hoosiers to vote. That’s a case of misplaced priorities. Let's make sure Hoosiers are getting to the polls first, then we can worry about checking the ID.

Per Indiana Election Law, the Libertarian Party of Indiana’s ballot status is tied to my outcome in this race. If you believe in smaller government and lower taxes, and you find that the other parties fail to deliver this to you, or if as an independent voter the Republicans and Democrats do not represent your views, please cast your vote for me to ensure that the Libertarian Party stays on Indiana ballots for the next four years.

On November 7th, please vote for me, Mike Kole, Libertarian for Secretary of State.


It wasn't like buying TV time, where you have complete direction control, so I'll look forward to seeing how this came off, and how my presentation stacks up against the other candidates.

Report From The Trail

No, not the Adirondack Trail, sadly. I'm so glad we took the family trip to the Adirondacks in August, because rumor is I will get to sleep a little bit over the next two months. It's just a rumor so far.

That's good, though! It means I'm very busy campaigning and sitting down with the media.

Tuesday: Met with the Indy Star Editorial Board, comprised of columnists Jane Lichtenberg and Dan Carpenter, plus Editorial writer Tim Swarens. This went very well. Carpenter has developed a keen interest in ballot access issues, and I have plenty to say about that. All three were interested in my position on the gerrymandering of districts in Indiana. I almost felt that the time wasn't contentious enough. Could it mean an endorsement? I'll be eager to see what is fit to print in the Star's candidate guide.

I later met with Nikki Kelly of the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, down in the Statehouse basement. She really covered a lot of ground with her questions, including much about my reactions to the current Secretary of State's performance, recent press conferences and statements. I had some fun commenting on the Securities Division's new Newlyweds' Guide. I will also look forward to see what Ms. Kelly writes as the election draws nearer.

That evening, I attended a sloppy joe supper to benefit the Concerned Citizens of Home Place, who are fighting Carmel's unwanted attempt to forcibly annex the area. Isabel was a big hit eating sloppy joes. I was delighted to see Matt Milam wearing an NK Hurst "I Helped Save The Bean Plant" t-shirt. He gets the correlation between forced annexation and eminent domain abuse both as affronts to property rights and self-determination. Met many residents who were pleased to know that there are candidates who support their position. Also ran into David Orentlicher, the Representative for House Distrct 86. I had a great conversation with him, asking if he would be willing to sponsor legislation outlawing the practice of forced annexation in our state, and he said that he would! I would love for Libertarians to back David and any other legislators who will sponsor such law, as we did with the eminent domain law put forward by Dave Wolkins in the House and Senator Jeff Drozda.

Wednesday: Comcast was taping candidate presentations that will be aired systemwide on a program featuring the candidates who will be on the Marion County ballot. With my radio background, I'm always confident in my spoken delivery. TV's a different game, though. On my first take, I was a little too focused on my TV delivery and tripped over a word. I felt the overall result was 95% right, so I asked if I could do a second take. Comcast agreed, so I ran through again. I really nailed it this time. Problem was, the videotape ran out as I finished my last sentence! This brought huge laughs in the studio, and I was given another take, which I was happy with.

The Indy Chamber Hob Nob event happened later in the evening, and unfortunately, it was crafted to spotlight the candidates for Marion County Prosecutor. It's an important position to be sure, but the narrow focus on the few contests that are extremely close leaves me flat. The other offices are no less important, and with the focus off so many races, the public is missing out on important and interesting dialogue. The opportunity to meet Chamber business owners and so many media personalities cannot be topped. I really enjoyed speaking with and campaigning to these folks. I met the Democratic candidate for SoS for the first time, which is pretty astonishing when I think that I've been to nearly 200 events. Actually, I encountered would-be Green Party candidate Bill Stant more times this year than the 'D' and 'R' combined: 3 to 1.

After the Hob Nob, I joined the monthly Libertarian After Hours party a few blocks over at Bearno's. There was still a group of about 15 left when I got there, and conversation covered a wide range of topics, from Iraq to religion to all the nutty conspiracy theories proliferating about the events of September 11. We could really distribute a lot of tinfoil hats, I'm afraid.

Side Note: I was really disappointed at two things that happened at the Hob Nob. Someone made off with my display of golf balls towards the end of the night, even though I posted a sign saying that they were for display only. Also, someone trashed my display, using Democrat Joe Pearson's materials to cover all of mine. I have no belief whatsoever that any of Joe's people did this. I don't get why supporters of one political party would do something as childish and cowardly as to trash the materials of the candidates of two other parties. It really speaks poorly of whomever did it. This was the first time that anyone has treated me with disrepect on the trail in over two years of campaigning. I was really surprised and disappointed.

