February 16, 2010

"Politics in Indiana is the old boy’s school. They’re getting ready to put one of their own in," said Tamyra D’Ippolito...

... to FireDogLake.
"My gut feeling tells me they’re meeting in a room, I don’t know if they’re smoking cigars," D’Ippolito said, basically working under the assumption that Bayh’s announcement was timed so the state party could pick the nominee by themselves. "The timing of this is amazing."

D’Ippolito told me she is the first woman to ever run for the US Senate in Indiana. Her impression from working on prior campaigns and from this one is that Indiana political culture is a "tight old boys school, it borders on sexism." In a state where the population is 52% women, D’Ippolito says "in the future, we women of Indiana are not going to tolerate" the chummy, insider culture.
Is that the way to run in Indiana, by flinging about accusations about how sexist everyone is? And FireDogLake has to walk back in an update:
The fact that Jill Long Thompson was the Democratic candidate for Governor in Indiana just two years ago would seem to cut against D’Ippolito’s suggestion that Indiana Democratic politics is ruled by men.
Ouch.

But it's an interesting situation, because  D'Ippolito has been collecting signatures to get on the Democratic primary ballot, to run against Evan Bayh:
She’s collected 3,500 of the 4,500 signatures, 500 in each Congressional district in Indiana, which are needed by noon tomorrow [February 16th] in order to qualify. D’Ippolito said that she’s particularly short in IN-08, in the Terre Haute/Evansville area of the district. Her campaign manager has contacted all of the heads of the county Democratic parties asking them if they would help her get on the ballot.

But she’s not getting the sense that they want to be helpful in that effort.
Now that Bayh is out, there's a danger that D'Ippolito will be the only candidate on the ballot, and other Democrats will need to run against her as write-ins. It's not surprising that people don't want to help her. Here's her campaign website. Read her background. She's a café owner who has never held public office (though she was once a board member of something called Women Inspire).

Why did FireDogLake operate as a brainless mouthpiece for this woman? Are they hoping for a Republican victory in the fall?

Here's Politico:
It would be something close to a nightmare scenario for Democrats: were D’Ippolito to qualify for the ballot, she would be the likely nominee and the party would be left to face the GOP with a political neophyte who said she is running in part to take on a party establishment she said practices “sexism with a big S.”...

[I]n the mad scramble following Bayh’s surprise decision, worried Democrats in Washington and Indianapolis were taking the prospect seriously.

“This would be a complete and unmitigated disaster,” said a leading Democrat in the state. “We’d be up sh—’s creek.”...

And conservatives saw it as an opportunity to wreak havoc among their foes.

"This could be fun," wrote RedState blogger Erick Erickson. "Those of you in Indiana should go out of your way to help Tamyra get the signatures he needs by tomorrow at noon."
Here's the adorable troublemaker:


Watch out, Sarah-haters, she's wearing lipstick!

She says things like: 
“I’m saying it’s an inside job. Indianagate instead of Watergate... The White House set this up, decided who they are gonna put in office, called the democratic county heads and told them to secretly get signatures. Bingo-bongo.”
Bingo-bongo!

IN THE COMMENTS: Fred4Pres croons:
Not so tall or tan, but lovely, The girl named D'Ippolito goes walking..
And when she passes, each Hoosier she passes, goes oh...
But we watch her so sadly...
Ooh! We'll be up sh*t's creek so badly...

UPDATE: D'Ippolito says she's got the signatures... and then takes it back...

"We have enough signatures and we're ready to go to court. We're ready to fight," said d'Ippolito. "And yes it's politics, and I'm sure there are certain Democrats, I hope they are the minority, I'm sure there are certain Democrats who will try those underhanded activities. I hope they would be wiser not to take that road."...

D'Ippolito said the people of Indiana should choose the candidate, not a party committee. "And this is what the machine in Indiana does not want to happen, because they want to choose the candidate, they want to put another Blue Dog in there," she said. "It's a different body than Evan Bayh, same thing, different face, Blue Dog. We don't want any more Blue Dogs. It's bye-bye Bayh, and bye-bye Blue Dogs in the state of Indiana."

I asked d'Ippolito about the possibility that Republicans may have given her a hand. Erick Erickson, for example, personally encouraged his Indiana readers to sign her petitions. "God bless him, because anybody can sign the petition," said d'Ippolitio. "Republican, Democrat, independent, teabag person, any registered voter with a warm pulse can sign."...

Late Update: After telling TPM that she already had the necessary signatures collected, d'Ippolito is now denying to Greg Sargent that she has them yet, saying instead that she would have them in time.
Oh, she's cagey! Oh! But they watch her so sadly....

UPDATE #2: Sketchy reports that she failed to meet the deadline.

65 comments:

Original Mike said...

It would be something close to a nightmare scenario for Democrats: were D’Ippolito to qualify for the ballot

You go, girl!

