Indiana Democrat John Gregg Struggles With Flip-Flops

With nearly 9 months to go until the Indiana gubernatorial election, likely Democrat nominee John Gregg is still struggling with who he is and what he stands for.

As this Indianapolis Star column notes, Gregg has flip-flopped on a large number of issues, moved further to the Left, ignores Washington’s overreach and seems to change his mind frequently out of political convenience.

Hoosier voters deserve to know who the real John Gregg is. His numerous inconsistent stances and silence on key issues proves he unfit to lead.

Who Is The Real John Gregg?
Indianapolis Star; 1/29/2016

The John Gregg I’ve known for nearly 20 years had for decades cheerfully positioned himself as a “gun-totin’, Bible-quotin’” son of a son of Down Home, Indiana.

It’s not just that John constantly played up the “Thank God, I’m a Country Boy” image, to the point of near caricature. He also publicly and proudly disavowed many of the liberal issues and ideas that make hearts flutter in much of the Democratic Party.

LGBT rights. Tough gun laws. Strict environmental standards. Higher taxes. Abortion rights. For years, John made clear, even after his failed bid for the governor’s office in 2012, that he wasn’t that kind of Democrat who supported those kind of causes.

It wasn’t only John’s own words that separated him from his party’s national messaging. It also was baked into his admittedly now ancient record as a state legislator (John last served in public office 13 years ago). Although generally operating in the same vein of Indiana Democrats such as Evan Bayh and Joe Donnelly, John was positioned even to their right on matters of tone and substance.

Now comes the relaunch and rebranding of 2016.

John Gregg 2.0, in the aftermath of the RFRA debacle, has repositioned himself as a champion of gay rights, even though he opposed same-sex marriage during his run for governor only four years ago.

A former lobbyist for the coal industry, and a candidate who touted the vital importance of King Coal to Southern Indiana during that 2012 campaign, John now wants us to believe he’ll be a valiant defender of Indiana’s environment.

Although he was part of a Democratic leadership team that insisted back in the day that Indiana couldn’t afford full-day kindergarten, John now promises, if elected, to implement statewide, state-supported preschool. Details to come about how to pay for it.

All of it is enough to make me wonder if someone or something has taken over the candidate I thought I knew. When did John Gregg become a Stepford Democrat?

Now, people’s thoughts and beliefs do evolve over time. I certainly haven’t clung to all of the same positions on issues that I held, say, a decade ago.

But John’s transformation has been rapid and epic. And a cynic might even say it’s been politically convenient.

Without Mike Pence’s inept handling of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, would John have made promotion of LGBT rights a centerpiece of his current campaign?

If Pence hadn’t turned down the much-publicized opportunity to secure a federal preschool grant — a decision many fiscal conservatives understand and support, but one that doesn’t play well with moderate voters —would John now be a freshly converted champion of early childhood education?

Still, I am willing to give John the benefit of the doubt, if only he would better explain his journey from longtime social conservative to a more liberal state of mind.

Instead, John has stuck to repeating talking points and dodging uncomfortable questions. Last year, for example, I pressed John in an interview to clarify whether he now supports same-sex marriage given his sudden embrace of other LGBT rights. He never really answered, insisting the matter wasn’t relevant.

Recently, I asked John whether he agreed with President Obama’s assertion that Indiana’s lax gun laws are a major factor underlying violence in Chicago.

It is for two reasons an important question for someone who wants to be Indiana’s next chief executive. One, the incumbent, in a decidedly weak State of the State address, declared his rejection of the president’s charge against Indiana. So does John Gregg stand with Mike Pence or Barack Obama on this issue? Two, John may well be in a position one day to help tighten those laws, but only if he so desires.

Yet, John didn’t give a straight answer on that question either, telling me instead, “I support the Second Amendment.”

But is the president right about Indiana’s culpability in violence in his home city? Again, “I support the Second Amendment.”

It’s quite possible John remains true to his “gun-totin’’’ past, but voters, whether rural gun rights supporters or urban residents worried about violence in their neighborhoods, need to know for sure.

Let me be clear: I’m not accusing John of being dishonest or insincere. Like many politicians, he’s trying to control the conversation by talking about only those things he wants to discuss.

Still, John Gregg is now interviewing, a second time, for the most important job of his life. Hoosiers need to know what he truly believes, and why, before they make a decision on whether to hire him.