As many of you now know, I am Sherri Welsh and I write as Congressional Candidates Wife because my husband is Barry Welsh who is running for Congress in the 6th District of Indiana.
Tomorrow night Barry and Pence debate for the only time. I will talk about that in the bottom section.
Barry won 70% of the primary in this district, despite being last on the ballot. When Pence saw that on primary election night, he assumed like everyone else that Barry would get big funding and this was going to be a fight. So he had a local reporter call Barry and tell him there would be six debates, Pence would choose 3 subjects and so would Barry.
That initial challenge shrunk to this one debate tomorrow night.
I don’t know anyone that puts more pressure on himself or herself to do well, than Barry does.
He puts so much pressure on himself that there is no room for much pressure from anywhere else.
He really doesn’t have to do much prep in my opinion. I haven’t heard him stumped on anything. What I think he is working on is getting the answers down to 45 seconds. He is in the bedroom, and every once in a while I hear him use his “May I have your attention” voice, and he will unleash a monolog. (He doesn’t use a microphone or the PA system when he is in church and many times when he is in a crowded room).
Pence is in trouble tomorrow night because Barry is not going to be an apologetic, “shrinking violet”. Barry owns issues, he doesn’t waiver. He barks back, and in a big dog voice. I just wish I could be there to see it! Barry doesn’t think Pence will show up because he has too much to lose.
I will be on the way home from work and unable to get all the way to Muncie where the debate is being held before the thing is over. That sucks! I’ve missed so much work over the last 3 weeks due to Pneumonia and Sinusitis that I really can’t afford to cut short my workday and in consideration to my employer who have been patient and understanding during my extended time away. Sorry, but it really does suck.
Okay, I’ll stop my whining and let you know some really good news. We’ve recently seen the most recent Pew Poll of our area and that they focused on the 2nd, 7th and 9th, these places in some cases surround our district and it would be most likely that they did include our district. And I’ll provide the detail lower down the page. I’ve been looking at all the poll data for generic and otherwise from sources like CQ Quarterly, etc. and they are all trending a rather large pick up of house seats. They are mentioning that in rural areas where in the 2004 election data that states where the President Bush vote was over 60% that vote is now down to 44% and leaning/or voting democrat. The current poll is 44 – 42 Reps to Dems. This is exciting news! This means that Barry using every last penny we have to buy more and more radio spots in every station will help tremendously to bring up Barry’s name recognition factor and the issues that are important to all people of this district. Barry used to be called “one take Barry” when cutting commercials when in radio and often wrote his own commercials that were a great draw to advertisers. He has been able to provide his own voice and has written all the commercials and they’ve been getting tons of feedback, people love them.
http://www.theolympian.com/101/story/47598.html See the link, I didn’t want to take the chance of making this diary even longer.
The funny thing about the commercials is that Barry is a consummate professional in any aspect in his public life. I think it’s the people and the purpose he holds in mind when officiating or representing anyone even on the most casual of occasions.
Like counseling youth in Delinquent halls, prison or in nursing homes or those that are so poor and living in their vehicles. I’m humbled a lot when I see him so quietly respect those that have been brutally dealt with and humiliated and are literally at their last hope. The respect and genuine care that Barry has exhibited to those and what a visible lift to those that are receiving either a listening ear, food, a ride to a family member that Barry has negotiated a way for two quarrelling members to see the love and concern for each other. Barry is so good at mending fences and building bridges to be inclusive of others.
There is a person that Barry regularly visits where the father is a rumored drug user and his wife and 3 kids doing all that they can to give a good life to their kids. One kid is in sports and an A+ student while another has been pulled from school due to behavior problems – this child always asks for Barry to talk with him and Barry seems to be the only one that can get through to the child, his parents are so grateful that Barry makes the effort. A lot of pastors would sit in judgment, refuse to Minster, and refuse to even be seen in the neighbor hood. Not Barry, he frankly doesn’t care about what it may look like. His purpose is to provide ministerial council to a couple living on the edge and being able to see what else is out there.
While most would not agree with this, there have been others who have proclaimed love of God and chronically call us to run 20 miles to give groceries to a family that we know are scamming us. The idea would normally be from other organizations to say no, report them to the authorities but Barry explained to me once when I objected to this. He said what is the harm in providing, would it not be better to give a small amount when being suspicious than to not give and it be in genuine need. As always he makes me thing about the whole picture and how little the impact is compared to the rest of the world. We of course would have to provide differently if the area was larger but I think the point of this is. To inspire pride in one’s self, pride of earning something of accomplish something thought impossible or out of reach in the past, to realize that one is not limited as much as we thought. It’s that simple, quiet and insightful thought provoking points that one is left with after Barry speaks with in Church or at a political event.
Barry has made honest choices based on his common sense and his integrity. I’ve become so very proud of my husband and am very grateful for all the lessons I’ve learned by his patient example. He’s not perfect by no means but his DNA is so ingrained with the very qualities that would make him an ideal Congressional Candidate.
He really is my rock, he makes me laugh but he brings a point of few that I think few would have the courage to be so brutally honest. He is honest because he cares and knows that I really want to improve my self but how so very interested in the subjects.
He’s grumpy in the morning and he hates having to be rushed and shaken up in the morning. He kinda likes his mellow morning wake ups (they just have to be scheduled earlier) he hates shopping, if you ever want to see a person who shows his blood pressure grow higher as each step he takes to walk into a store during Christmas, birthday and anniversary times is at times more a task than fun for me.
Barry is a guy just like the next average Joe; he puts his pants on one leg at a time. I love him more each day as each day passes and I couldn’t be more proud of being his wife and being able to accomplish so much.
Gushy part over now.
Point of the polls – Barry’s in a close race that will be the absolute long shot but I’m putting every penny I’ve got on Barry because he’s going to be the next Congressman, Representative of Indiana’s 6th District. He’s going to set records for running a competitive campaign with a $50,000 budget and how it really can be done – he will help bring a bill for real election reform. He’s going to be the guy that helped turn Indiana blue.
Your support both in dollars and best wishes and volunteering, providing services and the list goes on, we can’t say thank you enough! It mean’s so very much to Barry and I and we know that we wouldn’t be in the race as far ahead as we are with out people like you.
So once again I ask that if you can spare your time, effort, dollars please do so and please know that everything received will be gratefully and respectfully appreciated.
Help get our message out to people all over the district, we have a commercial already in the can and ready to go all we need is the money to pay for the spots some go from $600 to $3200 per spot and we would like to get 4 spots per day at strategic places of the day in order to have the largest exposure to those in the district. We are looking at 12 spots and whatever money we come up for will be paying for any spots we can afford. If you want to help Barry get elected, please donate, tell your friends and tell them to donate – we need Barry to be elected not just for the 6th District but also to be a voice of common sense in Washington to serve the nation.
This is my diary and a personal perspective of a Congressional Campaign from the inside out. My diary is not vetted thru the campaign and are the opinions and thoughts of myself.
Thank you to any and all that pass by and stop to read my diary and I especially love to hear from any and all with their comments. Please feel welcome to comment and let me know your thoughts.
Love,
Sherri Welsh
