Our weekend winds up  at 8:00 o’clock on Friday night, when we turn to the  Public Broadcasting channel on TV.   First, we listen to Washington Week in Review– a  panel of  left leaning  reporters who seldom disagree.  (Ho Hum)  But then, at  8:30, Indiana Week In Review comes on like a breath of fresh air. We are treated to lively, but courteous discussions,  with both political parties given equal time. The show  exemplifys the civility of Hoosier  politics, much needed at  the national level..

That’s not to say that Indiana Week in Review– moderated by Brandon Smith– is dull.  In fact, it’s much more lively and entertaining  than Washington Week in Review.  That’s because they have a balance between Republican and  Democrat panelists.  Rounding out the discussion are  Fort Wayne journalist Mickey Kelley, and Indiana Law Makers Host Jon Schwantes.

 Democrat Anne Delaney is full of passion.  She knows what she’s talking about, and  doesn’t mince words.  Sometimes, she gets pretty mad.  Her Republican opponent, Mike O’Brian,  gets worked up, too.  But just before they reach the boiling point, they back off, and agree to disagree. The moderator   maintains objectivity, and quickly changes the subject if it looks like someone is going off the deep end.

The Indianapolis race for mayor is  another  example of  Hoosier civility. During.their first public debate, Incumbent Joe Hogsett and his Republican challenger, Jim Merritt focused mainly on the issues. .  While the debate sometimes got heated, there  was no name calling or profanity.    Indiana politicians tend to  take a more measured approach. .

It appears that the politicians who live in middle America behave more respectfully with one another.  I’m sure some high falutin  political analyst can come up with a reason why this is true. ,  It may reflect the Midwestern culture,  where more  people come from  small  towns.  As opposed to big cities, they  interact with each other  on a daily basis through their churches, families, volunteer work and various other activities.  If you’ve ever ridden a subway, you know that rudeness is an acceptable  survival tactic among strangers in large metropolitan areas.

While profanity, name calling and rudeness are now the norm  in our nation’s  political arena, It doesn’t fly  here in  flyover country.