Oct. 26, 2016 HPI Daily Wire sponsored by Associated Builders & Contractors

FINAL GOV DEBATE CENTERS ON DRUG EPIDEMIC: Indiana’s three gubernatorial candidates addressed the drug addiction epidemic rapidly spreading across the state, filling emergency rooms with people overdosing on heroin, fentanyl and carfentanil. In the city that hosted the debate, 20 people had already died of some combination of heroin, according to the Evansville Courier & Press earlier this week (Howey Politics Indiana).

CANDIDATES TALK PARDON, RFRA, LGBT: Indiana gubernatorial candidates John Gregg, Eric Holcomb and Rex Bell even got into a possible pardon for Keith Cooper, a Chicago-area man wrongfully convicted of armed robbery, during their third and final debate at the University of Southern Indiana Tuesday night (Langhorne, Evansville Courier & Press).

PATRIOT MAJORITIES CONSULTANT FINDS VOTER FILES RIDDLED WITH ERRORS: A data analysis firm hired by a voter registration group said on Tuesday that its analysis of Indiana’s voter database found thousands of people over the age of 110 who would likely be deceased and are still registered to vote (Slodysko, Associated Press).

LAWSON REACTS: “Patriot Majority has continued to attack me and my office to distract from the ongoing investigation by state police into their practices. Unlike Patriot Majority, we believe only a voter should be able to change their registration record. Which is why in 2014, my office began doing statewide voter list maintenance to ensure voting list in Indiana are accurate. I would never go so far as to say someone is incompetent like the Democrat Party and Patriot Majority did to me. We may disagree on a lot of things, but I appreciate that every day we all get up and work hard for our families and fellow citizens. For Patriot Majority and Indiana Democrats to call me an incompetent racist, and chastise me for partisan behavior when I only provided information to Indiana State Police and did my job is extremely disappointing and hypocritical.” – Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson, reacting to an Associated Press story TargetSmart conducted a review of the state voter file on behalf of Patriot Majority (Howey Politics Indiana)

ISP’S CARTER PREDICTS VOTING PROBLEMS: Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter said detectives are finding evidence of voter registration fraud and forgery (Van Wyk, WTHR-TV).

GRAVIS POLL HAS TRUMP UP 11% IN INDIANA: A poll by Gravis Marketing, a bipartisan research firm, shows Republican Donald Trump with a 49-38% lead over Hillary Clinton in Indiana, with Libertarian Gary Johnson coming in at 5% (Howey Politics Indiana).

TRUMP SEEKS TO EXPLOIT OBAMACARE INCREASES: Obamacare’s woes are back – just two weeks before Election Day (CNN).

CLINTON REACTS: The Clinton campaign argued Tuesday that the Republican repeal and replace position is simply not viable. “There’s a clear choice in this election: either we’re going to help American families and tackle health care cost issues, or we’re going to throw 20 million people off their coverage and let the insurance companies write the rules again,” campaign spokeswoman Julie Wood said in a statement (CNN).

TRUMP WILLING TO FIST FIGHT BIDEN: Donald Trump said he would “love” to fight Vice President Joe Biden during a Florida rally on Tuesday night. “Did you see where Biden wants to take me to the back of the barn? Me. He wants to. I’d love that. I’d love that. Mr. Tough Guy,” the Republican nominee told supporters at the Tallahassee Automobile Museum.

PENCE CHOOSES CUBS OVER OHIO: Despite spending Tuesday campaigning in Ohio, Republican vice presidential nominee Mike Pence will be rooting for the Chicago Cubs against the Cleveland Indians in the World Series (CBS News).

HPI DAILY ANALYSIS: Indiana’s gubernatorial candidates are to be commended as they represented the best of Hoosier values and remained civil despite disagreement on numerous controversial issues these last several weeks. Voters were provided ample opportunity to weigh their choices without being overwhelmed by the rancor and hyperbole that too often passes for political debate. Our U.S. senate race – not so much. Ditto times twenty for the presidential contest. It’s easy to lay all the blame on the operatives behind such campaigns, but the truth is anger and fear are powerful motivators. Our culture is permeated by constant and invasive propaganda, mostly in the form of advertising that strives to become increasingly effective. The U.S. economy – indeed the global economy – relies on this sort of messaging and there’s no end in sight. Education is the only antidote. Thomas Jefferson nailed it when he said an enlightened citizenry is indispensable for the proper functioning of a republic. Buckle up and pay attention, folks, the future is going to be a rough ride. — Mark Curry

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Source: Howey Politics