By Dan Spalding
InkFreeNews

Donald Rainwater is coming to Warsaw and Mike Ragan has a message for him. Or at least he did.

The Libertarian candidate for governor is not what he appears to be, according to Ragan, the chair of the Kosciusko County Republican Party.

Rainwater has gained notoriety and support for his opposition to how Gov. Eric Holcomb has handled pandemic shutdown, specifically the mask mandate.

Donald Rainwater

Rainwater will be the featured guest at a rally at the Kosciusko County Courthouse at 5 p.m. Friday. He’ll be joined by his running mate, William Henry. According to a Facebook page, the event is being organized by Kevin Kyle, who promoted a “Patriot” rally earlier this year at the courthouse that drew hundreds of people.

Ragan recently had a post on his Facebook page suggesting Rainwater is not a real conservative, but he took it down after it became littered with criticisms by people he said he did not know.

Among other things, Ragan alleges that Rainwater is not pro-life and that he scrubbed his social media accounts in an attempt to appear more conservative than he really is.

Ragan told me today that the post caused more of an uproar than anything else that he’s ever posted. He said he supports Holcomb but did not like the extent of the shutdown ordered by the governor.

Ragan’s concerns underscore the fact that Rainwater could drain some support from Holcomb and Democrat gubernatorial candidate Woody Myers, and have more of an impact on the race than what is normally seen by Libertarian candidates.

Rainwater is a big supporter of Donald Trump. Aside from sharing the same first name, they both talk about the need for smaller government, gun rights and fewer taxes. The 57-year-old resident of Westfield also touts the legalization of marijuana, an issue that has gained support in recent years as surrounding states have loosened their policies on cannabis.

It will be interesting to see how big of a crowd and who exactly shows up for the rally. Probably an eclectic mix of those who oppose mask mandates, love the Second Amendment, prefer smaller government plus a few who are pro-pot.

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Warsaw area resident Marcy Sterk designed this window decal in support of President Trump’s re-election. The decal was spotted at Wednesday’s GOP drive-thru fish fry in Warsaw. InkFreeNews photo by Dan Spalding.

UPCOMING EVENTS – Here are a few election tidbits:

• There will be another Trump parade today, Oct. 10. It will start in Plymouth and pass through  Lapaz, Bremen and Nappanee before ending with a gathering at the Kosciusko County Fairgrounds in Warsaw. Operation Rolling Trump Train is set to begin at 3:30 p.m., so I’m guessing the parade will arrive in Warsaw around 4:30 p.m. An exact route was not made available.
• Elkhart Democrats will host an open house in Goshen at party headquarters at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11. Among those who will be there is 3rd District Congressional candidate Pat Hackett. The office is at 211 S. Main St., Goshen.
• Two online candidate forums are set for this week in Warsaw. Click here for more details.
• A fundraiser for Democrat candidates Antony Garza and Kelly Thompson is being held at the Man Cave Brewing Company south of Syracuse. The Oct. 20 event begins at 5:30 p.m. It is hosted by life-long Republican Jack Birch, according to details on Eventbrite. Garza is running for Superior Court 3 against Republican Chad Miner. Thompson is challenging Republican Curt Nisly for his House District 22.
• Kosciusko County’s GOP will host its annual Hall of Fame dinner Oct. 29 at the Owl’s Nest near North Webster. No word on who the main speaker will be. US Sen. Todd Young had been scheduled as the main speaker, but the date falls on the same day the Senate could be voting on the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett for the US Supreme Court.

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AMERICA, THE TINDERBOX – These are dangerous days in America. That’s apparent to anyone who watched this week as the FBI arrested a handful of domestic terrorists in Michigan who plotted to kidnap or kill Michigan’s Democrat Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Whitmer has been widely criticized by conservatives, including President Trump, for her handling of Michigan’s coronavirus restrictions. After this week’s arrests, Witmer blamed Trump in part for inciting violence after he tweeted “Liberate Michigan” in the midst of armed protests in the state’s capital over the state’s temporary restrictions.

I’ve expressed concern over folks who show up at rallies carrying large guns and this is why. Folks who say they’re brandishing large weapons at rallies because it’s their right or because they want to defend property aren’t fooling anyone. It’s all about intimidation.

The fact Trump won’t promise to adhere to a smooth transition if he loses on Nov. 3 only adds fuel to the fire and sets the stage for potential chaos after the election.

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SIGNS OF THE TIMES – I’ve always been just a little obsessed with campaign yard signs and there are some interesting ones popping up this year around Kosciusko County. Below are two.

Notice the lack of party affiliation. InkFreeNews photos by Dan Spalding.

This one was seen on East Market Street in Warsaw.

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ELECTION COUNTDOWN – Election Day is 24 days away.

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Dan Spalding is the editor at InkFreeNews.com.
He covers city government and politics and always welcomes your input.
He can be reached at [email protected] or at (574) 855-7612.