Here’s the latest from the campaign trail.

Turnout continues to be high amongst Democrat voters and low amongst Republicans.  Also, the word on the street is that the Barack Obama campaign is challenging some voters across the state.  One of the latest is in Franklin 13 at the Lutheran High School where 10 voters were challenged and 8 decided not to vote and left.  Franklin 13 is also a precinct where they ran out of ballots.

Don’t forget your ID if you’re going to vote this afternoon.

If you’re planning to vote after work today leave a little early.  Marion County Clerk Beth White said the voting has been pretty heavy this morning and will likely be so this afternoon.  White said the voting in some parts of the city has been heavier than it was in the 2004 general election.  In 2004, the turnout was slightly more than 53 percent county wide.

She said voters may have had to wait, but no one has been turned away.  She says some precincts are running low on paper ballots  because of the high turnout and number of people requesting Democrat ballots.  She says they will get those ballots to the precincts this afternoon during the lull times, however don’t expect  any results anytime soon after the polls close at 6 p.m.

She says she doesn’t expect the votes to be completely tallied until late in the evening.

I’m noticing a trend this morning, for what it’s worth.  Republicans who are crossing over and voting for Hillary Clinton are also voting for Jill Long Thompson and Woody Myers for Congress.   They say they are doing it to stick it to the Democratic establishment.  It may not be enough to make a difference, but it definitely makes life interesting.

Today is the primary.  You know what to do so go do it.  Here are my predictions about today’s outcome and the reasons behind them.   You’re welcome to add your own.

Presidential - I say Barack by 2-3 points.  While Hillary leads in the Real Clear Average Poll and she has the mindles zombies participating in Operation Choas, I think the 160,000 new registered voters will be enough to put Barack over the top if they come out and participate today. 

Governor - I give this one to Jill Long Thompson.  Jim Schellinger’s campaign only came to life in the last couple weeks.  And Long Thompson has been ahead in just about every poll that’s been taken.  I give her the nod by 5.

7th District - I hate to disappoint the Andre Carson haters but I think he will pull this one off, also by about 5 points.  Had it been a two-person race between Carson and Myers, I think Myers would be able to score a clear win.  He may be able to eek out a victory by a  couple points, but I think the Carson-Obama connection puts Carson over the top by 5 over his challengers.

5th District - I don’t think change will come to the second most Republican District in the country.  Dan Burton will likely stay.  I think if Jon McGoff had more money and hit Burton earlier this would have been a different story.  The sliver lining in all this is that if there is a God, this will be Danny’s last term in office.

These are my predictions, but the caveat in all this is that it could change.  :-) 

Go vote and don’t forget your ID.

In case you were wondering how much of a big deal this primary was going to be check out some of these facts from the Marion County Clerk’s Office.

More than 7,900 absentee ballots were mailed out and more than 6,700 returned. That’s an 85-percent return rate.

More than 8,800 people have come into the Clerk’s Office to vote since early voting began on April 7.

Including the traveling board, more than 16,000 absentee ballots have been cast and 75-percent of those pulled a Democratic ballot.

According to the Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita, more than 144,000 Democratic absentee ballots have been requested; 44,000 for Republicans.

Tomorrow is going to be fun.

Every time I get cynical and tired of politics I come across something that makes me laugh and keeps it all in perspective.  Enjoy.

Democrat Barack Obama has just taken the stage and was introduced by former Congressman Lee Hamilton. I was told the Clinton camp was opposed to the two making and joint appearance, but apparently something back stage changed all that.

Barack’s opening ovation was at least equal to Clinton’s. He reminded the audience why he was running, which was to help make badly needed change in this country. He told the audience his campaign has brought people together from all walks of life who all want change.

Barack said the economy was in serious trouble, regardless of whether it was in an official recession.

Barack, trying to connect with those working-class white voters, said America was the place where anyone could make it if they tried. He told how America gave members of his family opportunities to have lives better than the ones before them.

He asked the audience “where was the America of that generation?”

He also took a swipe at Hillary Clinton by asking how many decades have America’s serious problems existed, while elected officials did nothing but talk about them.

Barack told the audience that a better America is possible if Americans work together. (That line for him a standing ovation.) He said politics didn’t lead him to working people, but working people led him to politics. He also said the nation could not afford four years of a McCain Presidency.

Barack said America’s does best when it leads by principles and convictions. He took another swipe at Hillary saying that 30 years in office did nothing to solve the nation’s energy problems and mocked her gas tax proposal saying it would only save Hoosiers 30-cents a day for a few months.

