Indiana: The Ultra-Right-Wing State Nobody Mentions

[doxydad]

This state seems to have escaped scrutiny over such right-wing actions such as voter ID and anti-union measures.

Indiana is a right-wing, conservative state. Somehow, however, the state seems to fly under the radar of the national media when they address the right-leaning activities in other states like Texas and Wisconsin. This is curious because it has frequently been Indiana at the forefront of many of the right-wing laws that have garnered attention from the national media in other states.

Indiana has been ground zero in privatization of public resources, voter ID laws, assaults on reproductive rights, lax environmental regulations and dismantling unions - to name a few pet right-wing initiatives.

http://www.alternet.org/tea-party-and-right/ultra-right-wing-state-nobody-mentions

[Smarmie Doofus]

1. Ohio on one side, Illinois on the other.....

... and *Alabama* in between.

(Sorry, Alabama.)

[HughBeaumont]

18. While it does have it's good places, SlowHio isn't much better . . . .

We're still hampered with Theocratic politicians, Laissez-fail lovers, racism pretty much everywhere, people who still live in 1961, swaths of bible-thumpers . . . . remember, this state selected The Failure Fuhrer twice (OK, so he had help the second time . . . ) and once had Mike DeWine as a Senator.

[cali]

2. Indiana does seem to largely escape scrutiny.

[Voltaire]

3. Yes we do. . .

This is one of the most backwards country fuck states in the Union. And attacks on Unions and restrictive voter ID laws began and still exist right here in Indiana. A psalm-singing fake for a Governor and the Worst Part-Time Legislature Money Can Buy. If you don't live in one of the larger cities or one of the college towns like West Lafayette or Bloomington, you are screwn as far as liberalism goes. And most GOP voters in this state are dumber than a bag of hammers. The Democratic Party on a state level, too, is mostly, supine.

[Brigid]

10. And you don't even want to contemplate Terre Haute.

A wasteland even by Indiana standards.

[Reter]

4. I wouldn't call it "ultra" for one reason

2008. Now Utah and Idaho on the other hand...

[B Calm]

5. I live behind the Hoosier Iron Curtain. It's a very backward state! We'll be the last state

to legalize weed.

[Brigid]

9. And expand Medicaid.

[spanone]

6. mike pence is governor....say no more.

[bullwinkle428]

7. Indiana privatized the tollway (I-80/I-90) running east-west across the state,

selling it to some kind of Spanish/Australian consortium, I believe. The rest stops along that highway are total shitholes, and don't hold a candle to the beautiful clean ones in next-door neighbor Ohio.

[Brigid]

8. Major Moves.

Major Stupid.

[AngryOldDem]

12. And it's being run into the ground.

http://www.indystar.com/story/news/2014/06/19/indiana-toll-road-operator-facing-debt-woes-cintra-macquarie/10870187/

Another privatization success story. This was Mitch's idea, if I recall correctly.

[ieoeja]

13. Daley started it.

He privatized the Skyway in Chicago that leads to the Indiana toll road. This gave Mitch cover to do the same. He could always point at Daley and say "well, the Democrats did it first, why can't we?"

Even Bob Novak once wrote that Daley was "only nominally a Democrat".

[AngryOldDem]

17. Interesting -- thanks.

Mitch was the King of Privatization so I thought this was his bright idea.

[B Calm]

14. The price of driving on that private toll road went up too!

Gee thanks Mitch!

[AngryOldDem]

15. Because apparently they can't manage it properly.

Talk about throwing good money after bad.

[IronLionZion]

11. They voted for Obama in 2008

and elected Democratic Senator Joe Donnelly. But yes, I know what you mean. Birch Baye couldn't get elected today I don't think.

I lived in that miserable shithole for 8 months, and that was too long. Of the places I've lived, only north Florida was worse.

[geek tragedy]

16. probably because Obama win in 2008 and Mourdock won in 2012.

There's been an established ceiling on how much crazy they're willing to tolerate.

Which is rare for a deep red state.