TERRE HAUTE —
Hoosier voters, especially those who choose a Republican ballot for the May 8 primary election, face a difficult decision this spring. Longtime U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar faces a spirited re-election challenge from state Treasurer Richard Mourdock for the GOP Senate nomination. The winner advances to a general election showdown in the fall with the presumed Democrat nominee, Rep. Joe Donnelly, and any third-party or independent candidates who qualify to run.
For decades, Sen. Lugar has been politically untouchable. His party has been solidly behind him, and Democrats haven’t been able to muster a challenge. In fact, six years ago, when Lugar sought his fifth term, the Democrats did not even field a candidate.
Times change. The emergence of the tea party in 2010 created an ideological struggle among Republicans, some of whom promote a more aggressive brand of conservatism than Lugar has practiced in his 35-year tenure in the U.S. Senate. Mourdock represents that more conservative wing of the GOP, and he clearly has the support and resources to give Lugar a stiff fight.
Unaligned or undecided Republican voters may feel ill-equipped to sort out the differences between the two. And the advertising war being waged over the airwaves may not be too helpful. Any thoughtful voter is wise to be skeptical of the attack ads.
One way for voters to get an unfiltered view of the two candidates is by watching the Lugar-Mourdock debate which will be televised throughout the state at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 11. The hour-long debate is sponsored by the Indiana Debate Commission, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes and conducts political debates between candidates for statewide offices.
The April 11 debate will be broadcast from the studios of WFYI, a PBS affiliate in downtown Indianapolis. As this year’s president of the Debate Commission, I appreciate WFYI making its facilities available for this important political event, and am quite pleased that the candidates agreed to participate. At this point, it appears our debate will be the only one to occur between these candidates.
A signature feature of events conducted by the Debate Commission since its founding in 2008 is that voters primarily get the opportunity to formulate and ask questions of the candidates. Questions are submitted in advance, then reviewed, vetted and selected by a commission committee. Questioners are then invited to attend the debate and ask their question in person, or record the question on video for replay at the debate.
If you’ve got a question you’d like to ask the candidates, you can submit it at www.indianadebatecommission.com. There is a question form on the right side of the main webpage. You can also submit at the commission’s Facebook page. On Facebook, just search for Indiana Debate Commission to reach the page.
More than 75 questions have been submitted since Tuesday, and many more are expected. Despite the volume, there are ways to get your question noticed and considered. Keep a question succinct and focused on a specific issue, try to avoid lacing it with your own opinion, and don’t ask questions directly targeted at one candidate. Craft fair questions that both candidates can answer.
There is no deadline for submitting questions. However, the earlier you get your question submitted, the more likely it will be considered and/or selected for use at the debate.
There is no shortage of compelling topics — jobs and the economy, gas prices, deficit reduction, the size and scope of government, social issues, international affairs, etc. All are fodder for a great debate on April 11. We just need voters to weigh in and make it happen.
Jones can be reached at (812) 231-4336, or by email at max.jones@tribstar.com. Follow him on Twitter: @TribStarMax.
Max Jones
Related Photos
-
Max Jones, Tribune-Star editor
Discussion
MAX JONES: Got a question for Lugar-Mourdock debate? Submit it
- Max Jones
-
-
MAX JONES: The American Newspaper: Changing? Yes. Dying? No way!
It happened again this past January when all those “looking at the year ahead” stories started popping up on Internet “news” websites and broadcast “news” programs. Under a provocative headline reading something like “Five industries/businesses doomed to tank in the coming year,” there it was, a prediction based on an unsubstantiated “expert” analysis that the newspaper industry will continue in 2013 to suffer its slide into oblivion.
-
MAX JONES: Call it religion if you want, it’s still bigotry
The tiny grocery store my grandfather operated in the 1950s and ’60s was often a gathering spot for the colorful cast of neighborhood characters that populated my hometown. I liked hanging out there with my brothers or cousins because it was good entertainment and we all enjoyed the way our granddad interacted with the locals.
-
MAX JONES: Social media can actually serve a useful purpose
If you’ve spent any time at all on Facebook and Twitter, you know that so much of what we now call social media is mindless banter. Not that this is a bad thing.
