I think that people often don't understand, and regularly underestimate,Indiana. Obama paid attention, and bothered to show up, many times. He didn't take Hoosiers for granted, he didn't focus on Da Region, or on Marion Co., and he didn't just give it up as a red state. He was really ahead until the McCain campaign struck fear into older voters with their "socialism" comments but in the end, Hoosiers want out of Iraq, we want a better economy, we want green power (we have wind farms and manufacture turbines--I see them on 41 all the time). Here in SW Indiana, we have coal and oil and we want it to be clean. We're a lot more diverse here than people think we are. So I'm glad, but not shocked.

Call us purple, if you like. At the state level, and in my local level, the Republicans ruled. I suspect there was a lot of split-ticket voting.

Oh, definitely. But you know, I never think of Mitch Daniels as a Republican--I always have to think a minute. I forget abt his time in Washington and think of him as a Lilly exec. who has tried various business techniques on IN govt--after a rough start, I think he's done well.He brings in employers-- thought it was silly of Jill Long Thompson to try to run on that. Down here, most Dem incumbents won, but Dems here are mostly the "blue dog" kind.

You, my friend, are a very cool parent. Loved your pictures of election coverage and think it's v. cool that you're MPR dude. You rock.