He told the audience that he was the only candidate that could fundamentally change the way things work in Washington. He also echoed the theme that the election was bigger than any candidate but about reclaiming the American dream.

He promised to pay for universal health care by rolling back the Bush tax cuts and criticized John McCain, saying the “wheels came off the straight talk express.”

He said the money to pay for his programs would come from the war in Iraq.

Much of what he said, he’s already said on the campaign trail but it still got a big round of applause from the audience.

His biggest round of applause came at the end when he told the audience the only reason he was on stage was because someone stood up for him and more and people stood up.  And as if on cue the audience rose and applauded.

Barack also spoke for about 30 minutes.

The program is running late, no big surprise.  These things always happen.  DNC Chairman Howard Dean has just taken the stage.  He continues to stress the message of unity.  He says Democrats will win, regardless of who the party nominates.  Dean says Democrats have a chance to win in places where they haven’t won before.

Dean said he understands how a candidate’s supporters can be upset if they don’t win, but this race is bigger than the candidates.  He said the race is about the future and Democrats will need to come together.

He also said John McCain was out of touch with the nation and he took a swipe at Gov, Mitch Daniels for leasing the Indiana Toll Road and bringing Daylight Savings Time to Indiana.

Dean reminded the audience that the election will be close.    Dean was briefly interrupted by Clinton supporters who demanded the votes of Michigan and Florida be counted towards the primary.

Dean also told his fellow Democrats that they were more influential in affecting the outcome of the Presidential race than traditional get-out-the-vote efforts.    He encouraged them to go out and talk to their neighbors and convince them to vote for Democrats in the fall.

DNC Chairman Howard Dean was supposed to take the stage now, but he didn’t, Hillary Clinton did. She came on thunderous applause and Mellencamp’s “Our Country.” Her voice seemed raspy from a long day of talking. Hillary told her fellow Democrats that Hoosiers are the kind of people that keep the country going and it was time there was a President who would work for the middle class.

She invoked the Indy 500 by asking the audience if they were “ready to start their engines” and get a Democrat elected to the White House. She also touched on a message of unity by saying when the primary was over the party would come together regardless of who the nominee was.

She said Indiana is playing a crucial role and asked the audience that if they listened closely they could hear the sound of moving van pulling up to Bush White House and the current President moving out and a Democrat taking over. She accused Republicans of looking after the wealthy and ignoring the middle and working class. She said Democrats are reaching out to independents and Republicans to join them to turn the country around.

She also said she carried the dream of her middle class parents and their generation who would never waiver from the American Dream. It was pretty much the same speech she’d given on the stump time and again.

Clinton did come across as a much warmer and more personable figure in this address than in previous speeches. She took a swipe at her opponent by saying there’s been enough speeches and rhetoric and said her Presidency would be real solutions for the problems facing working and middle-class Americans.

She reiterated her call for relief from high gas prices and inferring her plan to suspend the federal gas tax for the summer months saying it was a short-term for relief that the nation needed and not just talking about a long-term solution. She said for every taxpayer who got a $600 tax cut they also saw their energy prices go up $2,000 since the Bush administration took office. She also called for an investigation into speculators on the oil market claiming they were also responsible for high prices and for fuel efficient vehicles to be made in Indiana.

Hillary said she would be a President who will take on the oil companies and oil producing companies and will also take the tax breaks from corporations and will give them to the working and middle class families.

She also promised to get tough on trade with the Chinese and deliver universal health care and force insurance companies to cover all medical conditions.

She also promised to restore America’s name abroad and start withdrawing troops from Iraq within 60 days of taking office.

Hillary also said John McCain would bring four more years of the same.

She took another swipe at Barack and his rhetoric by implying it was not enough to make real change in Washington against the special interests.

She also alluded to her ability to come back from behind by invoking the movie “Hoosiers.”

Clinton spoke for 30 minutes.

Indiana Democrats’ favorite son is on stage now, Evan Bayh.  He got the best opening so far.  While speaking, he stressed a message of unity.  Bayh said although some in the audience have come to support either Hillary or Barack, either could do a better job George W. Bush.   Bayh said Indiana was flyover country for 40 years and now it matters.  He said both candidates have listened to new voters and by working together Democrats can put Indiana in the blue column.   Indiana has not voted for a Democrat for President since 1964.

Bayh told the audience that although he is for Clinton he is not against Barack Obama.  Bayh said come election night, some people will be disappointed but Democrats can’t let that disappointment stop them from voting for either winner in the election.

Bayh said both Hillary and Barack will fight for universal health care, withdrawing troops from Iraq and fighting for the middle class.