-
MAX JONES: There are simple ways to get your letter published
As an old year turns into a new year, I am inclined to look back and assess the newspaper’s performance on behalf of readers the past 12 months. When I do, the volume and quality of reader letters we publish always amazes me.
-
MAX JONES: Newspapers have story to tell about bright future
Rarely does a week go by when someone doesn’t call, write or stop me on the street to express how much they value their local newspaper and appreciate what it means to the community. Usually they like to tell me that it’s the print edition they find most satisfying, but many acknowledge they also use the online edition to keep an eye on things as well.
-
Max Jones: Dances for CHANCES — great fun for worthy cause
Many years ago — too many to ponder at the moment — I joined a community theater troupe in Sullivan and had the opportunity to perform in several Broadway musicals. In one instance, I was fortunate to have the lead role portraying George M. Cohan in the musical “George M!”
-
MAX JONES: News dynamics sometimes test an editor’s principles
It has been a long-standing policy at the Tribune-Star not to publish the names of crime victims
-
MAX JONES: Got a question for Lugar-Mourdock debate? Submit it
Hoosier voters, especially those who choose a Republican ballot for the May 8 primary election, face a difficult decision this spring. Longtime U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar faces a spirited re-election challenge from state Treasurer Richard Mourdock for the GOP Senate nomination. The winner advances to a general election showdown in the fall with the presumed Democrat nominee, Rep. Joe Donnelly, and any third-party or independent candidates who qualify to run.
-
MAX JONES: The sun never sets on Indiana’s time-zone debate
When Mitch Daniels aggressively pushed for Indiana to adopt daylight-saving time in his first term as governor, I admit I was not enthusiastic. The state, I figured, had found a way to handle its awkward time-zone geography by merely maintaining the time status quo while states around it changed their clocks twice a year. We peacefully coexisted with that strategy for a couple of decades.
-
MAX JONES: It is amazing what an energized downtown can do
For those of us who’ve watched the inspired growth and development of downtown Indianapolis through the years, it’s hard to understand sometimes the amazement some express at what’s been created.
-
MAX JONES: More changes and challenges, but we’re getting there
As a newspaper lands on your porch each day, or you grab it from a local vendor, the complex manufacturing process that goes into producing it is probably the furthest thing from your mind.
-
MAX JONES: Arranging the pieces so it all makes sense
Putting together a newspaper, with its diverse mix of content, is sort of like assembling a jigsaw puzzle. You just have to keep mixing, matching and playing with the pieces until things begin to look right.
-
MAX JONES: Community newspapers too valuable to go away
These days, rarely a week goes by without someone — a co-worker, a friend, a professional associate, an acquaintance, etc. — asking for my thoughts about the future of the newspaper industry.
-
MAX JONES: Angry emotion yet to rear its head in mayoral race
October has arrived. Five weeks remain before Election Day, and a staple ingredient seems to be missing from Terre Haute’s mayoral campaign season.
-
MAX JONES: Join us as we walk in the shadows of 9/11
The 10th anniversary of 9/11 has sparked renewed interest toward a haunting time in modern history. With all that’s happened the past 10 years related to the terrorist attacks of 2001, it still seems like only yesterday that we all were watching those terrible images of commercial airliners flying into buildings, towers collapsing and grief-stricken people all across America — and the world — mourning the victims.
-
MAX JONES: 9/11 ‘moments’ still vivid 10 years later
With the 10th anniversary of 9/11 approaching, Americans are recalling in vivid detail where they were when they first learned of the terrorist attacks.
-
MAX JONES: Something special — courtesy of your newspaper
Publishing a daily newspaper is our bread and butter here at the Tribune-Star.
-
MAX JONES: Ernie Pyle never ceases bringing pride to Indiana
Once again, Ernie Pyle has made me proud to be a journalist.
-
MAX JONES: What do you know about that founding Declaration?
Of all the national holidays Americans celebrate, July 4th — Independence Day — sports the most essential link to the country’s shared history and ideals.
-
MAX JONES: Ready, action! Video lets us tell even better stories
Those of you who make the Tribune-Star’s online edition part of your reading routine — and there are approximately 40,000 of you each week who do so — have been treated recently to an enhanced feature on our website.
