Indiana needs normal people to get political
The two major political parties have new leaders in Indiana, Lana Keesling on the Republican side and Karen Tallian for Democrats. If you don't know who they are or care about political party org charts, that's great. Because what the parties really need is you.
Political parties are insular by nature and leadership battles are inside baseball. The race for Indiana Democratic Party chair was especially contentious, as Tallian defeated two-time statewide candidate Destiny Wells. Tallian succeeds Mike Schmuhl, inheriting longstanding factional battles between Democrats who held slices of power back when Evan Bayh was winning statewide and people who have no idea what it feels like to win.
The loudest voices keep pushing Democrats left toward a nonexistent statewide base of progressive voters. Tallian, a 74-year-old former state senator, represents the party's old guard, reliant on unions and working-class voters who, incidentally, have been flocking to Republicans.
Briggs: The Braun-Beckwith plan to abolish Carmel
While Republicans are mocking Democrats' ineptitude, they should remember they're feckless by choice. The sitting governor couldn't choose his own running mate and now has to stump at a property tax rally to avoid being outshone by his lieutenant governor. Meanwhile, Republicans all know their delinquent secretary of state is running a grift, yet they accommodate it out of tribal loyalty.
That's all because the most committed Republican insiders assemble at state conventions every couple years and choose candidates for offices, including secretary of state and lieutenant governor, based on who is best at trolling and attracting attention without regard for job qualifications.
The state of politics in Indiana is sad and pathetic.
Insiders have incentive to keep it that way because they steep their identities in having seats at the tables, where they get to help make big, important-feeling decisions in private silos. The system is working for them.
I don't think parties set out to lose touch. But the party structures offer tantalizing tastes of power to many, creating big, exclusive social clubs. Below the state chairs, political parties have central state committees, precinct committee members and county and district chairs, in addition to all the elected offices that party members either hold or hope to hold some day. There are many, many jobs.
While I've offered a cynical view of parties so far, I want to make the case for getting involved. The most common question I've received from readers in recent weeks is some version of: "What can I do?" Many people feel anxious over current events and want to do something, but don't know where to start. If that's you, then you might be the right person to help bring sanity to politics.
Indiana's political parties are going through resets, with long runways until the next major elections. There's room for new voices.
No one person is going to show up and change the dynamics. But you can start volunteering with a county political party (it's best to start local), identify candidates you can support and help them get elected in future cycles. Over time, you can build relationships with the insiders and press for the kinds of changes you want to see. Eventually, you might be able to work your way into one of the many positions I mentioned above, which offer some influence (as well as pressure to assimilate).
Change is a tedious, laborious project, but you can start today at the bottom floor by contacting a local party leader and saying you want to get involved. They almost certainly won't turn you down. They need your labor and you, a normal person anchored in the real world, need the party to broaden its perspective.
I realize this message might appeal more to people on the left, who are hungry for change, but I'm talking to Republicans, too. I entered adulthood identifying as Republican and feel a personal stake in seeing the GOP reject amoral performative politics in favor of substantive policy ideas that can help people. Conservatives are right about a lot of things and we need more of them to act like adults. Maybe you can be the adult in the room.
Most of all, what we need is for more average, sensible people to bring underrepresented perspectives into the political tents. Both political parties are failing the people of Indiana. That will keep happening until the normie majorities rise up, get to work and make their voices heard.
Contact James Briggs at 317-444-4732 or james.briggs@indystar.com. Follow him on X and Bluesky at @JamesEBriggs.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: What to do about Trump? Volunteer for your county party. | Opinion
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