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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Delegates at the Indiana State GOP convention chose the energy of outsider and pastor Micah Beckwith over the establishment pick of Julie McGuire to run with Mike Braun on the Indiana GOP’s gubernatorial ticket this fall. Beckwith won by just 63 votes in a nail-biting 891-828 victory on Saturday. McGuire was handpicked by current US Senator and the GOP’s gubernatorial candidate Mike Braun. And, despite a last minute endorsement from former President Donald Trump, McGuire lacked the energy to get over the hump.
While both McGuire and Beckwith have strong conservative credentials, the dichotomy in the two camps and their supporters couldn’t have been more glaring. And, from the beginning of the GOP convention on Friday, it was easy to see the arrogance of McGuire and Braun possibly dooming the establishment’s preferred ticket.
To kick off the convention events on Friday evening, Braun gave a speech to delegates and guests with the enthusiasm of a wet dish rag. Several people in the crowd compared Braun’s tone and tenor to that of President Joe Biden, albeit, with a little more coherency. The bottom line, Braun sounded old, rambling, out of touch and entitled. This seemed to set the tone for McGuire and her supporters, as Braun spoke of her as if she had already secured the nomination. It was bad.
Hours later, the candidates were able to have meet and greets at their respective hospitality receptions. McGuire was obviously catering to the elite establishment of the GOP. Her room was filled with women in their cocktail dresses and men wearing suits or smoking jackets. She had a line for folks to take pictures with her — carrying herself as if she had already won. It was extremely off-putting and uninviting. However, she did serve free drinks.
Several blocks away, Beckwith’s event was the polar opposite. The room was filled with energy and excitement. The delegates were your typical, salt of the earth conservatives sporting a large assortment of MAGA hats and blue jeans. And, despite serving overpriced soda, water and beer, the crowd never thinned. Beckwith showed graciousness for all of the support and answered questions from the crowd with sincerity and an infectious energy, captivating his audience and growing his support.
At the convention the following day, both Beckwith and McGuire gave speeches and showed campaign videos just prior to delegates casting their votes. Beckwith went first. His video portrayed a competent and energetic conservative fighter. His speech laid out his qualifications and promises. He also made sure to fill the stage with dozens of sign waving supporters behind him. It also helped that his wife, a former Miss Indiana, gave the introduction — elegantly speaking of her husband with the confidence and cadence of a seasoned public speaker. The presentation was perfect. McGuire needed to match that energy. She failed in epic fashion from the beginning by allowing Braun to introduce her.
As soon as Braun took the stage to introduce McGuire, he sucked all of the energy out of the convention hall. Once again, Braun’s arrogance was front and center. He made the vote about himself, not McGuire. Braun made sure to let the crowd and McGuire know — he is in charge. It’s hard to envy what kind of place that put Julie in. At this point, she had to walk a fine line of submissiveness to Braun while exuding the energy of a confident leader; an impossible task. Her introduction video was terrible. It showed a low-energy, submissive politician. McGuire’s personal energy was worse. She stood on the stage, alone and looked ill-prepared. She received a few forced cheers — while hoping the establishment support was enough to liferaft her political prospects across the finish-line. It was again, bad.
As delegates went to cast their votes, the overarching theme was energy. The Braun ticket was obviously in desperate need of someone who can work a crowd. Everyone was well aware that both Beckwith and McGuire are qualified and conservative — but with the lackluster public speaking abilities of Braun, the need of an enthusiastic running mate was evident. Plus, Braun’s arrogance needed to be humbled. Both of those issues were effectively addressed.
As much as Beckwith won the nomination with his energy, Braun and McGuire lost with their arrogance.
Hopefully Braun will be willing to work with Beckwith for the next four years, embracing his energy. It’s evident Braun’s ego will need to be tempered because he will be upstaged by Beckwith on a daily basis.
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