Sunday, November 1, 2009

Republican Jewish Coalition Hosts 10th District Campaign Forum on November 15th

(TA Note- We've bumped this post back up to continue our discussion on IL-10 since Halloween is now over. Hope you didn't eat too much candy!)

Early in the campaign season, my friend Dr. Michael Menis, who heads the Chicago chapter of the Republican Jewish Coalition, called to tell me that the RJC planned to sponsor a GOP 10th District candidates forum after petitions were filed. That was a welcome relief, as the RJC always does a great job with events, and that left TA off the hook for trying to organize something to showcase our candidates.

Well, it's now about time to publicize that event, which will be held on Sunday November 15th, beginning at 6:00 p.m., Renaissance North Shore Hotel, 933 Skokie Blvd., Northbrook, IL 60062. There is a charge if you are not an RJC member, and RSVPs are required, so check the link for all of the details.

We've been talking quite a bit about the race for U.S. Senate here in Illinois, so let's use this as an excuse to get back to the 10th District and ask everyone to chime in on who you are supporting for the GOP nomination to succeed Mark Kirk in IL-10. You will notice the new "endorsement" bar on the right side of the page, and you may also notice that there is no endorsement (yet) for IL-10. So, let's hear your best arguments for each candidate and help us sort this out.

As usual, let's try to remain as positive as possible (understanding that part of primary races is to compare and contrast), but at the least, let's be respectful and polite. Thanks.

21 comments:

Publia said...

I think Beth Coulsen might be the best pick, because she has been through a number of punishing re-election contests that she has handled admirably. That being said, there are better candidates from an "issues" standpoint, and Beth should be sharply questioned as to her likely votes in Congress; as a healthcare professional, her views on pending and possible legislation need to be carefully examined. Bob Dold is also an excellent candidate, but doesn't offer the trench warfare experience that Beth does.

Anonymous said...

I think that Publia is correct as to Beth's being a battle tested candidate, that she has pretty decent name ID that will also be helpful to her. I haven't met Bob Dold but I understand that he is definitely someone to watch, someone who just might be able to hit the ground running. Can't comment on the others because I just don't know enough about any of them. The RJC has always done a decent job and presenting forums like this so yes, TA, I think it's great that you're helping get the word out so that we all have an opportunity to make intelligent choices early on and help our candidate win the nomination.

Anonymous said...

Bill Cadigan is the best informed and articulate on the issues. He is a fomer Porter staffer and health policy expert with impeccable reform credentials who has been endorsed by Patrick Colllins. No Springfield taint.
He is also from the most GOP vote rich portion of the district in Arlington Heights.
Watch Cadigan on Jeff Berkowitz show on You Tube. He does a great job.

Anonymous said...

Porter was 20 years ago. It says on his website before the berlin wall fell, long time ago. His reform initiative just got crushed by the jv in springfield.

Coulson has battle experience but when you get elected by running to the left of the democrat and everyone knows you already it's hard to lose, especially when you get endorsed by blago and acorn. No telling what she had to do to get that endorsement or whether or not she'll show up in his trial.

FOKLAES

Easy said...

Coulson is the easy money in the primary. A proven vote getter in a field with 4 sausages who have no name id. She's the easy pick--regardless of the tin-foil conspiracies being spun by some on the blog.

Many may argue she is not the right pick, but right now, she is the chalk.

Anonymous said...

1. If coulson is the nominee, there is no point to having a republican party anymore. Just turn in the elephant ears, call of the convetion and lets go home. She's an absolute FAIL. Let's remember anon, that she is not a social conservative,she has no national security experience, she's not a fiscal conservative, she's not pro-business, she's not pro-rule of law (supports corruption), has done jack sh-t in springfield and has been a dormat for democrats for 15 years.

a)she sleeps with the teachers unions who destroy our schools, gives it up for the beuracrat unions that feed the machine, and then there's that acorn thing she is BFF with.

2. Hillary (like coulson a 7 sisters grad) ran against 8 men in the feminazi party and got her brain beat in. Hillary at least pretended to be a member of her party.

3. She was endorsed by blago and has a campaign run by democrat machine twerps.

4. Anon, I hope you are hammered on oktoberfest brew because she's not worth it.

FOKLAES

Publia said...

The identification of the Republican Party as a Conservative Party is not its traditional identity, and that especially applies to the North Shore's traditional voting pattern. While I would prefer the conservative every time, even the Team America Blog doesn't identify on the right. Tell me why and how someone other than than Beth can win, and I will carefully listen. Bob Dold and Beth Coulsen are both going to shine at the forum, and we may be able to identify one or more who also look strong.

I am all for ideological purity, but I don't buy the argument that we are better off losing and waiting for someone better, than winning with a candidate who doesn't meet a rightwing test. We need to treat all the candidates with respect, even if we don't like them. They are good candidates, and all of us should be able to live with who emerges as the strongest. We must have the strongest.

Also, as far as possible we ought to be keeping an open mind. How nice would it be to have a consensus candidate well in advance of the primary? That could happen, but the only way we can get there is through thinking and discussion. There are pros and cons to every candidate, and that should be our focus.

