Comments on: Kirk Cannot Beat McKenna in a Primary

By: Stuart Shiffman

Stuart Shiffman — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 00:32:35 +0000

Kirk and McKenna have kissed and made up. If this type of action had been accomplished by Democrats the republicans would be screaming about party bosses and slatemaking.

By: Rob_N

Rob_N — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 19:29:27 +0000

JSF,

I picked Wallace’s name out of a hat (almost literally). Insert the phrase “Right-wing Candidate X” instead if you like.

By: JonShibleyFan

JonShibleyFan — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 10:43:33 +0000

Well, Kirk and McKenna almost certainly won’t both run – I think they’re chums.

Unfortunately, Eric Wallace is a non starter. He got pummeled running for state senate – by Maggie Crotty, I believe – and isn’t likely to have two nickels to rub together for the race.

If the leak and then retraction was a tactic, it was a stupid one. Combined with his “I’m waiting to see what Lisa does” strategy, it makes him look waffling and uncertain, which hopefully the press will pick up on.*

While it might make sense that someone in IL leaked the story to Cilizza, honestly, the purity of essence wing of the ILGOP just isn’t that savvy — and I can’t imagine any of them alone would comprise enough of a source for Cillizza to run with it.

*Does not include the Kirk’s own Daily Pravda, the Trib.

By: Rob_N

Rob_N — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:05:23 +0000

I disagree. I don’t think McKenna has the national structural support or media savvy to go up against Kirk. He’s improved a lot since his last race, making contacts across the state as head of IL-GOP, but the NRSC has been doting on Kirk for months.

Neither of them thrill the social cons anyway so Eric Wallace or whoever will capture those votes no matter what.

…And Kirk has Elk + Co. McKenna has the Blogging on Blago Blog… No contest.

As a sidenote — I wonder who leaked the attack to Cillizza. One theory that popped up pretty quickly was that McKenna and Kirk coordinated to get promises out of the NRSC. Seems plausible, but the cynic in me thinks an ostrich wanted to take Kirk down a peg or two … possibly someone from the Illinois delegation who doesn’t think global warming exists (Sh….). Just a wacky thought.