Original Mike said...

She should be careful I've seen the movies. A car comes up behind her on the narrow, twisty mountain road. It pulls up along side ....

AllenS said...

Smoking cigars = sinister = Rush Limbaugh smokes cigars. I see a pattern. She's definitely Senate material.

Anonymous said...

I want to see what she's got written on her hand, apart from "Smash the patriarchy".

AllenS said...

Bingo-bongo? Don't Kenyans do this kind of stuff?

Kensington said...

She has all my support.

...

...

...

*snicker*

wv: keysemis -- Ms. is the key to sexism.

Greg Hlatky said...

A car comes up behind her on the narrow, twisty mountain road. It pulls up along side ....

Twisty mountain road? In Indiana? Try instead the "North by Northwest" scene with the crop-duster.

Hoosier Daddy said...

Twisty mountain road? In Indiana? Try instead the "North by Northwest" scene with the crop-duster.

Heh, well she is from Bloomington, (which is a university town with swanky cafes and bourgeoise coffee shops, garage) which tends to have some rolling hills which to us central Indiana flatlanders would qualify as 'mountainous' :-)

Joan said...

Well, she's a Dem. Let's see how the media treats her. If Sarah Palin had said all that plus "bingo-bongo", how much ink would that have been worth?

Interestingly, though, Palin has had a very successful life by any measure, and she's happily married, living in a state that I would bet has the lowest female population. IOW, a state where there really might be something to the old patriarchy cliches. We already know she went up against the old boys' network in the Alaska GOP, but you didn't hear her whining about it.

D'Ippolito makes Palin look pretty damn good.

Original Mike said...

Greg, I'm making a movie here. A little poetic license, please. If Hollywood can put eculyptus trees in Wisconsin, I can put mountains in Indiana.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Bingo bongo is the Hoosier version of You Betcha!

Hoosier Daddy said...

“This would be a complete and unmitigated disaster,” said a leading Democrat in the state. “We’d be up sh—’s creek.”...

Yeah, probably since hardly anyone outside of Bloomington has a clue who she is. Hell I never heard of her until yesterday.

But as for unmitigated disasters, Evan pretty much laid that one at the feet of the party yesterday in terms of timing. Honestly I am sorry to see him go as I think the Democrats need more centrists in the Senate than the Worker's of the World faction of the party.

Fred4Pres said...

Not so tall or tan, but lovely, The girl named D'Ippolito goes walking...

Joe said...

(The REALLY Handsome One, but not Henry’s brother, unless Henry IS my brother, then I guess I could be Joe who is Henry’s brother)

Oh this broad is fair game….oh sure, if she were running against a Republican GUY, sure she’d be sacrosanct as a diverse candidate and a cancer survivor…BUT she’s running against the Democratic Machine. All bets are off…she’s a nut, a flake, a loser, crazy….because when you’re a womon running against the wrong Democrat, a guy, then you’re not anything but an expendable. Watch the Democratic Party eat her up….

Henry said...

I think it's time for Rahm Emmanuel to call someone F*cking Retarded again.

Henry said...

Hi Joe. No you're not my brother. It's the other Joe on that comment thread that's my brother. But so far, as my brother wrote, all you Joes do pretty well by each other.

Fred4Pres said...

Henry said...
I think it's time for Rahm Emmanuel to call someone F*cking Retarded again.


In front of his bathroom mirror might be a good place to do that.

Hoosier Daddy said...

In front of his bathroom mirror might be a good place to do that.

Can he do that? I didn't think he casts a reflection.

traditionalguy said...

Is it too late for her to have a sex change operation and run for the Democrat nomination as Tom D'Ippolito? Then the Dems could support him. But they are really saying is that she is a Liberal liberal. To get a Dem elected in the heartland they have to run candidates as a gun loving, pro national defense, pro family Liberals. Once in DC their votes are the same, but getting one elected requires a camouflage operation, especially today.

MadisonMan said...

Republicans should be careful for what they wish for.

D'Ippolito is not a very polished speaker, but she is the ultimate outsider. I think she could do a decent job running against the DC establishment -- depending on who the Republican candidate is -- if someone tones down her let's-view-the-world-through-a-sexism prism. If the Republicans nominate someone who has been in DC too much, look out.

Anonymous said...

Smoking isn't allowed in the Statehouse, but Nickey Blaine's is a very nice cigar bar just off the circle.

Jane said...

I went to the first tea party meeting in our rural county yesterday. It was more than half women, young and old. And they were fire-breathing constitution-loving firebrands.

I love smart girls.

Hoosier Daddy said...

Smoking isn't allowed in the Statehouse, but Nickey Blaine's is a very nice cigar bar just off the circle.

Yep awesome place. Great cocktails too. The eye candy is quite spectacular on Friday nights :-)

Republicans should be careful for what they wish for.

