Published: November 05, 2008 11:55 pm         

Vigo GOP: 'We were overwhelmed'

TERRE HAUTE — Bill Treadway wasn’t sure Wednesday whether he’d relived Davy Crockett’s stand at the Alamo or George Custer’s at Little Bighorn.

Either way, the Vigo County Republican Party chairman said the results were the same on Nov. 4.

“We were overwhelmed by what I call an ‘Obama wave’,” he said, noting the 9,550 ballots that went straight-ticket Democrat, “in a Democratic town, in a Democratic county, in a Democratic year. That is tough to overcome.”

In total, 44,148 votes were cast in Vigo County, meaning about 22 percent voted straight-ticket for Democrats.

Vigo County races produced zero winning Republicans on Tuesday, including Treadway, who lost his race challenging incumbent Democrat Pat Mansard for county clerk.

“I know what George Custer would have felt like had he survived the Battle of Little Bighorn and then had to go face the press,” Treadway said, later adding that he was proud of how the local Republicans handled the situation given a scenario like Davy Crockett’s at The Alamo.

And local Democrat leaders agreed to an extent that excitement for Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign helped overwhelm the opposition, but both party chairman Joe Etling and local Campaign for Change organizer Todd Nation said hard work was involved as well.

“Well, I don’t think there’s any question that the national ticket was a big boost to us locally,” Etling said, noting “the energy and enthusiasm” of Obama’s supporters who set up shop in Terre Haute.

But for the past several weeks “there were also a lot of locals who rolled up their sleeves and got together and canvassed and made phone calls and walked precincts and distributed materials,” he added.

“I agree with that,” said Nation, president of Terre Haute’s City Council, when asked about the “Obama wave.”

“Obama had a huge coattail effect on the local level,” he said, but like Etling, he said the big picture was “more nuanced than that.”

Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels won his re-election against Democratic challenger Jill Long Thompson, taking 21,934 Vigo County votes compared with her 20,443.

Nation said, “Statewide it’s clear that a lot of voters split their tickets.”

“There’s a lot of work to do to rebuild the Republican Party,” he said, noting that applies locally as well as nationally. “It’s been that way for a long time. That’s nothing new.”

And Treadway concurred, noting a loss of identity.

“You’re going to see the Republican Party decide who they are in the next few months,” he predicted.

Whether the group leans toward being “the party of Reagan” or “the party of moderates” is all up in the air, he said.

And for his part, Treadway hopes it’s back toward the philosophies of President Reagan.

“We have to get back to our conservative roots,” he said, referring to Republicans’ strengths as being “the party of low taxes.”

“When we run as conservatives, we win. When we run as something other than that, we lose,” he said in summation.

Beyond the philosophy, Nation said some of the problems local Republicans faced this fall are shared across the board.

“It’s the same problem all parties face today, finding people willing to step forward and join the fray,” he said, noting both parties always need more and better candidates and volunteers.

And, when there’s not as much excitement about the top of the ticket, it can be difficult to generate, he said.

From Etling’s perspective, one the best things to come out of the 2008 election was the participation of youth.

“They showed the entire country that ‘yes, they can,’” he said, noting that Obama faced sizable doubt and skepticism from much of the public before a largely youth-oriented force of campaigners drove his message home.

And, as a party chairman, Etling said it was a good day for all.

“It was a good Election Day for Democrats, but also a good day and start for the voters of our community to bring good government to the community and country,” he said, adding that he felt very safe in encouraging people to vote a straight ticket.

And while Treadway acknowledged that local Republicans didn’t have as active participation from GOP candidate Sen. John McCain as Democrats had from Obama, he offered no excuses and said his candidates ran very well.

“We’ve done the best we could and we’ll keep pushing on,” he said, adding that the party is ready to look at local elections in 2010.

Brian Boyce can be reached at 812-231-4253 or brian.boyce@tribstar.com.