Busy Two Days

Tuesday and Wednesday will be very busy and important days for the campaign:

Tue 9/12, 10am: Meeting w/ Indy Star editorial board
Tue 9/12, 1pm: Meeting w/ Fort Wayne Journal Gazette
Wed 9/13, 10am: Taping for Comcast (Central IN) Candidate Show
Wed 9/13, 5pm: Indy Chamber Hob Nob

I'll be working to earn the endorsement of the newspapers in these meetings. The Comcast taping is for a 2-minute presentation that will be shown repeatedly on the candidate show that cable system is airinig frequently in the run-up to the elections. The Hob Nob is one of the biggest political events of any election season, with more candidates for office from central Indiana in one room than at any other time.

I'm glad that I've pretty much gotten over the cold that has dogged me over recent days. Nobody presents well with the sniffles and a nasal voice. I will present well tomorrow and Wednesday!

Update: Add to Tuesday's line-up a visit to the Sloppy Joe Supper fundraiser held in support of the Home Place property owners fighting Carmel's attempt to forcibly annex them. 5:30-7:00pm, at the Orchard Park Presbyterian Church at the corner of 106th & Westfield.

Libertarian Candidate Tracker

The national Libertarian Party has a new feature on its website, the Candidate Tracker. It ranks all the Libertarian candidates across the country in terms of their activity, scoring based on funds raised, public appearances, TV & print article appearances, and others.

Currently, the Kole Campaign is ranked #2 in the country! Click here to check the Tracker! Dr. Eric Schansberg, candidate for US Congress in Indiana District 9, is ranked #4.

Cambridge City Report

It was a Sunday afternoon delight to be among Wayne County Libertarians, including several candidates for office, marching in the Cambridge City Days parade. Among the local candidates: Cheryl Heacox and Marvin Heacox, both running for Township Board; Rex Bell for Indiana House 56; Jon Bell for Indiana House 54.

About 20 Libertarians marched and handed out candy to kids along the route. For my part, I ran back and forth across the National Road (US 40) and shook hands with everyone.

Big thanks to Rex Bell for the invitation to march, and to Ray Blevins and Marvin Heacox for carrying my banner along the route!

Shakin' Hands Flu

Sooner or later, I knew this would happen. If you shake hands with 1,000 people on any given day, you run the risk of picking up a cold. The law of averages finally caught up with me, and I now have Candidate Flu. Fortunately, I do not have any events planned for the next two days, so I can rest. The upside is that I have time to fill out more candidate questionnaires.

Fort Wayne Notes

Another day, another garage sale. This time, the Allen County Libertarians staged a sale at Foster Park. Turnout was very heavy with many deadly serious bargain hunters at work. I was able to talk politics with many inbetween finding deals.

TV-15 WANE sent a camera to cover the event, and aired segments in the afternoon and evening.

Jack Evans ran an excellent kitchen! I bought some of his homemade blueberry-lime jam!

Many thanks to Doug Horner, Jack & Hilary Evans, Mike & Karena Sylvester, and Mike Stacy for inviting me to this event!

Hagerstown Report

Rex & Susan Bell hosted their fifth annual garage sale this weekend, and it was another large event. The areas on and around SR 38 through Henry and Wayne Counties have huge garage, yard, and barn sales, and the Bells take part, with the whole extended family.

With Hannah and Grandpa Rex Bell. Love Hannah's onesie!

I was relieved of cotton candy making duties this year, and left just to greet bargain hunters and discuss Libertarian politics with those so inclined.

Many were so inclined. Many cited disappointment with the Republicans since Mitch Daniels took office. They repeatly expressed the expectation that taxes would be lower. Many pointed to the big cash windfall from Major Moves and the eagerness to spend it, rather than return it to the taxpayers. I spoke less here than at any event in recent weeks. I didn't have to. I just kept listening and nodding in agreement.

Actually speaking, with folks from Henry County. Thanks to Rex for the picture.

The Wayne County Libertarians have always done well at the ballot box. I expect that will continue this November, with their best returns ever.

Big thanks to Rex & Susan, Ross, Gayle Bond, Cheryl & Marvin Heacox, and everyone else. I appreciate the consistent effort of the Wayne County folks, and appreciate their support of my campaign as well!