Honestly MM, I'm not exactly quaking in my boots.

paul a'barge said...

Bingo Bongo is sort of Indianaesque for the Italian version of Bah Dah Bing, Bah Dah Bang, Bah Dah Bong.

Anonymous said...

Yep awesome place. Great cocktails too. The eye candy is quite spectacular on Friday nights :-)

Indeed!

SarcastiCarrie said...

I must live in the wrong part of Indiana because we don't say Bingo Bongo. NWIN is like its own little world. Indiana doesn't want us, and Chicago won't take us.

Pity Mike Pence isn't running against her. I'd vote for him in a heartbeat.

WV: untacco - What's for sale in the hot dog cart in NWIN.

Guillermo said...

She should be careful I've seen the movies. A car comes up behind her on the narrow, twisty mountain road. It pulls up along side ....

Aquipesca

Hoosier Daddy said...

I must live in the wrong part of Indiana because we don't say Bingo Bongo. NWIN is like its own little world. Indiana doesn't want us, and Chicago won't take us.

That's why I left the Region. :-)

MadisonMan said...

Honestly MM, I'm not exactly quaking in my boots.

I can totally see the Republicans screwing this up. A nice big fat can of corn, and they drop the fly ball.

Anonymous said...

Just ignore our Republican Lieutenant Governor, Becky Skillman.

Irene said...

She looks a little like Tammy Baldwin.

kent said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Original Mike said...

I can totally see the Republicans screwing this up. A nice big fat can of corn, and they drop the fly ball.

Yep.

kent said...

More to the point, methinks: why in heaven's name would you ever expect either different or better from the perpetually pop-eyed and foaming likes of the standard issue FDL nutbar, Professor...? ;)

Unknown said...

She is also asking for support from "tea baggers." Not good, Tammy, if you mean tea partiers. They sorta take offense at being called names based on sexual practices.

I hope she wins. The Dems needs more adorable troublemakers running for office.

Original Mike said...

@PatCA: She herself used the term "tea baggers"?

bagoh20 said...

"She's a café owner who has never held public office "

That's all I know, but that is a powerful qualification right now, as it should be.

Is there anything less desirable today than political experience?

Original Mike said...

Is there anything less desirable today than political experience?

A criminal record?

kentuckyliz said...

She better have really nice straight white teeth to wear that red of a lipstick.

That's c***sucker lipstick.

I know you guys are going there in your mind.

Even women don't like feminists like that. Ewww. So 70s. Except for the whore lipstick.

WV petter
much safer, STD wise.

Kensington said...

Madison Man:
"I can totally see the Republicans screwing this up."

They don't call us the Stupid Party for nothing.

I'm already cringing a little bit over the overconfidence this woman is inspiring at various blogs.

Steady now, GOP...

Pastafarian said...

KentuckyLiz said: "That's c***sucker lipstick."

Funny stuff, Liz.

Ipso Fatso said...

"This could be fun," wrote RedState blogger Erick Erickson. "...to help Tamyra get the signatures he needs by tomorrow at noon."

Eric refers to Tamya as a he, is he a sexist pig, mistaken or blind?

Balfegor said...

Re: MadisonMan:

Republicans should be careful for what they wish for.

D'Ippolito is not a very polished speaker, but she is the ultimate outsider. I think she could do a decent job running against the DC establishment -- depending on who the Republican candidate is -- if someone tones down her let's-view-the-world-through-a-sexism prism. If the Republicans nominate someone who has been in DC too much, look out
.

I think that's actually right. I have to say, I disagree with all her policy positions, insofar as I can discern them, but even just in the news reports, there's a kind of fresh exhuberance to her effort there that's rather appealing. She's the antithesis of a professional politician who's been running for ever-higher offices his entire adult life. Republicans are poised to nominate Dan Coats, who had been Senator for ten years ten years ago, and has been a lawyer/lobbyist since. The contrast would be huge, and not really to Coats' advantage, given the anti-incumbent, anti-insider Tea Party sentiment.

AllenS said...

Funny update stuff.

WV: packed

Well, there you go.

Unknown said...

That feminism the Lefties loved so much forty years ago? This is where they learn about payback. She'll lose, but she'll give them a hard time doing it.

OTOH, be glad she didn't say, "Badda bing". Then she'd be a pal of Barry and Blago (just a quick run across da state line, ya know) and the fix would be in and it would turn out that Evan had been "talked to".

MadisonMan said...

Republicans should be careful for what they wish for.

D'Ippolito is not a very polished speaker, but she is the ultimate outsider. I think she could do a decent job running against the DC establishment -- depending on who the Republican candidate is -- if someone tones down her let's-view-the-world-through-a-sexism prism.


