Not An Endorsement, But...

The Indianapolis Star issued its endorsement for Secretary of State this morning. While they continue to seemingly give the nod to the front-runners, they did have this to say about me:

Libertarian Mike Kole is a thoughtful representative of his party. He should easily win the minimum number of votes needed to ensure a spot on the ballot for Libertarians in future elections.

32 positive words. That's major progress from a paper that was openly hostile to us in April and in years past. I am pleased that the Star's Editorial Board included this comment, and hope it is read far and wide, because they haven't held back on negative comments in their endorsements this year. They trashed the Republican and Democratic candidates for US House in District 7 because they deserved a good trashing.

The Libertarian Party of Indiana has worked hard on its credibility. This is a small result, but one that I believe helps pave the way for endorsements and better treatment in the media overall.

Radio Alert

Be sure to tune in to WXNT 1430-am on Wednesday morning at 8am. Jim Hurst & I will be guests on the "Abdul in the Morning" show to talk about the Kole Campaign "Beanefit" Bean Supper.

Those outside the Indianapolis area can listen online. Click here!

Support Needed For Radio

We need to get 420 radio ads purchased. They cost around $4,500. These 1-minute ads will be aired on 28 radio stations across Indiana. The same kind of ads were key to doubling the ballot access threshhold tied to the Secretary of State's race in 2002.

Click here to contribute. Even a $10 donation buys an ad.

Remember: Libertarian Party ballot access depends on my outcome. If I come in first or second in any given county (a distinct possibility!) Libertarians get appointments to boards and commissions like Board of Zoning Appeals.

Here's the list of stations:

Anderson WHBU-AM 1240
Aurora WXCH-FM 103.1
Aurora WSCH-FM 99.3
Bedford WBIW-AM 1340
Berne WZBD-FM 92.7
Boonville WBNL-AM 1540
French Lick WFLQ-FM 100.1
Hardinsburg WKLO-FM 96.9
Huntingburg WBDC-FM 100.9
Kendallville WAWK-AM 1140
Loogootee WRZR-FM 94.5
Madison WORX-FM 96.7
Madison WXGO-AM 1270
Michigan City WEFM-FM 95.9
Monticello WMRS-FM 107.7
Oxford WIBN-FM 98.1
Paoli WUME-FM 95.3
Portland WPGW-FM 100.9
Portland WPGW-AM 1440
Rensselaer WRIN-AM 1560
Rochester WROI-FM 92.1
Santa Claus WAXL-FM 103.3
Seymour WQKC-FM 93.7
Sullivan WNDI-AM 1550
Sullivan WNDI-FM 95.3
Wabash WKUZ-FM 95.9
Washington WAMW-AM 1580
Washington WAMW-FM 107.9

Click here to contribute. Help us spread the Libertarian message and reach our goals!

Thursday Trail Report

This was another day that was a whirlwind of travel and interviews. Dan Drexler was my driver and road strategist. The first interview was with Kevin Keith of White River Broadcasting. The interview was for WCSI, but was likely to have portions additionally aired on the three other Indiana stations in the network.

On the air with Kevin Keith, WCSI-Columbus.

This was a 15-minute interview that covered the usual topics- Libertarian Party ballot status and the Elections Division, especially gerrymandering and voter verified paper audit trail voting machines. This interview has been posted at the Kole Campaign website in three files. Listen now!

Next stop was Seymour and a visit to the offices of the Tribune. I sat down with reporter Aubrey Woods, who noted more than once that I was the only candidate of any party, of any statewide race, who stopped at their offices this election season. I've been hearing that a lot, as will be seen.

The gerrymandering issue resonated with Mr. Woods, as all of the Statehouse candidates with districts that include Jackson County are running unopposed. From Woods' Tribune article:

One of the issues Kole said he believes the secretary of state's office needs to tackle is voting machines that can be trusted.

"I want to see an auditable voter verification paper trail audit system," Kole said. That system would allow voters to review their choices before making them final."

Grocery stores and other retailers allow you to see what you are buying, on the screen and on paper," Kole said. "Why can't we do this with our votes?"

Kole said such a move would serve to eliminate some of the distrust voters have with present systems.

He would also eliminate gerrymandering of districts because they ensure the election of officials and hold down voter turnout because elections are seen as a foregone conclusion.

