Painting Indiana blue?

No one doubts that Bloomington is home to more than a few wide-eyed Obama supporters. Many were probably excited enough about his candidacy to think they could swing Indiana blue for the first time in 40 years, especially when our own Sen. Evan Bayh was rumored to be the VP choice.

As just about everyone knows by now Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., not Bayh, is Obama’s choice for a running mate (plenty of students on this campus probably got the text message at the amusing time of 3 a.m.). Bayh was still rumored to be pretty close to the top of the list, so all the enterprising young Democrats on campus should know he may yet be tapped for higher office.

But what about this election? According to Pollster.com, Obama now trails Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., about 49 percent to 43 percent in Indiana.  Not bad, given how red this state usually is, but with conservatives becoming more comfortable with McCain and seemingly less comfortable with Obama, it will be difficult for Obama to pull off a win here.

From a policy perspective, Obama’s decision makes plenty of sense. Biden is supposedly a foreign policy expert, and Democrats are usually seen as weaker in that area. However, Biden voted to authorize the use of force in Iraq and supported extensive (and now seemingly counter-productive) devolution in that country.

Bayh was more than a supporter of the Iraq War. He was one of its champions. Other than that he was a fairly competent and popular governor of this state. He managed to enact significant tax cuts while providing extra money for Hoosiers to go to college. Despite all Bayh’s credentials, some purists (including some on this editorial board) were no doubt glad Biden was selected because he tends to be more socially liberal.

Many activists on campus will probably say Obama can win Indiana without Bayh. That’s good; they will need the confidence. Obama faces a tough but not impossible task in Indiana. His volunteers will have to give their all to succeed.