Point well taken, but I think she's going to get on the wrong side of the Demo establishment very quickly, and they don't take prisoners. This woman is trying to play hardball without having learned the rules. It ain't gonna be pretty.

WV "fedgest" Madoff

Hoosier Daddy said...

We don't want any more Blue Dogs. It's bye-bye Bayh, and bye-bye Blue Dogs in the state of Indiana."

This is why she doesn't have me quaking in my boots. She obviously doesn't have a frickin clue about Indiana outside the Bloomington bubble.

Joe said...

The other Joe may be the more handsome one, but I know how to spell woman.

Fred4Pres said...

Not so tall or tan, but lovely,
The girl named D'Ippolito goes running,
And when she's running, the GOP goes aaaaahhh!

A far left girl in the general will get beat,
The GOP will pick up another Senate seat,
So if you are GOP sign the girl's petition,
Especiall if you're conservative orientation,

And she loses, it is okay too.
The Baron is a dick and YouTube shows it soo,
A primary race only makes him spend money there.

bagoh20 said...

""Is there anything less desirable today than political experience?""

A criminal record?"


They are often the same thing.

h. said...

I drove to the county seat to sign a petition for her today. No one had filed a petition on her behalf in my entire county. We are down the road from Bloomington and there are plenty of progressives around here. The number of _recorded_ signatures for her across the state was a grand total of 89. Why should I bother if she wasn't serious until yesterday afternoon?

Joe said...

(The one who demonstrates his Feminist Street Cred by spelling 'Womon' correctly, rather than furthering the false consciousness perpetuated by the Patriarchy and imbibed by womyn that are too blind to the reality(ies) of a Phallocracy that binds them)

I had something to say but I lost my train of thought. But I’m sure it was witty and had something to do with Gays, Lesbians, Bi-Sexuals, the Transgendered, Womyn, People of Colour and the Poor.

damikesc said...

She didn't make it?

Damn. She could've made a difference.

Murray might have stopped being the biggest idiot in the Senate.

Ann Althouse said...

"She looks a little like Tammy Baldwin."

Yeah, that's what I thought.

Methadras said...

Her cherubic round face projects the perception of mischievous honesty.

MadisonMan said...

You know, just because she didn't get the signatures -- that doesn't mean the Democratic Party of Indiana still won't pick her as the best Candidate. (Apologies for the double negative).

Or is there a more tone-deaf Candidate waiting in the wings?

mccullough said...

Perhaps she can use the campaing slogan Hoosier Nanny?

Beth said...

bingo bongo!

I hope she's on the ballot just so we can hear more of that kind of talk. If politics ain't entertainment, what's the point?

Original Mike said...

The number of _recorded_ signatures for her across the state was a grand total of 89.

Weird.

Johnny Vino said...

Anyone watch Parks and Recreation? I think Leslie Knope needs to jump in the fray.

Justin said...

Hey now, the Region's not that bad. Sure, it might have all the charm of a landfill, bit it's home dammit.

Anonymous said...

Or is there a more tone-deaf Candidate waiting in the wings?

One can hope.

MadisonMan said...

Note that they'd also have to be more tone deaf than the Republican candidate, and if that Republican Candidate is Dan Coats, it may be hard to out-tonedeaf him.

Tibore said...

"Original Mike said...
She should be careful I've seen the movies. A car comes up behind her on the narrow, twisty mountain road. It pulls up along side...

Hoosier Daddy said...
Twisty mountain road? In Indiana? Try instead the "North by Northwest" scene with the crop-duster.

Heh, well she is from Bloomington, (which is a university town with swanky cafes and bourgeoise coffee shops, garage) which tends to have some rolling hills which to us central Indiana flatlanders would qualify as 'mountainous' :-)...

Original Mike said...
Greg, I'm making a movie here. A little poetic license, please. If Hollywood can put eculyptus trees in Wisconsin, I can put mountains in Indiana."


Man, if you've ever leadfooted it through State Road 446 near Lake Monroe, you'd realize you don't need a "mountain" road to get the narrow and twisty part down. Aieeeeeee....

Don't get me wrong, it's a fun, fun road... when it's dry out, and you have good tires. And no traffic. But otherwise... it's a dark and stormy night... a car comes up behind on the narrow, twisty hilly road (*Bom bom BOM!!*).

Tibore said...

From her cafe's website:

"Please see our new website www.thepoorclub.org we are working to bring awareness and education to poverty in our community. If you would like to become a member we have meetings once a month please join us."

Unfortunately, www.thepoorclub.org is parked by some domain naming registrar, so that's a bit of a fail.

On top of that, I won't argue against anyone's activism, but I question the wisdom of putting it up on website meant to showcase a restaurant. Then again, it is Bloomington; that sort of thing probably would attract a segment of Bloomington's population.

Beth said...

Is thepoorclub.org working to increase awareness of punctuation poverty in the community?

Bingo-bongo!