The last stop was in Charlestown for the Clark County Farmers Bureau candidate forum.

Mike stands alone among statewide candidates.

The event started with the top of ticket. Eric Schansberg was there, but was not given an opportunity to speak. The Farm Bureau is not a Federal PAC, so it was not giving Federal candidates such as Schansberg the floor. Funny what campaign finance "reform" is doing to quiet discourse in America. This left Secretary of State candidates as the top of ticket. I was the only one to show, which cause room-wide snickering. I found that interesting, because the room was filled with Republican and Democratic partisans.

At any rate, I had the floor to myself. Again, I presented my platform of promoting higher turnout, and end to gerrymandering, and the use of VVPAT machines.

The New Albany News & Tribune not the presence of Schansberg & Kole- and the absence of their opponents. From David Mann's report:

The one federal candidate who showed up — 9th District Libertarian congressional candidate Eric Schansberg — joked that there might have been more candidates than regular voters at the event.

But Schansberg was just there to shake hands. Others got a chance to tell those attending what they were all about.

Here’s what a few of them had to say:

Libertarian Mike Kole was the only candidate for Secretary of State to make it to the forum.

Kole said he’s been traveling around the state at such forums and has been noticing that his opponents are not showing up. “It’s a real shame,” he said. And it speaks to voter disinterest.

Being a candidate is not simply the act of putting your name on a piece of paper, he said, but it’s a duty for the candidate to get out and meet the people who might be voting for them.

I've long held The Woody Allen Rule as my personal motto: "90% of success is simply showing up." There is a long-term lesson here for Libertarian candidates. Reporters still cover the top of ticket with the greatest attention. If we show up, and they don't, we get the coverage.

It is clear that the Ds & Rs have indeed created a game that allows them to concede that certain offices will be held by one or the other, leaving them to fight over just a small handful of offices. Observe the Democrats' cynical ploy this year for Indiana- back three Congressional races and the Marion County Prosecutors race; do the minimums elsewhere and suck up votes from your base for nothing. They didn't even bother to run a candidate for US Senate!

Alongside this, candidates from both "major" parties are only cherry-picking events. They attend if it's close to home, or in Indianapolis, or a large media event. It is the norm to not see a single other statewide candidate where I appear, not the exception. I've only seen the Republican incumbent twice all year. Twice! And I've been to over 180 events this year.

Wednesday Trail Report, Part 2

(The original post was too big for Blogger to post all the pictures!)

Yard signs in Kokomo. Dean's property and neighbors.

We left Ned's Corner Pub for Cedar Crest Lanes. The owner here has collected over 750 signatures of their patrons in protest of Kokomo's ban.

Kokomo clearly didn't ask the patrons. Bowling alley employees hold signed petitions.

Cedar Crest even has two sets of doors to seperate their bar from the bowling area. Prior to the ban, they created special smoke-free days and times, but report that this voluntary change in policy failed to attract crowds, otherwise they may have embraced it. They know who their customers are.

Kole yard signs outside the bowling alley.

We stopped at an IHOP on US 31 that had built in a separate smoking section that had its own ventilation system and had a door to close it off from the no-smoke section. This didn't make the grade with Kokomo, so IHOP simply keeps the door shut and the lights off in this section. It is completely unused. There is a newspaper in Kokomo that is missing a major news story, I tell you.

After Kokomo, we went over to Huntington for a dinner. Guests included Felix Aguilar (candidate for Indiana House District 50), and Doug Horner, host of the Fort Wayne TV show "Libertarian Perspectives". We talked campaign strategy at first, and then it all got very philosophical. I think Felix and Doug may have hung around for several hours after Kyle & I left.
Last stop was at the Indiana Wesleyan University campus in Marion, where the IWU College Libertarians invited me to speak at their regular meeting. This was my second meeting with this group, and they are as enthusiastic and active as ever. I was very grateful to have several students sign up to work polling places on election day. Most (about 90%) are from states other than Indiana, so we spent a good deal of time talking about the LP affiliates in their home states. Enjoying the discussion in one of IWU's great sofas.

Libertarian candidate for US House, District 5 Sheri Conover Sharlow also appeared and spoke. We enjoyed the hospitality shown by the IWU CLs, and the cozy setting.

Home late for a few hours sleep, a few hours of business work, and back to the trail! Thursday would be spent in Southern Indiana.

