Indiana Election Update: Huge Wins, Vindication for Social Conservatives – Is Mike Pence Listening?

Taking Social Conservatives for Granted? Some leading Indiana grassroots, pro-family conservatives have complained that Gov. Mike Pence (above)–a potential GOP presidential candidate in 2016–did not use his office more boldly and effectively to help push through an amendment, HJR 3, that would preserve the sanctity of marriage as one-man, one-woman in Indiana.

Congratulations to Micah Clark, the Indiana Family Association, and all Indiana pro-family and pro-life conservatives for their resounding victories on Election Day! Gov. Mike Pence, here’s the bottom line: are you listening to the people of your state, or the ‘liberal-tarian’ or “moderate” Republican elites and left-leaning media pundits inside the Beltway? The latter’s tired mantra to “avoid the social issues” is–like so much that goes on in Washington, D.C.–out of touch with the GOP’s grassroots conservative base. Yes, we needed this good news! — Peter LaBarbera, Americans For Truth About Homosexuality

This article is taken from AFA-Indiana e-newsletter, May 7, 2014:

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Huge Wins for Conservatives; Vindication in Primary Results

By Micah Clark, Executive Director, Indiana Family Association

[The May 6, 2014 Indiana] primary election was as close to an across the board sweep as you will ever see in politics. Republican voters finally got their chance in a few state legislative districts to express their anger over the failure of the GOP-dominated statehouse to pass a marriage protection amendment [HJR 3]. If only there had been more conservative challengers in legislative races where establishment Republicans had voted for the unraveling of marriage.

In addition, incumbents targeted for their defense of social conservatism won as well. You may recall when Rep. Bob Morris stood alone under immense criticism for pointing out that the Girl Scouts of America’s national organization had grown closer and closer to Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider. The establishment loathes conservatives whom they cannot control and Bob is one of those. In spite of a misguided high-profile pro-life endorsement of his pro-homosexual “marriage” opponent, Bob won the primary re-election yesterday.

Likewise, same-sex “marriage” supporters targeted Rep. Milo Smith, who chaired the committee that passed HJR 3 on to the House floor after Representatives Torr, McNamara and Leonard blocked it in the House Judiciary Committee. Liberals, who claim to support homosexuals, viciously “outed” Rep. Smith’s son–trying to personally hurt the Smith family and Milo’s re-election. Milo’s challenger was an executive with Cummins Engine, a key proponent of homosexual “marriage” in Indiana. Yet, when all was said and done, even in the sometimes more moderate Columbus area, Smith won with 59 percent of the vote.

The House author of HJR 3, Rep. Eric Turner, was tarnished with an ethics investigation that the media covered extensively. Yet, when he was exonerated of any wrong doing last week, the media coverage was incredibly thin. (Pro-same-sex “marriage” Republican legislators may have leaked his privately speaking about a bill upon which he did not even vote.) Rep. Turner also won with 59 percent opponent who had ironically called Turner’s authoring of HJR 3 “an abomination.”

The biggest victories for conservatives came in northern Indiana where the Chair of the House committee on Family and Children, Rebecca Kubacki, was trounced nearly 2-1 by her opponent. She had voted against the marriage amendment after previously campaigning as “a Catholic who would defend marriage” when first elected. She then seemed to lie about the entire process the amendment went through. Curt Nisely hammered Kubacki on her voting record, which included votes against natural marriage, against religious freedom for church childcare ministries, and for the Common Core.

Nearby, Rep. Kathy Heuer in Whitley and Allen Counties lost big as well for the same three issues. Chris Judy, an outstanding candidate, surprised even his own team by winning 60% of the vote, even handily defeating Heuer in her home county. Not even an endorsement from the Governor helped Rep. Heuer, in fact, it may have hurt her. (More on that later.)

The third establishment candidate mutually targeted by pro-family activist groups, including the AFA of Indiana PAC was Rep. Casey Cox. He was gifted with a three-way primary in which both candidates split the protest vote that came mostly from our radio exposure of Casey’s flip-flop in support for homosexual “marriage.” Even though neither of his opponents did any mail or radio, Cox ended the night with less than 50 percent of the vote in a race that he should have easily won with his significant money and campaign staff advantages.

Yesterday’s primary also saw the selection of two outstanding pro-family newcomers to the State Senate who should win their Republican districts this fall. The first is Liz Brown in Fort Wayne who replaces the retiring state Senator Tom Wyss. The other newcomer is Jeff Raatz in Richmond who won in the seat of retiring Senator Allen Paul. Jeff Raatz will bring a good perspective on education, charity and family with his work with New Creations Ministry for troubled teens.

Every election is not without its losses and last night had one painful one with the narrow defeat of State Senator John Waterman. The Chamber of Commerce went after this pro-family legislator whom the establishment could never control. John had been a very vocal critic of Gov. [Mitch] Daniel’s social policies but lost in a redrawn district probably because he had voted against Right to Work. Even though he had a 70 percent rating with the Chamber, they blasted John with a negative campaign painting him as a liberal connected with Obama’s union bosses. It was par for the course this time, as they also tried to slime Chris Judy and Curt Nisely as allegedly wanting rats in child care centers. In the case of Nisely they sent two mailings accusing him of the crime of treason for simply tweeting an article years ago about some states talking of succession over Obamacare and other federal mandates.

There were many other close races in which establishment legislators had surprisingly stronger opponents than they had expected in spite of massive campaign advantages for those incumbents. The message last night to Statehouse leadership was clear (even the Indianapolis Star admitted it) — ignoring the values of social conservatives, and taking their voters for granted, won’t be tolerated when voters are given a good opportunity for an alternative.

Is Governor Pence Flunking with Conservatives?

I mentioned that Governor Pence’s endorsement of certain incumbent House members might have hurt them. That may surprise you, but if our web site poll is any reflection at all, the Governor has some problems with his conservative base of supporters. Last week I asked you to vote in our poll, giving the Governor’s performance a grade 18-months into his term. A remarkable 54 percent of our poll voters gave the Governor a “D” or an “F” grade! Only 28 percent give him an “A” or a “B” grade.

It seems clear to me that many conservatives expected much more out of a conservative governor and unprecedented Republican supermajorities in the Indiana House and Senate. There were several concerns, but the failure to pass, or adequately defend the Marriage Protection Amendment, and a muddled exit from the Common Core were the two most consistent complaints that I heard expressed from our poll takers.

Object-Orientation: It Communicates with Me, so I’ll Marry It

Micah Clark of the Indiana Family Institute.

Do you recall when I wrote in this weekly email of people who wanted to marry buildings and bridges they claimed to love? I also wrote about a man who had married a female robot, and a new sexual orientation toward objects talked about among the gender benders and marriage anarchists.

Here’s another example to consider. It is a man who wants to marry his Apple computer. Some might think Chris Sevier is actually a conservative trying to make a point, by attempting to intervene in the lawsuit against Florida’s marriage amendment. He filed a legal brief with the court on behalf of those seeking the legal recognition of those who want to marry objects.

He is actually quite serious. Sevier’s brief filed on the side of the homosexual activists and the ACLU states: “Over time, I began preferring sex with my computer over sex with real women. Naturally, I ‘fell in love’ with my computer and preferred having sex with it over all other persons or things, as a result of classic conditioning upon orgasm.”

Sevier believes he should have the right to marry his “preferred sexual object.” The judge didn’t take Sevier’s legal brief very seriously, but one has to wonder how long it will be ignored if the other logical boundaries of marriage are erased for reasons of mere adult desire trumping biological fact and societal need.