Indiana has the pleasure of actually mattering in this Election year. Earlier in the month, Barack Obama visited Plainfield High School. Hillary Clinton visited Ben Davis High School this past Saturday. WXNT producer Chris Spangle covered both and here are his impressions:

Both gyms are of equal size. Both Schools opened space for overflow. Senator Obama filled the entire gym and the auxillary gym used for overflow two hours before the event. Senator Clinton did not have anyone in the auditorium used for overflow. She did not fill the entire main gym. There were at least 50 seats empty out. I’d estimate that 3,000 showed up for Obama, and 2,000 for Clinton.

Both candidates brought a proportionate amount of Indianapolis’s ethnic make-up. There were members of all races, colors, creeds, and religions at these events. Economically, Obama brought more middle-class and upper-class listeners. Clinton had more working-class and union members.

Crowd Reaction: Both crowds were very enthusiastic for their candidate. Surprisingly, Hillary’s crowd cheered more intensely. Could be the building, but they were louder and more fervent. The crowd leaving Obama’s event was more positive on the Senator, and more upbeat. I heard a mixed reaction from the crowd exiting Clinton’s event. Some were inspired, some were calling B.S.

Message: Obama was more a message of hope and unity. It was meant to inspire. Hillary’s was more intellectual. The speech was mostly that the G.O.P. has left the country a disaster, and asking the crowd to remember how wonderful it was under her husband. The job will be hard, but she is the only one to fix it. Obama was more upbeat, saying that while we have problems, they aren’t anything Americans can’t overcome. I won’t say Clinton wasn’t positive, but I did have a looming sense of doom if I didn’t take her advice and elect her.

Campaign Staff: The Obama event was very structured. Press had to register online the day before. Clinton had open press. Obama had three press agents there greeting the press, helping them set up. They also had student ambassadors to keep the press in their spot, and to assist with questions about the school. The two or three hours that I was there, I didn’t meet one member of the Clinton team. No one introduced themselves or asked if I needed assistance. Now, in fairness, the Clinton Camp is doing a lot of stops in a short amount of time, which needs a lot of logistical support and planning. That could have been why there seemed to be a lack of staff wandering around.

P.S. Superdelegate Andre Carson spent a few moments with Barack Obama when he visited earlier this month. He also attended Obama’s speech. Congressman Carson was not present at Senator Clinton’s speech.

I’m heading back to Indianapolis today after spending the last few days getting caught up with friends, tending to legal matters and visiting with my accountant. And after doing my taxes again this year, I have re-affirmed my disdain for the federal government and how it spends the money it takes from me. What makes matters worse is the more I make (i.e. the more a productive and contributing member of society I am) the more this government wants to take from me.

I understand more than a lot of people that taxes are the price we pay for civilization, but can’t we be a little more civilized about the way to do these things.

If I had my way, I would eliminate income taxes altogether and replace them with a “federal transaction fee” on all goods and services. The rate would fall somewhere between 3-5%. But every time you made a retail purchase, a car a house, food, lawyer, doctor, etc., you would pay the FTF. This way you only pay the tax when you spend the money. And we as Americans like to spend money as shown by the fact we have so much debt.

Unlike the “fair tax” which taxes only new purchases at a rate of about 27% by some estimates, the FTF would have a much broader tax base, thereby translating into a much lower rate. Everybody would pay it, because everybody spends money.

No one should have to pay more in taxes simply because they are more productive than someone else. You would get to keep more of your own money and a lot of wealth would be freed up and tax code made much simpler. Yes, there will always be tax cheats, just like there will always be poor people. A pretty famous guy once said that.

And there is no reason why such a system, for a few percentage points more, couldn’t be adopted at the state and local levels in exchange for the elimination of property taxes.

And for those of you who think I am just acting as some spoiled little yuppie (or buppie in my case) who is mad that he has to pay the federal money, your damn right.

The federal government didn’t go out and work 80-90 hour work weeks, I did. The federal government did not train and study for years to get marketable skills which are in demand in the workplace. All the federal government did was go out and run up a bunch of bills and get involved in a war that I didn’t ask for (I ordered Afghanistan and Bin Laden, not Iraq and Saddam Hussein) And don’t even get me started on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

To the federal government, all a single, able-bodied, strong capable young man like me is good for is producing income which it can take away. So when you put it in that perspective the only difference between me and my ancestor from 200 years ago is that he wore chains.

Talk to you tomorrow.

I’m out of town today getting ready to meet with my accountant and vet out some tax issues. I really need to just have one job and be done with it. Either that or maybe the government should stop taking so much of my money, either way I’m out today, but I wanted to leave you with this thought about Indiana’s Super delegates.

As you know, Indiana’s Democratic Congressmen have not come and publicly stated who they will support for President. Rep. Pete Visclosky (IN-1) , Rep. Baron Hill (IN-9), Rep. Brad Ellsworth (IN - 8), Rep. Joe Donnelly (IN-2) and Rep. Andre Carson (IN-7) are all in the undecided column, or are they.

My sources are telling me that Hill, Ellsworth and Donnelly are going to back Barack Obama. The logic makes sense, each is running for re-election in competitive areas and who wants their opponents to hang the albatross of Hillary Clinton around their necks.

Carson is a different creature. I don’t expect him to endorse anyone until after the primary because he has no reason to. Half his supporters are for Clinton (Evan Bayh, Dan Parker) and the other half are for Obama (Bill Crawford, Greg Porter). Carson has nothing to gain by coming out and making a decision. All it will do is make half his base mad, so staying undecided for now is about the best decision he could make. I would expect him to make a decision after the May primary because then he can use the “will of the voters” as the perfect cover.

I have to get back to gathering up some more documents, but I thought I’d send this little item your way.

Enjoy your weekend.

You’ve probably heard about the Butler University student who got his chops busted by Chelsea Clinton for asking about the Monica Lewinsky affair. Had I been at the town hall meeting, here is the question I would have asked.

“Mrs. Clinton, as President it’s pretty important that you stay focused while working on important issues. If you are working on a major issue in the Oval Office, how will you be able to concentrate knowing that your husband cheated on you in that same room with his intern?”

Feel free to steal that one if you want.

The word on the street is that Hillary Clinton may be back in Indiana on Saturday. I’m told she’ll be speaking Saturday morning at Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis. Stay tuned.