On the road in Indiana: Clinton stumps with Mellencamp and co.

INDIANAPOLIS — On the Saturday night before the primary, the Clintons were here in full force.

This was evident in the way local sons Senator Evan Bayh and John Mellencamp introduced Sen. Clinton to a shivering crowd at her rally tonight in White River State Park.

After Mellencamp strummed a mellow version of “Our Country,” Bayh warmed the crowd up with his sunny personality. Hillary then briefly stumped away, Bill grinning slightly off stage right. She highlighted the differences between herself and Sen. Obama in a speech that showcased her businesslike credentials for the presidency.

The primary, she said, should be a “hiring process” instead of a popularity contest.

The smell of cigarette smoke and beer hovered near the edge of the crowd, who alternated between listening intently and cheering, sometimes loudly.

In that crowd were Rick Stevens and Claire Thorsen from Terra Haute, a favorite battleground for the candidates in recent weeks.

The two are a long-time couple, but they disagree on one thing. 

Thorsen has already voted for Obama. Stevens is a fan of Hillary. So much so, in fact, that’s he gotten autographs from her, Bill and Chelsea.

Both talked about what they see as the key dynamics of the primary race in Indiana.

One disadvantage for Obama is his freshness as a candidate, Thorsen said. That makes him open to attacks from Hillary, who’s more of a known quantity.

“If Hillary’s campaign makes some sort of a comment about him, than he needs to react, and the time spent in reacting is time taken away from actually expressing what he stands for and what he wants,” she said.

“I think Indiana’s going to vote. Indiana, for some elections, just like a lot of states, has been pretty lazy and apathetic, but you hear a lot of people taking right now about politics and what they want and what they don’t want.”

She said that one of the more encouraging consequences of Indiana’s role in the primary is the registration of older voters who haven’t gone to the polls in a long time and the interest of first-time voters.

“I question the actual length of [the primary process],” she said, as it reduces the amount of time the party will have to come together this summer, “particularly when you have two people expressing change.”

Thorsen was also quick to concede that Clinton looks stronger than Obama, at least for the moment, in Indiana, despite pockets of Obama support in the northwest corner of the state, Indianapolis and in the college towns.

When Stevens, the Hillary supporter, returned from his autograph hunting, he had a concession of his own to make.

“He’s very charismatic, just electrifies the audience,” he said, referring to Obama’s oratory.

Both Clinton and Obama drew big crowds back in Terra Haute, but for different reasons.

“I was impressed with Barack, [but] I just think he can’t get it done,” he said. “The machine’s strong out there. I think he can learn very quick, he’s a fast study, but until you get a chance … to really operate out there, I think it takes a lot … to make things happen in this country.”

Hillary’s “one powerful woman” that will get things done, he said.