A few years ago, Senator Mike Braun was finding himself in hot water over his support of Black Lives Matter, a racist extremist organization, while criticizing law enforcement.
He appeared on Tucker Carlson’s show to respond to a segment Carlson had done about him. This was when Tucker Carlson was still on Fox News.
More than two years after Rayshard Brooks was fatally shot by Atlanta police, the case against the two officers involved has been dropped.
The special prosecutor announced Tuesday afternoon that he would not pursue charges against the officers. Pete Skandalakis, executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, shared the decision during an afternoon news conference.
Rayshard Brooks was drunk, resisted arrest, and took the officer’s Taser and used it against the officer. The use of lethal force by police was justified by any objective observation.
In his current gubernatorial run in Indiana, Braun has received the endorsement of the Indiana State Police Alliance.
The National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) gave Braun a 100% rating. Mike Braun steadily increased his NAPO rating from 2019, where he earned a mere 33%. Braun got a 60% in 2020 but has maintained a 100% rating since then.
Mike Braun’s current gubernatorial campaign has released a public safety plan for Hoosiers.
The plan includes:
Keeping communities safe
Braun said that if a violent crime is committed, an individual assaults a law enforcement officer or distributes drugs like fentanyl and methamphetamine, they will “face the full weight of Indiana’s justice system.”
Standing with law enforcement
Braun said he would propose “significant salary increases and advanced training opportunities” for law enforcement, “ensuring that… officers have the resources and backing they need to perform their duties…”
Braun said he would also “champion policies” that enhance the recruitment and retention of officers, as well as improve training and support their well-being.
Interestingly enough, his plan also includes protections of qualified immunity.
Protect qualified immunity
Braun said qualified immunity is a “crucial legal doctrine” which protects officers from personal liability while they perform their duties. Braun said his commitment is to provide officers “with the confidence and legal safeguards they need to make decisions in the best interest of public safety.”
He asked me if I would follow him as mayor, I said, by the time you’re done being mayor, Republicans will be so sick of Democrats in Goshen no Democrat could get elected.
Alan Kauffman – Former Mayor – Goshen, IN
Alan Kauffman served as Mayor of Goshen, IN for more than 18 years. Not bad for a guy who was convinced no Democrat could get elected in Goshen after Mayor Puro.
So how did Kauffman overcome the odds? How did he become mayor when he was convinced it wasn’t possible for a Democrat to get elected?
“One night I said, well if something happened that you left office, then I was caucused in and I could run as an incumbent, I’d think about it.”
Alan Kauffman – Former Mayor – Goshen, IN
Listen to the audio below.
In March of 1997, Puro resigned and Kauffman was, indeed, easily caucused in by the Democratic Party. From there, he ran for mayor as the incumbent in 1999 and won. Incumbents hold a significant advantage to be reelected. The rest is history.
Kauffman is currently a Goshen School Board member and embroiled in an election scandal for mishandling election funds and possible illegal campaign contributions.
Fast forward to 2015. After mentoring Jeremy Stutsman for over 8 years, Kauffman had his hand-picked successor. Stutsman would defeat Republican Mary Cripe to be Goshen’s next mayor. Kauffman said he would have run again if he felt the next mayor would be a ‘flake.’
Stutsman ran unopposed in 2019 after his opponent, Republican Terry Snyder, 77, died unexpectedly just weeks before the May 7 primary election. In December of 2022, Mayor Stutsman announced he was running for his third term as mayor of Goshen.
Goshen Mayor Jeremy Stutsman is resigning later this year to become the new C-E-O of Lacasa, Inc.
95.3 MNC
At his public announcement that he would not seek reelection, Stutsman said:
“Over the next couple of weeks, between myself, the new mayor that … uh the person that I’m hoping will be the new mayor that’s announcing …”
Mayor Stutsman
Listen to the audio below.
More on who that person is shortly.
The mayor announcing they weren’t running for reelection right after announcing that they were caused confusion about the election.
Mayor Stutsman will remain on the May primary ballot. The Democratic party will then caucus a candidate to take Stutsman’s place for the November general election.
It’s hard to say how the GOP would have adjusted their strategy and candidate selection had they known Stutsman would not be running, but it’s safe to assume they would have taken a different approach.
It’s also safe to assume that the timing of Stutsman’s announcement prevented any Democrat candidate from announcing a primary run. Especially since it was too late to replace Stutsman’s name on the May ballot.
Once again, Goshen Democrats strategized to take the choice out of the people’s hands and hand-pick their successor for Mayor.
Elkhart City Councilman Aaron Mishler thinks this is a brilliant strategy. Frankly, it is brilliant albeit very shady, and underhanded.
Goshen election officials said Democrats would caucus to choose Stutsman’s replacement after the May primary. It’s only April and we already have the heir apparent.
Mayor Jeremy Stutsman has endorsed Gina Leichty as the candidate of choice to fulfill his term and run for office in the fall municipal election in 2023.
95.3 MNC
Democrats are expected to caucus for a candidate in May. Stutsman has estimated he will be done as mayor in June. The election is in the Fall.
The strategy is simple:
Announce you aren’t running for reelection late in the cycle to prevent candidates in your own party from running against your hand-picked successor.
Negatively affect the other political party’s strategy going into election season.
Give your hand-picked successor an almost certain win.
Rinse and repeat anytime there’s a changing of the guard.
To be clear, I’m not accusing anyone of breaking the law. The strategy is effective. Goshen residents need to decide for themselves if they feel cheated by this scheme.
Are Democrats ok with not being able to effectively run for mayor in the primary with a level playing field?
Are Republicans ok with effectively being shut out of a truly competitive electoral process by not knowing who they were running against?
Are Goshen voters ok with the electoral process being manipulated by local Democrats so that all eligible candidates don’t get a fair shot in the primary?
I do find it ironic that the @January6thCmte trusts the credibility of witnesses willing to testify under oath, but they reject sworn affidavits for witnesses who risked jail time to provide testimony of witnessed 2020 fraud. So you only trust 'your' witnesses?
