I talked with Jill Long Thompson a few times when she was our state representative and liked her. She would be a spirited and engaging challenger against Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels. I know hardly anything about her Democratic primary opponent in the governor's race, Indianapolis businessman Jim Schellinger. Apparently, I'm not alone, as Indianapolis Star columnist Matthew Tully reports:
Schellinger, once the perceived sure thing for the Democratic nomination, a man with all the party and fundraising connections, has run one of the more uninspired campaigns in recent memory.
Ten months after the Indianapolis businessman entered the race, it's a good bet most Hoosiers haven't heard of him. Good luck finding a Schellinger policy proposal. Other than his fund8raising success and the fact that polls suggest any Democrat would be competitive against Daniels, Schellinger's campaign has been a lackluster one.
[. . .]
Monday, Schellinger announced he'd raised $2.4 million in 2007. His team has long argued he would crush Thompson financially and boost his name ID with heavy pre-primary advertising. Many supporters, even disillusioned ones, continue to believe that strategy will carry Schellinger to the nomination.
Perhaps they're right. Schellinger has indeed proved he can raise cash. But as a candidate, he hasn't proved much else.
In a Thompson-Daniels clash, I would expect to agree with Daniels more often than with Thompson. But that's because I know what the two of them stand for.
