As Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama appear together on stage in Unity, New Hampshire it may be worth one last visit to the Jill Long Thompson/Jim Schellinger split here in Indiana.

A Schellinger public endorsement is probably out of the question now because the State Democratic Convention last week was the best opportunity to stage one.  So who’s to blame?

Both Schellinger and Long Thompson contributed to the differences that stand in the way of a unity display.  I’m told they talked on the telephone a few weeks back and Schellinger asked for a face-to-face meeting.  Long Thompson agreed and instructed him to set it up with her campaign manager.

When Schellinger’s representative called about a meeting, he was told there was no longer any interest in the Long Thompson camp.  Campaign manager Travis Lowe says Schellinger wanted to go back through the primary campaign and spell out grievances and, he said, its time to move forward.

But isn’t Long Thompson the one in need of an endorsement?

Jill Long Thompson sightings are few and far between in the time since her May primary win.  She is successfully completing the compulsories with the selection of Dennie Oxley as a running mate and a controversy free state convention.

But freestyle campaigning is on hold.  No policy announcements, no partisan attacks, no television commercials.

Both Oxley and Thompson are focused on fundraising in the effort to make a good showing on campaign finance reports due June 30th.  That’s when we get a good read on strength of her campaign.  Evan Bayh takes part in a big fundraiser for the Democratic candidate for governor tomorrow. 

Thompson spokesman Jeff Harris says it will be July before we witness much public campaign activity.  On the day after Thompson’s primary defeat of Jim Schellinger I said in this space that she had no time to celebrate.  This is what I was talking about.

I just got mail from Jim Schellinger, a letter thanking me for covering his primary bid for governor and for the “critical role” I play in the political process.

I can’t remember receiving a similar letter in the past, and, I’m told Schellinger has also paid personal “thank you” visits to people who helped his campaign

It’s a nice touch. 

If he publicly endorses Jill Long Thompson sometime soon, it would be even better.

-Can Mitch Daniels separate himself from the Bush failures?

-Will Evan Bayh campaign for Jill Long Thompson the way he did for Hillary Clinton?

-Will the Jon Elrod/André Carson fall match compare in any way to the March special election?

-Is Attorney General candidate Jon Costas the heir apparent to the Daniels legacy?

-Has the window closed for Jim Schellinger to give a meaningful endorsement to Jill Long Thompson? 

-Is the window still open for a UAW endorsement?

Woody Myers has no interest in fueling speculation about what he might run for next. 

Dr. Myers called from Washington where his son graduates this weekend to say that there is nothing to speculation about a run for mayor or a desire to be named Jill Long Thompson’s running mate.  Much of that speculation is sparked by a $25,000 Myers donation to Thompson.

Dr. Myers supported Jim Schellinger in the primary and says he just wanted to be a good Democrat.  He didn’t rule out a run for office in the future but says none is planned.

Jim Schellinger successfully avoided the media after conceding the Democratic nomination for governor.   That’s my signal that he has no plans to run for office again.

Nevertheless, he could have shown a little class on the way out the door.   His concession statement contained no offer of support for Jill Long Thompson and neither did the e-mail sent to supporters this morning.

We do know that he’s sorry he won’t get the chance to face Mitch Daniels himself.

Its time to revisit my election predictions and, since I took the rap for missing the Greg Ballard win last November, point out how well I did this time.

-President:  I first said it leans Clinton, and then hedged by saying it was too close to call.  It was close but I learned in grade school to go with your first inclination and for some reason forgot.  Either way, I wasn’t wrong.

-Governor:  I picked Jill Long Thompson and its Jill Long Thompson.  Don’t trouble me with margins.

-7th District (D):  I said André Carson and he ran away with it.

-5th District (R):   That Dan Burton pick was a good one even if John McGoff exceeded expectations (mine anyway.)

-Incumbent Lawmaker (D&R):  I said nobody falls due to the property tax furor.   No one did.

Most of Jill Long Thompson’s supporters likely went to bed last night not knowing if she won.  This morning they woke up to a fundraising request from the new Democratic nominee for governor in their e-mail.  Smart move, Jill.

Thompson pulled out a win over Jim Schellinger but starts the fall campaign against Republican Mitch Daniels in tatters.  She has to wonder how helpful the state Democratic Party and the Democratic Governor’s Association will be since Schellinger was the establishment candidate.  She needs more staff.  She needs to establish an Indianapolis headquarters

She could also use a positive message to go along with her opposition to outsourcing. 

There’s no time for celebration.

Maggie Kernan announced an endorsement of Jill Long Thompson today in the Democratic primary race for governor.

Does the nod from the former Indiana First Lady offset an earlier endorsement of Jim Schellinger by her husband, Joe Kernan? 

Jennifer Wagner at the Schellinger campaign says, “I’ll take the former governor.” 

Its not hard to figure out, however, that two Kernans would be better than one.

The original version of Jill Long Thompson’s new attack ad originally showed a school that wasn’t designed by CSO Architects (Jim Schellinger’s firm) when the announcer accuses Schellinger of lobbying school districts to hike property taxes.

Jeff Harris of the Thompson campaign says campaign staffers discovered the error and changed it.  Photographers, he says, shot the wrong schools by mistake.

Jennifer Wagner of the Schellinger campaign called the whole episode “ridiculous.”  She says the first school shown was designed by an architect who donated to Thompson (Wayne Schmidt) and that she got caught in an attempt to mislead voters.

And you thought this Democratic primary for governor wouldn’t get negative and petty.