None of the other candidates (including RedState’s anti-war candidate Stutzman) worried the dems in Indiana. In-state activists don’t care for medling from the national party, nor from blogs that try to speak for grass roots Indiana voters. The word in Indiana is that when Coates got into the race, Bayh realized the race was over. Only Pence would have had the same affect, but he chose not to run.

What Erick leaves out (time and time again) is that Coates leads the other republicansin polling as well as Bayh, because we conservatives in Indiana want him. Worse, from reading RedState you would think Coates spent his life as a lobbiest when he left the senate. Not true; he spent many of those years as a member of the Bush administration serving as ambassador to Germany (this keeps getting left out). Coates is also closely affiliated with the largest and most conservative think tank in Indiana, the Indiana Family Insitute. This group leads Indiana in being pro-life and pro-family values.

There is no questioning Coates conservative values and track record. Stutzman also has an excellent track record, and we should give credit where it is due. However, the choice comes down to whether you want a conservative across the board, or a conservative on everything except our war on terror overseas. Some will give Stutzman a pass because Coates once retired from the senate, as if being a retiree is somehow a cardinal sin.

The base in Indiana was not energized under either of the two GOP candidates before Coates came along. They were further dejected when Pence passed up the call. Local activists (not the national party) approached Coates, and he accepted. So one may go the NRSC or national level blog route, or go with local conservatives who don’t want to have their candidates hand picked from the outside. With respect to an otherwise excellent blog, RedState loses its credentials as a pro-grass roots level, outside the beltway blog by backing the candidate that Indiana is rejecting in favor of a name that commands conservative respect amongst those in the trenches in the hoosier state. I think Stutzman would be a fine consevative on nearly every issue, and he deserves our support if he can somehow knock of Coates. But going after Coates because he is some old, white, reitired guy sounds like lefty identity politics to me.

I respect Erick’s position, but if anyone outside of Indiana wants to support a conservative candidate in Indiana, one should support the conservative candidate that folks in Indiana are actualy supporting at the grass roots level. That man is Dan Coates, and most of us that hapoen to llive and vote here are backing him.

1) Bayh got out because he knows Indiana politics, and knows that Coates will win.

2) He wants out as soon as possible, because he is seen as a Clintonesque (tri-angulation) potential for president or vice president in 2012. That’s why the odd timing.

A delay of several days makes sense to help the party, but to help himself, getting out now is better.