Wednesday's Report

Now this is the campaign trail! New LPIN executive director Kyle McDonald would be with me all day. We started in Lebanon, to meet with Rod Rose of the Lebanon Reporter. The Reporter carries southern Indiana libertarian Debbie Harbeson's regular column.

Rod knew quite a lot about our ballot access issues, and we discussed those items at leangth. He asked for my take on the GOP illegal immigration plan, and then we returned to my platform of Secretary of State issues. I'll look forward to seeing what is published.

Heading out of the interview with Rod Rose. A great interview and fun to see the old front pages throughout the offices.

From Lebanon, we went to Frankfort, for a sit down with the Frankfort Times reporter Marci Wright. This interview was very in-depth on the various outcomes related to the SOS results, ranging from the ballot status to the appointments to boards and commissions at the county and municipal levels, and also my platform points.

Frankfort Times reporter Traci Wright gets the details about our non-competitive elections.

Kyle & I zipped quickly from Frankfort to Kokomo, so that we could meet with a variety of business owners who are feeling the sting of their city's recently imposed smoking ban. As usual, we learned that the city council did not seek the input of business owners, their employees, or patrons, instead relying on the lobbyists who promote such bans. The most interesting comment to come out of this, "Haven't we shuttered enough businesses in Kokomo yet?" Apparently, this predictable effect never crossed the minds of the council members who voted in favor.

With Dean, the owner of Ned's Corner Pub

Dean advised me that his business may not make it through 2007. It has been open since 1964. He said it's goofy to see, but often times there will be more people standing around in the parking lot (the "outdoor smoking section") than there are inside the bar. True to form, he echoed the too-common theme that government doesn't listen. We urged him to make them listen by replacing them. We advised that the Libertarian Party will be delighted to run candidates in 2007 that specifically target city council that vote for policy that cripples small businesses.

(See Part 2 for continuation...)

Trail Notes

My apologies for the lack of updates the last few days. Believe me, I wasn't slacking off.

Look shortly for a report on Wednesday's activities, which included stops in Lebanon, Frankfurt, Kokomo, Huntington, and Marion. Thursday took us to Columbus, Seymour and Charlestown (Clark County). There are lots of great pictures to share and interesting tales to tell!

Coming Soon!

Check back here shortly. There will be a major event announcement from the Kole Campaign very soon. You will want to attend.

Lafayette Signs

I recently received these photos from Tippecanoe County chair Randy Young.

The owner of the Little Mexico II restaurant in Lafayette stands with a Kole yard sign after Libertarians dined there Friday 9/22. We spoke with him about our positions on small business, and in opposition to food & beverage taxes and forced smoking bans.

The Kole sign in the window of the restaurant, Sat 9/23.

Big thanks to Randy, and to photographer Dan Church!

Still #2!

A recent check of the Libertarian Party's nationwide candidate tracker still shows the Kole Campaign as the second-most vigorous Libertarian campaign in the USA! Not Indiana, the entire United States.

Bob Smither has a huge lead over me, but with all the activity and press coverage we have lined up for the home stretch, I may catch him yet.

I'm very proud of this ranking. This is a very real and active campaign, that has had me at more public appearances than the Republican and Democrat combined.

More Trail Updates

Coming Up:

Sunday, October 8, Bloomington: Fundraiser for Mike Kole, hosted by Margaret Fette and Paul Ehrstein at their home, 1135 N Logan Rd Bloomington, In 47404 . Margaret and Paul throw fabulous parties, and I'm sure this will be no exception. It's a pitch-in, and the suggested donation is $25. I'll look forward to seeing my Monroe County and 9th District friends, as well as others from around the state.

Kindly RSVP by calling 812-360-8873. Be there at Noon to go door-to-door for Mike. Pitch-in is from 2-6pm. Be sure to pick up your Kole yard signs there, too!

The Purdue Exponent ran an article today on the varying platforms of the three ballotted candidates for Secretary of State. I was especially delighted to observe how the Exponent writer noted how the incumbent has picked up one of my top issues- the gerrymandering of districts- and has tried to make it his own. From the Exponent article:

Mike Kole, the Libertarian candidate, said one of the number one issues for him is gerrymandering ? the drawing of political districts for the purpose of ensuring certain election outcomes.

