Republicans taking apple-pie approach to current climate

Excited to be speaking to the Putnam County Republicans Saturday evening at the fairgounds, Indiana lieutenant governor candidate Suzanne Crouch is introduced to the audience by Putnam County Republican Chairman Jerry Ensor. (Banner Graphic/ERIC BERNSEE)

With the current federal election atmosphere putting a bad taste in some Americans' mouths, Putnam County Republicans turned to some home cookin' Saturday evening during their annual Hog Roast and Pie Auction at the fairgrounds.

Before auctioning off such tasty treats as Jennifer Romalia's winning Baker's Best pie to Pink Lady cupcakes from Samantha Monnett, GOP speakers offered an all-American apple-pie recipe for their time-honored beliefs, focusing not on the name at the top of the Republican ticket but the party's credo instead.

Indiana Auditor Suzanne Crouch, who is the lieutenant governor candidate on the GOP ticket with gubernatorial hopeful Eric Holcomb, was the principal speaker Saturday evening.

With a conniving look in his eye, auction assistant Haywood Ware (standing) tries to get District 44 State Rep. Jim Baird to bite on a $100 bid on a pecan pie during the auction portion of the Putnam County Republicans' annual Hog Roast event at the fairgrounds. (Banner Graphic/ERIC BERNSEE)

Citing her beliefs in God and country and constitutional government among other party tenets -- many of which have been in place since the Abraham Lincoln was the first Republican president -- Crouch said because of such beliefs, "I'm a Republican." And that, she said, means she's responsive to helping others less fortunate while believing deeply in quality and opportunity.

As a Republican, she continued, "we measure our programs not by the amount of assistance we have given but by the number of people who get off that assistance."

With a history as Vanderburgh County auditor, county commissioner, state representative and now Indiana auditor, the 64-year-old Crouch is running for GOP lieutenant governor as Holcomb, the man in that position currently, has replaced Mike Pence atop the GOP state ballot.

Indiana, she said, "is the envy of the nation" with the fiscal successes of the Mitch Daniels and Mike Pence administrations resulting in a state budget reserve of $2.24 billion

"If we could just impart our Hoosier values on the federal government," she suggested.

The Holcomb-Crouch team, she said, "wants to focus on economic development and improving infrastructure to continue to move Indiana forward."

The candidate left Putnam County Republicans with a personal story of how when first asked by Gov. Pence to fill the vacant state auditor's position, she said no, adding that she was perfectly happy as a state legislator.

However, he asked Crouch to sleep on it and she and her lawyer husband decided to create a chart with the pros on one side and negatives on the other and weigh the results.

"The first time he did that was 38 years ago before we got married," Crouch smiled.

And that, she said, has certainly worked out quite well.

Also addressing the Republican gathering briefly were District 44 State Rep. Jim Baird and District 24 State Senate candidate John Crane.

Crane said it is "important we (Republicans) stay clear on our vision," while expressing the fear that politicians have "lost our ability to engage with people who disagree with us."

Baird, meanwhile, also stressed Republican values, reminding the audience that only 73 days remained until the Nov. 8 election.

True, principled Hoosiers, he suggested, "are ready to push that button" and vote Republican.

Baird and Crane are both opposed in the general election.

In seeking a fourth term in the Indiana House, Baird is being challenged by Democrat Kim Fidler of Greencastle.

Crane is up against Libertarian hopeful Keith Rogers after ousting incumbent Pete Miller of Brownsburg in the May GOP primary.