Anonymous said...

Publia,

You didn't answer the question (a staffer?), the party establishment here is absolutely rotten to the core and coulson's been a part of a group of republicans that's stood for nothing and done nothing in springfield, or else we wouldn't be at 20 percent approval nationally-the worst in history. Her own consultant, Dan Proft has spent the last year moaning about how the party has stood for nothing. She's done nothing to change that and now we send her up? No thanks.

I lean to the moderate end of the party, but frankly they really dont stand for anything and neither has she, as I said earlier, she's not a social conservative, not a small gov conservative, not an econ conservative, not a national security hawk. What we have is a career politician who does nothing and whose 2 biggest issues education, and health care have both been major sources of failure here in Illinois. She can win and do what? Advance what kind of agenda? She's been in springfield 15 years and at the end of that experience the party here is a wreck with no ideas. We don't need that trash at the national level.

She's been endorsed by John Shimkus. Shimkus you'll recall protected homosexual child predator Mark Foley who singlehandedly cost us 10-15 seats in congress. Yuck.

I'd much rather see her destroyed, throw darts at hamos for 2 years (coulsons vote won't matter anyway since we won't have congress back) and hamilton chang change is my name or thunder dan segrue come back in 2012 and put a solid new republican in there who will actually pretend to be a republican.

And for the record, her friends the beuracrats union were major targets of congressman porter, an actual pro-business, pro-small government, national security hawk, anti-machine moderate republican.

He also never bent over to kiss blago's ellen to get re-elected.

FOKLAES

Anonymous said...

Fokles
Be careful. Shimkus endorsed Mark Kirk too.
Kirk tells a very funny story of his visit to Shimkus district and going into a coal mine and Shimkus said "Will you take back that cap and trade vote now?"

Publia said...

Folklaes, there are certainly choices among the Republicans other than Beth who are good choices. Who do you like, then?

Anonymous said...

Coulson will get slaughtered against Hamos, as she is a carbon copy.

If she's the nominee, it's over for the GOP in the 10th...conservative, moderate, or otherwise.

Anonymous said...

I don't care who John Shimkus endorsed, his protection of Foley cost us 10-15 house seats including almost this one. For all the talk about social conservatism he should have been booted from congress for that. Voters would trust us on integrity again if we didn't keep guys like him in our caucus.

Publia, I liked corinne wood, A LOT, but that was 10 years ago when that kind of republican actually meant something (you know what I am talking about), you have to earn your brand and coulson hasn't done it. I don't mean to rain on your, or anyone's parade and I want power as badly as anyone, but it absolutely killed me the 4 years watching our party blow up thanks to people like her that stood by and do nothing.

She hasn't done squat down there to stop madigan, what honestly makes you think she'll do any better in d.c.? To me she seems like a melissa bean only more pro-labor.

As for the candidates, porter was amazing, cadigan should know how to put on a show-but hasn't, green hired atrocious consultants known for losing major races-google adam schiff california 2000, dold seems to be this years dave mcsweeney-trying to run the 1994 race in a 2010 Illinois that's moved forward and doesn't care about those issues.

At least the bears didn't suck this week.

Fan of King Louis Astaves the Ellen Slayer

Anonymous said...

Granted, i didn't follow the sordid details too closely, but I don't remember Shimkus role in the Foley thing real well. What did he do or not do that was so bad?

Anonymous said...

He protected a child predator congressman. It cost us 15 points with the base, and pretty much every independent and democrat leaning republican.

FOKLAES

Seals4Us said...

I like you guys who hate some Republicans and many independents like us. Seals will win because of you guys.

Team America said...

SealsRLost-

===Seals will win because of you guys.===

Yeah, just he won the last two cycles, sucker.

The Pup isn't even going to make it past Hamos to get beaten like a dog in the general.

Anonymous said...

Coulson is spending all her money early trying to define herself as something she is not (see fiscal conservative). Her looooooooong record to the contrary will reveal her as not only fiscally irresponsible, but also a liar.

She will go the way of Rita Mullins in Palatine, who thought that just because she was in the Vagina Monologues, that women would just mindlessly vote for her. Rita came in third behind the two dudes.

-The Oracle of Mirth

Publia said...

But TA said,
"We've been talking quite a bit about the race for U.S. Senate here in Illinois, so let's use this as an excuse to get back to the 10th District and ask everyone to chime in on who you are supporting for the GOP nomination to succeed Mark Kirk in IL-10."

Is anyone willing to speak out for a specific candidate? People being unhappy with Beth isn't new, that goes back years and years. There are several other candidates, and they are good candidates, too. Maybe it is just too early to discuss?

Easy said...

big political news emerging out of TA's backyard and no updates or scoops??? Is one of TA's endorsed candidates getting a big name opponent?? stay tuned....

Team America said...

Easy, if you're talking about what I think you're talking about, I know all about it. But there's no news until there's a petition filing, and then we'll see.

Anonymous said...

Publia,

People are unhappy with her because she's done nothing in springfield and would allow pup if he survives the primary wrath of tehran loving julie hamos to claim that the democrat candidate is the only one who has never been endorsed by blago.

she's finished.

foklaes