Monday, February 1, 2010

Illinois Primary Now A Sprint to the Finish Line

Well, in about another 36 hours, this will all be over. We'll be watching the results very carefully in the U.S. Senate race (I plan to be at Mark Kirk's election night party, although the real drama will be watching to see who the Dem nominee is, as everyone expects a commanding victory for Kirk), the Tenth Congressional Race on both the GOP and Dem sides, and a slew of local races up here in Lake County like the 59th and 62nd legislative districts.

In the IL-10 race to succeed Congressman Mark Kirk, the Daily Herald took a look at the way the race has evolved, with a little help from some friends:

A relatively mild - but pricey - campaign has seen some attacks in recent weeks, though the barbs are not in the same ballpark as those in some high-profile statewide races.

Will going negative make a difference?

"By and large, on the North Shore where we have highly educated, independent voters, people don't respond well to negative campaigning because they feel they're being manipulated," said Larry Falbe, a Mettawa trustee and author of Team America's 10th District blog.

The DH also noted:

Because it is considered a moderate district where voters tout independence, candidates on both sides have had to tread carefully to be more inclusive.

"In this particular district, you're going to win it in the middle," said Kent Redfield, a political science professor at the University of Illinois at Springfield.

Candidates, for example, uniformly have said creating jobs and cutting federal spending are priorities, and agree health care should be more accessible and affordable, though they differed on whether a public option should be part of a national reform plan.

As the only candidates with experience in office, [Democrat Julie] Hamos and [Republican Beth] Coulson have been pegged by opponents as insiders within a dysfunctional state government.

Both dismiss those connections, saying they have been independent and willing to buck the system.

This blog endorsed Beth Coulson for the GOP nomination for IL-10. We're not quite sure who would be the candidate we'd like to face on the Dem side: We know Dan Seals, and know where his many vulnerable points are. Hamos has a record to run against, and she's part of the Madigan machine that may finally take some of the well-deserved blame this year for the State's financial crisis. Those of us who were around in 1994 remember that Madigan suffered a round of ingracious defeats that year. We'll have to wait till the general is up and running, however, before we can make any useful predictions.

They are predicting low turnout, so get out there and vote tomorrow, if you have not done so already!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

yesterdays beating on you by team dolt was one of the most awful things I have seen. I am sorry father dolt could not arrange the endorsement like the rest of juniors career, but taking it out on team america, was an indictment of that campaign. Perhaps getting an endorsement from a politician who's done something in Illinois within the last decade or a candidate who has talking points and ideas not relevant to the era where jim mccmahon was under center might have helped.

team america, the quote was good. I don't get the daily herald, but I feel as if they basically get their talking points from you and team kirk and I am sure they read this thing nonstop as you generally beat them on stories. It's also interesting they never quote catlady, probably because they think she suffers from liberal deranagement syndrome.

Can't make it tomorrow night, but have a good time in wheeling with baxters mom, mrs. team america, and of course king louis. On the downside you will no longer have pat hughes to kick around anymore, but I am sure Alexi will be enough and you can also start pumping up hamilton chang, thunder dan segrue, senator kirk, and others.

FOKLAEAPS

Anonymous said...

Like you, Foklaeps, I was disgusted by the barrage of inappropriate posts against TA. Most of those posts said more about the Dold team than it did about TA. If that's what he thinks is the way to the top, heaven help us with staffers like that on his side.
Hopefully after tomorrow we can all get on one bandwagon, get out and work like crazy to elect the winners in the Primary. I'm hoping that we can put aside our personal feelings and joing the bigger team, the winners in tomorrow's balloting because that's the only positive approach to winning in November.
And if you think that staying home and not voting is your way to voice your objection, get over it. We need to stand as one Republican party committed to bringing security, fiscal responsibility and good old common sense to our government.
Vote, make your voice and presence heard.

Anonymous said...

Twas the night before primaries and all through the polls,

The Kirkster was leading without any holes.

Though Martin had tried with a negative ad,

He didn't succeed and the people were glad.

See they don't like a candidate who runs a campaign in the ruts,

and they will never cast a vote for the one they call nuts.

and as the polls closed on that cold February night,

you could hear the voters say a vote for Mark Kirk was only right.

GOD BLESS AMERICA

Anonymous said...

FOKLEAPS complaining about below the belt shots. The irony is palpable.

Anonymous said...

FOFLEAPS, you do not know if the anto TA posts were from Team Dold, Team Green, Team Friedman or simply readers of the blog.

There is one thing that is certain, FOKLEAS complaining about below the belt shots creates a palpable irony.




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Anonymous said...

sorry for the dub