ArchPundit

My general rule is that primaries are good things and that people should get in them so the Party can decide who is the best choice. Yet, there are times they can be counterproductive.

In IL-10, I wasn’t terribly thrilled with Jay Footlik getting in the race, but after meeting him and the such, I’m comfortable with him though I’m supporting Dan Seals. It would be a bit hypocritical of me to call for no competition. If Jay were to win I could support him in good conscience and I’m okay with that. If Dan is as strong as I think he is, it shouldn’t be a problem. If it is a problem, that would tell us about Dan’s ultimate ability. I don’t have questions in regards to Dan because I’ve seen him in action last cycle, but I don’t see any harm in having the primary. It’s similar to IL-6 where I thought more competition was fine. Footlik is also running his campaign as being against Kirk and not Dan so it heightens the point that Mark Kirk is no moderate and is a rubber stamp for George Bush’s war.
The problem comes in races like IL-3 where it looks like we have a four or five way race in the primary and the problem is that for one of them to come out victorious, they are going up against an incumbent who has a base established by his father. The field has to be whittled down. Assuming one or two of them won’t be a serious candidate means that the real problem comes with two candidates who are getting most of the attention: Mark Pera and Palos Hills Mayor Jerry Bennett.

Pera has put together a good campaign team, has really been a hit with progressives and has an incredibly calm and likeable personality. He seems to be doing his call time and canvasses. Bennett isn’t quite as progressive, but is acceptable and much better than Lipinski. The problem is that the two of them together doom a chance to take out Lipinski and so someone needs to make a choice.

The thing with Lipiniski is that he’s vulnerable on the issue of being handed the seat through nepotism and the shadiness behind that. And that is where Bennett is weaker. From Lipinski’s campaign site:

Gerald Bennett, the Mayor of Palos Hills and a health care executive, said Congressman Lipinski’s proposals were an “excellent approach to helping American families become better health care consumers.”

“The Congressman should be lauded for working with colleagues in both parties to craft initiatives that will not only improve health care availability and delivery, but also have a great chance of being enacted,” Mayor Bennett said.

===

Third District governmental leaders endorsing Congressman Lipinski’s re-election include:

Jim Balcer – Alderman, 11 th Ward
Gerald Bennett – Mayor, City of Palos Hills

And right there is the problem. Bennett’s quote and endorsement from 2006 neutralizes that issue for Bennett, who by all accounts is able. The campaign needs to be one of insider cronyism versus independent challenger and Bennett isn’t able to do that. And it’s why, I hope he doesn’t decide to announce. I don’t blame him for being ambitious, but at this point, he’ll have the weaker message and the Party needs this win. I also happen to like that Pera is more progressive and clear on many key issues, but I’m ultimately a pragmatist and that impulse happens to be the same as my progressive impulse.