-
MAX JONES: Vigo County played active role in Civil War history
When the Tribune-Star set out to find a way to commemorate Vigo County’s unique role in Civil War history on the 150th anniversary of its beginning, I was concerned it might be difficult to find much information on the subject locally.
-
MAX JONES: Local seminar to shed light on access
Transparency in public information is an important principle for the proper functioning of government at all levels. Vigilance is key in ensuring that public records and meetings remain open and accessible to citizens of our communities.
-
MAX JONES: Readers benefit from new resource
The Tribune-Star’s primary mission is to report news and tell stories that are relevant to our large community of readers, helping them be better informed and more engaged citizens.
-
MAX JONES: Farewell to Stephanie, for a while
The Tribune-Star and its legions of readers throughout the Wabash Valley were extremely fortunate six years ago to welcome back a native daughter.
-
MAX JONES: Friends ready for next big step at Pyle historic site
The campaign to preserve the legacy of World War II journalist Ernie Pyle in his hometown of Dana passed a milestone last week. Indiana’s Natural Resources Commission voted to end the state’s involvement in the Pyle historic site and turn it over to the Friends of Ernie Pyle organization.
-
Max Jones: Taking the pulse of community progress
Terre Haute and Vigo County have been in a period of vibrant change in recent years.
- MAX JONES: Christmas miracles can still happen You don’t have to wander far to find people who remember vividly when downtown Terre Haute was the place to be during the Christmas
- EDITOR'S NOTE: Appearance of corruption a strong incentive for reform Today, and for the following two days, Tribune-Star readers are being treated to a remarkable series of editorials and essays produced by the Indianapolis Star.
- MAX JONES: Tough times call for lots of encouragement The last college and high school classes of the first decade of the 21st century have begun receiving their diplomas . Expectations are high, even as economic times are hard.
-
MAX JONES: Printed newspaper will be here for years to come
Whenever I speak to groups or individuals around the community about the state of the newspaper industry, I often get confused looks when I say that newspaper readership is growing rapidly and has never been higher.
- More Max Jones Headlines
-
MAX JONES: The American Newspaper: Changing? Yes. Dying? No way!
Raw: Trucker Bumps I-5 Bridge Before Collapse
Major Detours Following Wash. Bridge Collapse
Raw: Texas Deputy Shot by Colo. Suspect Honored
American Held in Grisly Czech Murders
Officials: Tsarnaev Friend Linked to Slaying
Raw: Jersey Shore Reopens for Summer
Suspect in Killing of Officer Found Dead in Cell
Bridge Collapse Survivor: 'Rough Day'
Obama:Sexual Assault Threatens Trust in Military
UK-bound Pakistan Plane Diverted, 2 Men Arrested
Raw: Memorial Day Flags Placed at Arlington
Raw Video: Washington State Bridge Collapse
Jersey Shore Open for Business
Officials: Truck Hit Bridge Before Collapse
First Person: Mom Discusses Famous Tornado Photo
New Wheelchair Lift Promises More Access
ShowBiz Minute: Pickler, Franklin, Potter
Boy Scouts Approve Plan to Accept Gay Boys
Sheriff: No Sign Killing of 2 Kids Was Planned
Today in History May 24
AK-47-wielding thug may be the most bumbling crook ever
Oklahoma Survivors, Heroes Survey Damage
Trout's cycle a boost for Angels
Raw: New Video of Deadly Oklahoma Tornado
Kim Kardashian Flaunts Pregnant Bikini Body in Greece
NBA star pledges $1M to help tornado recovery
Shakira's Shocking Talent
Morgan Freeman falls asleep on air
GRAPHIC: Blood-Soaked Machete Killer Caught on Tape
Elin Nordegren Furious With Lindsey Vonn For Parading Kids in Public
Camera Captures Climber As He Loses Grip And Falls
Helen Mirren Meets with Dying Boy in Queen Elizabeth's Place
Crowd Chants '¡Si, Se Puede!' After Passage of Immigration Bill
DWTS Crowns a Winner
Police Ram House to End Hostage Standoff
Demi Moore a Rocks Bikini at Harry Morton's Family House
Anthony Weiner: I'm running for New York City mayor
Kate Middleton's Dress Flies Up
VIRAL: Baby makes epic soccer goal
The Hangover Baby All Grown Up