"Gerrymandering ensures two things for citizens, both of them bad," Kole said. He said it ensures a low voter turnout because the elections are viewed as a foregone conclusion; the outcome is predicted. Without challenges at the ballot box, voters tend not to listen to their constituents, Kole said. (Should read "elected officials tend not to listen..." -MK)

"This is an obvious problem, but neither Republicans nor Democrats want to change the system because each party currently collects a share of fairly certain wins, fighting over just a handful of contested seats," he said.

...

"Anyone interested in the integrity of our representative government should be calling for an end to gerrymandering," Kole said.

Kole believes that districts should be redrawn to be a more geographic orientation, rather than by majority political party.

"Elections are supposed to represent people that are (in a specific region), that is the point of representation," he said.

...

Like Kole, Rokita believes gerrymandering should be ended.

"It decreases voter turnout because the public perceives election results to be predetermined," Rokita wrote in his platform.

It is interesting to watch this develop. In 2002, Libertarian candidate for SOS Rebecca Sink-Burris made this her top issue, when she ran against Todd Rokita. He has been in office for nearly four years now, and could have made it an issue at any time, or even put his backing behind Jerry Torr's bill in this year's short legislative session. Instead, he put his weight behind the Voter ID law. Why was the anti-gerrymandering measure not good enough to back strongly when it could have become law, but good enough to tout on the trail? Hmm... Let's leave that as an exercise for the reader to deduce.

Campaign Notes

Today was marked by a trip to Vincennes, supporting Libertarian candidate for Indiana House District 64 JA Thomas, at a League of Women Voters forum.

A representative of the Knox County League of Women Voters introduces, from left, Kreg Battles (D), Troy Woodruff (R), and JA Thomas (L).

Even though I was not a speaker, I was able to say hello to everyone in the crowd of about 100, including reporters from two newspapers and a radio station. Many business cards were distributed.

Mike & JA Thomas, after the forum.

After the event, I drove to JA's home to drop off yard signs. We both agree that the purple Kole sign looks very good alongside the red white and blue Thomas sign. It was very good to see so many of his neighbors with Thomas signs in the front yard!

Have your Kole yard sign yet? Contact Rob Place to get yours! Email: rob(a)robertplace.com

Trail Notes

I'll start with the schedule, and then get to the re-cap of the last two days.

Wed 10/4, Vincennes. Libertarian candidate for Indiana House JA Thomas is participating in a League of Women Voters event, and has asked me to be there to take in the event, work the room, and meet the press. I'll do that I'll day long!

Thurs 10/5, Chicago. I know that's Illinois, but the Heartland Institute is hosting its 22nd annual dinner, and a seat at a table was provided for me by former LNC Treasurer Mark Nelson. I will look forward to the opportunity to be introduced to pro-liberty benefactors from around the Midwest, and will extol the virtues of my campaign.

Re-caps:

Mon 10/2, Rushville. I was a guest on the "It's Politics" show on radio station WKWH 94.3-FM, with hosts John McCane and Dick Malcom. They surprised me with their depth of knowledge about the functions of the Office of Secretary of State. Since they knew so much, I promised them that I would ably protect the Seal of the great state of Indiana, which brought many laughs. This was the only the second time any media persons expressed any interest at all in discussing the Securities Division and the Business Services Division. Most focus on Elections, which I do like to discuss. When asked what I might possibly do differently, I took the opportunity to point to the recently released Guide For Newlyweds, which is essentially a reprint of a Kiplinger's article repackaged as a brochure. I stated that I would never authorize something like this for two reasons. One, it's fine for the Securities Division to advise the public of scams that are being perpetrated on our people, but it's the job of individuals to seek out education for financial planning on their own. Two, the brochure was produced with funds from fraud case settlements. That's just profane. The money secured in fraud case settlements should be returned to the victims of fraud! Also, to cover the cost of litigating these cases, but that's it. An excellent half-hour on the air.

Fishers. I briefly attended the Town Council meeting in my home town of Fishers, where a proposed ban on smoking at private places of business was to be discussed. I was unable to stay for long as I had Isabel in my care, and she's teething, but I was able to say hello to many bar and restaurant owners, such as Bill Smythe of Claude & Annie's, and to give my support to their position. Very pleasing to see Dan Drexler and Kyle MacDonald of the LPIN office there as well.

