OPINION: Bye bye, Bayh?

The Indiana midterm elections picked up some steam last Wednesday when former Sen. Dan Coats, R-Ind., announced he would make a primary run for the seat currently held by Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind.

Coats will attempt to reclaim the very seat he vacated in 1998, when Bayh ascended to the Senate.

Since ending his tenure as the U.S. ambassador to Germany in 2005, Coats has taken up residence in the Washington, D.C., area and returned to working as a lobbyist for various organizations and corporations. His name hasn’t appeared on a ballot since 1992.

Coats’ entry into the upcoming race will bring into the full spotlight how well Bayh has been able to keep his constituents satisfied in the era of 24-hour news hype and broken big-league promises.

The son of former Sen. Birch Bayh, Evan served two terms as governor of Indiana before taking his current position in 1999. A popular Democrat in an predominantly conservative state, Sen. Bayh has been able to stay in the Hoosier state’s good graces by mixing his party affiliation with politics of fiscal responsibility and moderate social stances.

Not everything bodes well for the senator, however. Many see Bayh’s attitudes and voting record as irresolute and accuse him of taking definite stances only when the political winds are at his back.

Criticisms stem from both sides of the aisle, as liberals paint his “blue dog” status as a weakness for the party, crippling their ability to effect change. Conservatives often attack his involvement in the bank bailouts and health-care battles of recent years.

Coats might be a formidable contender in this upcoming race, but Bayh certainly won’t be going down in the first round. With $13 million in campaign funds already banked and 11 years in office, Indiana’s favorite son is playing for keeps.

He sits on six Senate committees ranging from business to national defense to energy, ensuring that every Hoosier with a political opinion and a heartbeat will be hearing his name in their sleep by November.

This, of course, might just be his undoing. Coats hasn’t made much news in Indiana since his departure in the late ’90s, but Bayh has been under nonstop public scrutiny during a time when pundits are just itching for a chance to lambaste the Democratic Party for its ineptitude.

Couple that with voter apathy about midterm elections, and Coats might have a fighting chance to reclaim his seat after a 12-year absence.

While many Hoosiers will continue to straddle the fence about whether to hold on to who we have or to make the move for someone new, one thing is certain: As midterm election years go, 2010 will be anything but boring.