When the state house kept kicking the can on changing the tax structure after the inventory tax was ruled unconstitutional (around 1998) led to a forced big hike in property tax right at the same time the Tea Party was taking off in the summer/fall of 2009.
I was in Indy at the time and the Mayor was expected to glide to a 3rd term. Til in the last 1-2 months protest city (via the tea party), and Bart Peterson was soon former mayor.
It is all I can figure - as to why the GOP here became so much more radical than it had been for decades (ya pockets far right - but state wide most GOP/Dems were always pretty moderate: Orr, Bayh, O'Bannon, and Daniels. (Okay Daniels was hardline economic right -but moderate on culture wars and most areas of governance.)
I think most (even GOP) still don't like Pence - they just love the tribalism of Trump, and others... well its the talibornigan faction.
That said - I am going to pay close attention to the final vote spread between Biden Trump and expect it to be much decreased from 2016, and attention to the rates of turnout by age in the urban and suburban parts of the state.
It did feel like we were turning purple in 2006 and 2008. I think that was real - and still hope that the fervor/radicalization will keep wearing off and wane. Am hoping that in the next 2 cycles we return to purple. wishful thinking, eh?
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