13 October 2004

A Day in the Life

What a whirlwind! I apologize for not posting that regularly, it's a very busy time for me. School full-time, work full-time, my campaign, plus helping with Our Guy Gividen is really an exhausting task. The past 48 hours has been an absolute roller-coaster of emotions. I found out about 8pm on Monday that Kenn Gividen, Libertarian candidate for governor, was to be excluded from the debates this Sunday in New Albany.

I wake up yesterday, on my way into class, all I hear on WXNT is how we (LPIN) are getting the shaft on the debates. It was basically a three hour pulpit to show how R's and D's were picking on the little guy. Each side was tripping over each other, but that's politics sometimes. Kip Tew, state Democrat chair, said it was Mitch Daniels' side. Bill Oesterle, Mitch Daniels' campaign manager, said it was Kernan's camp keeping Kenn out.

I got out of class, grabbed lunch, and met up with other libertarians on Monument Circle. LPIN Executive Director Brad Klopfenstein went on offense completely, with many prominent people standing up and believing that, "YES! WE CAN!" put Kenn in the debates. From there, it's lunch time (for everyone else), while I just grab a Diet Coke. The press came out for this one, WISH, WTHR, WXNT-AM, Network Indiana, and the Indianapolis Star, plus others sent reporters to hear our polite outrage over this.

By this time, it's now about 1:30 in the afternoon. I met a local pizza shop owner at the City Market. Really nice guy, he believes that it's time for a change, and the LPIN is the best option for that change. I gave him some yard signs, bumper stickers, literature, etc.

Time for the roadie :)....LaPorte here we come! Riding in the Kenn-mobile, I got a first-hand look at how busy this man really is. Before we even get from the LPIN offices to the interstate, he's doing a radio interview for a station in Chesterton. Kenn knows his stuff inside out! Along the way, he did an interview with the Indy Star, plus got confirmation that he would be in the debate! YAY!

When we got to LaPorte, I couldn't have been any happier, or so I thought, since Kenn was back in the debate. But we got to LaPorte for the opening of the new county party HQ there, and I see this big sign in downtown LaPorte that says VOTE LIBERTARIAN! That floored me! Greg Kelver LPLP Chair, Doug Barnes, Jack Lemley (who lets us use this building, thank you Jack), and others have really invested a lot of time, energy and care into making LaPorte County a thriving Libertarian stronghold.

Brad was there along with LPIN Chair Mark Rutherford, LPIN State Secretary (and Secretary of State candiate for 2006) Mike Kole, and Justin Kempf . We brought the heat from Indy along with us. Greg put on a great show, with ribbon cutting from the mayor, a live remote from a local radio station for 90 minutes, good food, good people, and a great cause!

What a day! I couldn't even stay awake on the ride back. I got home safe and sound and went right to sleep. Just another day in the life.

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