Signs Of A Colossal Campaign
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Kosciusko County politics appears to be evolving, and the signs are everywhere.
Unlike any other election in recent decades, the 1998 primary is different in several respects. It started early and features 14 candidates in three of the races, but the most telling signs are the signs themselves.
They are big and they are everywhere.
Whereas past elections included a smattering of traditional-sized yard signs, this year's campaign bar has been raised to a new height with the introduction of magnanimous signs, many of which measure 4 feet by 8 feet.
More than half the candidates for sheriff, prosecutor and recorder are using abnormally large signs.
It began when Dan Hampton, a candidate for prosecutor, put up dozens of signs the first week in January. The move had a domino effect with other candidates.
Hampton is locked in a rematch against incumbent David Kolbe and a third candidate, Chuck Waggoner. All three are using large signs.
"My campaign has the battle of fighting an incumbent. With that, name recognition is of the utmost importance," Hampton said.
The answer, Hampton decided, "was big signs the likes this county has never seen before so that people would start talking."
"I think we've had a very successful effect with that," he said.
For some, the strategy has resulted in unexpected expenses and time in constructing, painting and posting the signs.
With seven weeks remaining before the primary, big and small signs are literally everywhere - evidence of the most active county campaign in decades.
One of the reasons could be a change in local politics, said one expert.
David Leege, professor of government and international studies at the University of Notre Dame, said the changes are consistent with a political environment moving away from the politics of succession in which the prescribed politician steps into the new role with little question. The change is part of what Leege views as a move away from "party politics to personal politics."
Kosciusko County could very well be catching up to the trend in the state and the nation in that regard, he said.
"Indiana was a strong party organization. ... When I was involved in politics in the late '50s, early '60s, you really had to have the support of the party organization," Leege said.
"It's much easier now for a challenger to move out of the party organization's structure. They no longer have to be slated by the party to be able to win."
This year's political environment might have taken seed four years ago when Kolbe ran against Hampton, the party favorite. Kolbe gained an edge by announcing his candidacy eight months before election day and hosting a series of town hall forums in which he pitched a series of proposals.
Similarly, sheriff candidate Sam Whitaker started the local election last year with a series of town hall meetings and also has criticized the status quo.
With a large number of candidates expected to run for sheriff in a bid to replace retiring longtime sheriff Al Rovenstine, Whitaker tried to make a name for himself early.
"I feel I've been on top ever since we started as far as new things. I was the first to have a web (site), first to have big signs, first to have town hall meetings, first to announce, first TV ads and first radio ads," Whitaker said.
Whitaker said he planned on using big signs before seeing Hampton's.
He said he opted for oversized signs instead of billboards because it's about one-fourth the cost. He has about 70 32-square-foot signs, but declined to say how much they cost.
Republican Party chairman Mike Miner agrees the amount of party control has slackened.
"People are getting away from party identification and I think ... power is being removed from parties a lot. Parties are limited to the amount of money they can give a candidate and the patronage thing is gone."
Regardless, Miner said he's pleased with the competition, the quality of races. He attributs much of the local competition to the end of the Al Rovenstine era in the sheriff's department where eight candidates, including Al's son, Aaron, are seeking the office.
Even the race for county recorder, an office normally void of excitement, is getting some attention.
LaShawn Brumfield, a candidate for recorder, is using both big and little signs. She said she was motivated after seeing some of the other signs.
The eight 16-square-foot signs cost about $300 and were made by her husband, Doug. Neither of her competitors, Doug Mayer or Denise Lance, is using large signs.
She thinks the big signs provide an advantage.
"I think more people will see my signs," Brumfield said.
Whether the high level of political activity continues in future elections could depend in part on who wins and on the electoral turnout.
"When it comes to politics, people have an appetite that's very short," Leege said.
"These things go in pendulum type motions," Leege said.
"You might be seeing something that's on the extreme end of the swing this time around, or it maybe there's even more of a swing that going to come with more frantic activity in the future," Leege said. [[In-content Ad]]
Kosciusko County politics appears to be evolving, and the signs are everywhere.