Tue, 10/3, Indianapolis. Hamilton County Libertarian Wayne Kirk set up a meeting with MIBOR, the Metropolitan Indianapolis Board of Realtors. Wayne and I attended along with LPIN state chair Mark Rutherford, meeting with MIBOR's political affairs liason Thomas Rector, and government affairs director Chris Prior. This was a very productive meeting, where we spoke about the growth of the Libertarian Party and our role in increasing role in shaping public policy. We asked about MIBOR's legislative interests and answered many of their questions. I am hopeful that this is just the first of many such meetings with professional organizations and associations, and that we will be working together on policy matters in the future.

Big thanks to Wayne Kirk for setting this meeting up!

Bell, Bell, & Kole Billboards Up

Thanks to Rex Bell for supplying this picture of one of the ten billboards jointly promoting the campaigns of Rex Bell for Indiana House District 54, Jon Bell for Indiana House District 52, and Mike Kole for Indiana Secretary of State.


Look for these billboards in Henry, Randolph, and Wayne Counties- then make sure to vote for us!

Radio Rushville Tonight

I will be on the "It's Politics" show tonight with John McCane, and Dick Malcom, to discuss my campaign. Tune in to WKWH 94.3-FM on the southeast side of Indy, and in east-central Indiana at 6pm. Sorry, no online feed is available.

This John McCane is a Republican, and Malcom is a Democrat. Both were either county chairs, elected officials, or both. They really love talking politics. Sounds like a perfect setting to me!

Indy Star Shines Spotlight on Kole & Schansberg

There have been a lot of press articles that have covered my campaign, but none is as satisfying as one recently penned by Tim Swarens of the Indianapolis Star Editorial Board. Article link. Quotes:

One interesting development to emerge from the interviews is the growing maturity of the Indiana Libertarian Party. With a few exceptions (Kenn Gividen and Dan Drexler come to mind), Libertarian candidates in the past have often provided the comic relief to the otherwise serious business of helping choose our elected leaders.

...

This year, however, the Libertarians have come prepared with more realistic ideas for how to address state and national issues. Eric Schansberg, an IU-Southeast economics professor running in the 9th congressional district, and Mike Kole, a candidate for Indiana Secretary of State, have been particularly impressive. Neither has a realistic chance to win his race come November, but they are thoughtfully contributing to the public discourse and helping lay a stronger foundation for future Libertarian candidates.

The fun factor provided by candidates who want to eliminate all drug laws and set up prostitution zones throughout Indianapolis may be gone, but the more sober-minded Libertarians of 2006 are helping their party emerge as a credible alternative.

This is very satisfying. It has always been disappointing to me to see Libertarians viewed and portrayed as shallow, single-minded thinkers. Libertarians have strong, valid positions on the entire spectrum of public policy issues, but because old-school Ls focused on such a small subset of these issues, the media came to know Libertarians as clowns. Sadly, many Ls in other parts of the country happily cling to this foolish, self-indulgent attitude. Happily, the Libertarian Party of Indiana had long ago rejected this approach. It is what made the LPIN a group I could invest my name and reputation in.

It may be too soon to declare, "mission accomplished!" since the goal is to be elected. However, as Mr. Swarens points out, the corner has been rounded, and if widespread Libertarian election to office fails to happen this cycle, it may well happen in 2007 and 2008.

Candidate Questionnaires Galore

When I'm not out on the trail, I'm still very active behind the scenes. Sometimes I'm making fundraising calls. Lately, I've been filling out questionnaires from PACs and media outlets, especially newspapers. Here's one that's already posted, on the website if the Lousiville Courier-Journal.

Unfortunately, most of the questionnaires tend not very relevant to the office of Secretary of State. The C-J's is a nice exception. I've been asked about Major Moves, DST, abortion, assisted suicide, and a host of things that no Secretary of State can affect. It's bothersome to get one from a special interest group that decides every vote based on one issue, regardless of whether that issue is anything an officeholder can affect. These PACs end up endorsing those who gave the right answer on their litmus test, even though they could be fully unqualified for the office they seek. This is not the path to good government.

I do fill out and return all questionnaires from media outlets. I hope newspaper and blog readers will take the time to read my positions. I believe the average Hoosier will agree with me on these things.

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!