Indiana

Burton?s Loss

By Abdul Hakim-Shabazz

I honestly don’t know whether Indiana 5th District Congressman Dan Burton has had a stroke of genius or just a stroke, but his decision not to debate his opponents for the upcoming primary is one that baffles me to no end.

With the latest polling data showing his re-elects at less than 30 percent, more than 40 percent of the Republican voters in the District undecided, and an anti-incumbent mood sweeping through this nation the likes of which a lot of people haven’t seen in a while, you would think Burton would jump at the chance to take on his opponents and prove his case to the voters.  Instead, all I see him doing is jumping off a political cliff.

Ask anyone and they will tell you that half of politics is showing up.  There’s always a risk in a debate and you can never predict the outcome, but by not showing up, Burton is handing his opponents an opportunity on a silver platter.   And I can easily see them ripping him a new one since he won’t be there to defend himself.    Now there is a political school of thought that says showing up does you no good when all you are going to be is the target.  Well it’s better to be a target that can answer back at allegations as opposed to not being there to defend your record.  

For Burton to skip out does a serious disservice to the voters in the 5th District who are going back and forth on whether to give him another term in office.   If  I were one of them and Dan Burton decided not to show up for me at the debate, I’d make it a point to return the favor and definitely not show up for him at the ballot box.

Full post as published by Indiana Barrister on February 22, 2010 (boomark / email).