Unlike any other election in recent decades, the 1998 primary is different in several respects. It started early and features 14 candidates in three of the races, but the most telling signs are the signs themselves.
They are big and they are everywhere.
Whereas past elections included a smattering of traditional-sized yard signs, this year's campaign bar has been raised to a new height with the introduction of magnanimous signs, many of which measure 4 feet by 8 feet.
More than half the candidates for sheriff, prosecutor and recorder are using abnormally large signs.
It began when Dan Hampton, a candidate for prosecutor, put up dozens of signs the first week in January. The move had a domino effect with other candidates.
Hampton is locked in a rematch against incumbent David Kolbe and a third candidate, Chuck Waggoner. All three are using large signs.
"My campaign has the battle of fighting an incumbent. With that, name recognition is of the utmost importance," Hampton said.
The answer, Hampton decided, "was big signs the likes this county has never seen before so that people would start talking."
"I think we've had a very successful effect with that," he said.
For some, the strategy has resulted in unexpected expenses and time in constructing, painting and posting the signs.
With seven weeks remaining before the primary, big and small signs are literally everywhere - evidence of the most active county campaign in decades.
One of the reasons could be a change in local politics, said one expert.
David Leege, professor of government and international studies at the University of Notre Dame, said the changes are consistent with a political environment moving away from the politics of succession in which the prescribed politician steps into the new role with little question. The change is part of what Leege views as a move away from "party politics to personal politics."
Kosciusko County could very well be catching up to the trend in the state and the nation in that regard, he said.
"Indiana was a strong party organization. ... When I was involved in politics in the late '50s, early '60s, you really had to have the support of the party organization," Leege said.
"It's much easier now for a challenger to move out of the party organization's structure. They no longer have to be slated by the party to be able to win."
This year's political environment might have taken seed four years ago when Kolbe ran against Hampton, the party favorite. Kolbe gained an edge by announcing his candidacy eight months before election day and hosting a series of town hall forums in which he pitched a series of proposals.
Similarly, sheriff candidate Sam Whitaker started the local election last year with a series of town hall meetings and also has criticized the status quo.
With a large number of candidates expected to run for sheriff in a bid to replace retiring longtime sheriff Al Rovenstine, Whitaker tried to make a name for himself early.
"I feel I've been on top ever since we started as far as new things. I was the first to have a web (site), first to have big signs, first to have town hall meetings, first to announce, first TV ads and first radio ads," Whitaker said.
Whitaker said he planned on using big signs before seeing Hampton's.
He said he opted for oversized signs instead of billboards because it's about one-fourth the cost. He has about 70 32-square-foot signs, but declined to say how much they cost.
Republican Party chairman Mike Miner agrees the amount of party control has slackened.
"People are getting away from party identification and I think ... power is being removed from parties a lot. Parties are limited to the amount of money they can give a candidate and the patronage thing is gone."
Regardless, Miner said he's pleased with the competition, the quality of races. He attributs much of the local competition to the end of the Al Rovenstine era in the sheriff's department where eight candidates, including Al's son, Aaron, are seeking the office.
Even the race for county recorder, an office normally void of excitement, is getting some attention.
LaShawn Brumfield, a candidate for recorder, is using both big and little signs. She said she was motivated after seeing some of the other signs.
The eight 16-square-foot signs cost about $300 and were made by her husband, Doug. Neither of her competitors, Doug Mayer or Denise Lance, is using large signs.
She thinks the big signs provide an advantage.
"I think more people will see my signs," Brumfield said.
Whether the high level of political activity continues in future elections could depend in part on who wins and on the electoral turnout.
"When it comes to politics, people have an appetite that's very short," Leege said.
"These things go in pendulum type motions," Leege said.
"You might be seeing something that's on the extreme end of the swing this time around, or it maybe there's even more of a swing that going to come with more frantic activity in the future," Leege said. [[In-content Ad]]