IN-Gov: Evan Bayh looking at 2016 race

[publicunofficial]

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Howey-Politics-Indiana/145593155618528?hc_location=timeline

Noted Indiana political journalist says that former Sen/Gov. Evan Bayh may be looking at the 2016 race against Mike Pence.

He also mentions that Bayh is "willing to invest heavily" in the 2014 Secretary of State campaign of Beth White. Given Bayh is sitting on more than $10 million dollars, that is serious.

My only question is, if this is true and Bayh misses public service, why didn't he run in 2012?

[ElectionsGuy]

Still, even if he does run, I doubt he beats Pence.

[free my dawg]

Still, even if he does run, I doubt he beats Pence.

WHAT?

[Holmes]

He will just embarrass himself by losing.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

It would certainly be a close race.  Then again, I don't really follow IN politics, so I don't know how popular Pence is right now.  It's kind of interesting how he got less than 50% of the vote in November, though.

[ElectionsGuy]

Still, even if he does run, I doubt he beats Pence.

WHAT?

So I'm wrong, he'll for sure win?

[free my dawg]

Likely Bayh if he's in.

[Warren 4 Secretary of Everything]

WTH didn't he run in 2012. It would've set him up nicely for 2016.

[IceSpear]

Still, even if he does run, I doubt he beats Pence.

Pence only won by 3 points against a not that great candidate even while Romney won the state by double digits.

[Holmes]

It would certainly be a close race.  Then again, I don't really follow IN politics, so I don't know how popular Pence is right now.  It's kind of interesting how he got less than 50% of the vote in November, though.

Yeah, Indiana gubernatorial elections have always been teases for Democrats. Fool's gold. Not worth it.

[Maxwell]

It would certainly be a close race.  Then again, I don't really follow IN politics, so I don't know how popular Pence is right now.  It's kind of interesting how he got less than 50% of the vote in November, though.

Pence is pretty popular right now (the only poll out has him up big in terms of approvals), but it would be quite the race if Bayh took on Pence. It all depends on how Pence looks in 2015, but If I had to make a bet on who would win, I couldn't. It would probably be Lean Bayh though.

[IceSpear]

It would certainly be a close race.  Then again, I don't really follow IN politics, so I don't know how popular Pence is right now.  It's kind of interesting how he got less than 50% of the vote in November, though.

Yeah, Indiana gubernatorial elections have always been teases for Democrats. Fool's gold. Not worth it.

It would be fool's gold with any other Democrat, but not with Bayh.

[publicunofficial]

Don't forget that Pence could run for President, which would make this an open seat.

[Indy Texas]

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Howey-Politics-Indiana/145593155618528?hc_location=timeline
My only question is, if this is true and Bayh misses public service, why didn't he run in 2012?

In 2016, Mike Pence will no longer be able to use the "You need me to protect you from Big Bad Barry Soetoro" trope to get reelected, as has been the default strategy for state-level Republican politicians so far this decade.

I don't know what Mike Pence has been up to, but the guy is an ideologue pure and simple. He's not an administrator like Mitch Daniels was and he's not as smart as Mitch Daniels.

[Landslide Lyndon]

It would certainly be a close race.  Then again, I don't really follow IN politics, so I don't know how popular Pence is right now.  It's kind of interesting how he got less than 50% of the vote in November, though.

Yeah, Indiana gubernatorial elections have always been teases for Democrats. Fool's gold. Not worth it.

What? Democrats controlled Indiana's governor mansion from 1988 to 2004.

[Warren 4 Secretary of Everything]

It would certainly be a close race.  Then again, I don't really follow IN politics, so I don't know how popular Pence is right now.  It's kind of interesting how he got less than 50% of the vote in November, though.

Yeah, Indiana gubernatorial elections have always been teases for Democrats. Fool's gold. Not worth it.

What? Democrats controlled Indiana's governor mansion from 1988 to 2004.

And 8 of those years were because of Evan Bayh. 12 if you count his Lt. Governor winning on his own coattails.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Massively overrated politician, but I guess he could be elected governor again.

[Landslide Lyndon]

It would certainly be a close race.  Then again, I don't really follow IN politics, so I don't know how popular Pence is right now.  It's kind of interesting how he got less than 50% of the vote in November, though.

Yeah, Indiana gubernatorial elections have always been teases for Democrats. Fool's gold. Not worth it.

What? Democrats controlled Indiana's governor mansion from 1988 to 2004.

And 8 of those years were because of Evan Bayh. 12 if you count his Lt. Governor winning on his own coattails.

His Lt. Governor won in 1996. Bayh ran for senate two years later. There were no Bayh coattails neither when O'Bannon was first elected, nor when he was reelected in 2000.

[pbrower2a]

It would certainly be a close race.  Then again, I don't really follow IN politics, so I don't know how popular Pence is right now.  It's kind of interesting how he got less than 50% of the vote in November, though.

Yeah, Indiana gubernatorial elections have always been teases for Democrats. Fool's gold. Not worth it.

Indiana has elected Democratic governors. 

[tmthforu94]

Polls actually showed him vulnerable to Coats before ultimately deciding to retire in 2010. I certainly think he would at least make it a race.

Personally, I would welcome a Governor Bayh again, and if I were still in Indiana, I would probably vote/campaign for him. His family has been terrific for our state.

[Brittain33]

I remember that he left the Senate with a massive campaign account. Can he use that in state races?

[NewYorkExpress]

If Bayh runs.... Lean R... Coats is more likely to lose (albeit in a primary) than Pence.
If Bayh runs and Pence runs for President. Lean D
If Bayh does not run. Safe R

[hopper]

Why would Bayh run for Governor of Indiana? He has already been there done that. He should just run for President because that is something he hasn't done yet. I know the Left doesn't like him because he voted against Obama Budgets and the right doesn't like him for his vote on ObamaCare.

[Bacon King]

Indiana Secretary of State Election, 1986: Evan Bayh victory, 8 point margin
Indiana Gubernatorial Election, 1988: Evan Bayh victory, 6 point margin
Indiana Gubernatorial Election, 1992: Evan Bayh victory, 25 point margin
Indiana Senate Election, 1998: Evan Bayh victory, 25 point margin
Indiana Senate Election, 2004: Evan Bayh victory, 24 point margin

yeah safe R for sure

[PolitiJunkie]

Indiana Secretary of State Election, 1986: Evan Bayh victory, 8 point margin
Indiana Gubernatorial Election, 1988: Evan Bayh victory, 6 point margin
Indiana Gubernatorial Election, 1992: Evan Bayh victory, 25 point margin
Indiana Senate Election, 1998: Evan Bayh victory, 25 point margin
Indiana Senate Election, 2004: Evan Bayh victory, 24 point margin

yeah safe R for sure

But you don't understand! Things have changed! Indiana was Safe D in Presidential elections from 1986-2004, which is why Evan Bayh could win. But in flipped to Safe R for presidential elections in 2008 so Bayh who is extremely liberal could never win now.