Its one of the first days of the rest of our political lives and I predict we will never see a contested primary in Indiana like the one we just witnessed.  Why?  Because the Democratic Party leaders won’t let it happen.

Party leaders change the rules so that they, and not always the voters, control the nomination process.   That’s how they came up with super delegates and that’s how they produced proportional primaries.  Now, they will find a way to change the game so that in the future it is always decided before Indiana gets its turn in May.

Of course, Indiana has the ability to change the rules, too.  The Indiana primary could be held earlier in the year and the 2008 experience will increase the appetite for that.   Ironically, the Republicans hold all the cards, at least for now.  They control the state Senate and the Governor’s office, so change will happen only if the GOP thinks its a good idea.

Or, if the GOP sees that Democrats won an organizational advantage as a result of the efforts of the Obama and Clinton campaigns. 

It was a long time from 1968 to 2008, and it could be a lot longer before Indiana matters again.

Its my normal practice to give my read on the races that matter on the day before, so here goes with my predictions for the Indiana Primary:

-President:  I said on Indiana Week in Review Friday that it leans Clinton.  I think it did.. on Friday.  I no longer do.  I think its up for grabs.  I don’t know who will win.

-Governor (D):  Jill Long Thompson.  She didn’t run much of a campaign and read (repeat: read) a terrible speech at the Jefferson Jackson Day Dinner but I still think she wins.  Infer what you like about how that reflects on Jim Schellinger’s campaign.

-7th District (D):  I think André Carson gets through.  Woody Myers needed to go negative to get over the top and didn’t.  The fact that he and David Orentlicher did battle with one another over the final weekend is good for André.

-5th District (R):  John McGoff’s effort to take out Dan Burton fails.  McGoff fell short on money and the attention given to the Presidential race hurts him.

-Incumbent Lawmaker (D&R):  Nobody falls due to the property tax furor.  Check back in the fall.

Questions that come to mind while watching the Indiana Primary unfold:

-Will this put a stop to talk about moving the primary in this state to an earlier date?

-Will it dull memories of 1968?

-Will the economic activity generated from campaign appearances and tv ads by Democrats improve state tax revenues to the benefit of Republican Governor Mitch Daniels?

-Does anybody miss all the car ads?

-Why did David Orentlicher wait so long to get on television and then to go negative?

-Why is Woody Myers staying positive? 

-Is he ahead?

-Who wins the doctor vote in the 7th District?

-Why did Jim Schellinger appear on camera so much in his tv ads?

-Will Democrats pick the toughest opponent for Mitch Daniels (Jill Long Thompson) in spite of party leaders?

-How many Democrats will vote for President and then skip Governor?

-Why haven’t the Clintons worn out their welcome?

-Did Obama take Indiana for granted for too long?

-Will Republicans bother to vote on Tuesday?

Some things to thing about:

-Hillary Clinton hits the air with commercials in Indiana this week.  Now the battle here is joined in every respect.  After 40 years of nothing, we’re Iowa, only with higher stakes.

-That is, unless Hillary loses in Pennsylvania.  Do both the Clinton and Obama campaigns pull the plug here if that happens?

-Evan Strange’s 15 minutes are up.  (The kid who asked the Lewinsky question at Butler.)

-Jim Greeson’s elevation to State Fire Marshall clears the way for Mayor Greg Ballard to put his stamp on the Indianapolis Fire Department.

-The Dave Matthews free tickets in exchange for a promised voter registration produced no arrests.  Are prosecutors looking the other way?  Or, is it ok?

-Pollster Del Ali (The WISH-TV Indiana Poll) says that if Obama wins here, so does Jill Long Thompson.

The Clinton vs. Obama battle not only divides the Democratic Party it also divides some families.

That was evident in Terre Haute today where Hillary Clinton appeared at the Saratoga Inn, an appearance that Fred Nation (former Evan Bayh press secretary and longtime Terre Haute resident) helped to arrange.

Next door to the Saratoga Inn on Wabash Street is the local Obama for America headquarters and, in it this morning, was one of the local organizers, Todd Nation (Fred’s son and President of the Terre Haute city council.)

Todd says the location was coincidence.