Bayh and Sell
The Indiana senator with the political pedigree is pitching himself as a moderate alternative who could win
First elected to the Senate in 1998, Bayh continued forging a moderate record, landing seats on the Armed Services and Intelligence committees, which he says give him solid national security credentials. He upset traditional Democratic constituencies with votes to normalize trade relations with China and to support the ban on the procedure critics call "partial-birth" abortion.
Calling for pressure. In recent years, Bayh's voting record has drifted leftward; he opposed confirmation for Bush's two Supreme Court appointments. Unlike Senator Clinton, Bayh calls his initial vote authorizing the Iraq war a mistake. But on the campaign trail, he plays to the center. Rather than universal health insurance, he promotes hefty tax credits for small businesses that finance employee health insurance. Rather than call for an immediate pullout of Iraq, he stresses the need to pressure Nouri al-Maliki's government. "I'm not for leadership of the lowest common denominator or a mushy middle," he says after a stump speech in a renovated barn in Cornish, N.H., where the ground is already dusted with snow. "But polarization and division is keeping us from getting the kinds of progress we need, and most Americans sense that."
Beyond his discourses on "principled pragmatism," Bayh's polished yet straightforward speaking style has prompted some doubts about his charisma credentials. "In Indiana, he was considered relatively flashy," says Cecil Bohanon, an economics professor at Ball State University. "But on the national level, midwesterners don't come off as charismatic." Still, Bayh's advisers believe he "exudes authenticity," another reason he has made more than 19 trips to Iowa and New Hampshire to address small audiences. At most events, he bemoans having to miss another of his twin sons' hockey or soccer games, and his family-man reputation wears well on the campaign trail. "Iowans are different than East Coast or West Coast Democrats who are enamored by celebrity," says Jeff Danielson, an Iowa state senator who is close to Bayh. "We still expect to meet our presidential candidates up close and personal in a town hall setting." Still, Bayh, careful to avoid ever criticizing Clinton or Obama by name, has already begun to do so implicitly. "In a time of peace and prosperity, maybe this could be about celebrity status," he says. "This is a more serious moment for our country." It's a well-crafted argument. But it's still a hard sell.
Sen. Evan Bayh
Full name: Birch Evans Bayh III
Born: Dec. 26, 1955; Shirkieville, Ind.
Family: Married, wife Susan. Twin boys, 11, Birch Evans IV (Beau) and Nicholas Harrison (Nick)
Education: Indiana U., B.S., 1978; U. of Virginia, J.D., 1982
Public service: Indiana secretary of state, 1987-88; governor, 1989-96; senator, 1999-present; Intellgience, Armed Services committees
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