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Lake County Is Starting To Come IN
Just got off the air and of course when I refreshed, Lake County was up.
Giannoulias up handily
Seals 2-1 (Lake County Portion Only)
Oberweis at 40
Judy at 33
McSweeney 40
Salvi 30
Churchill 20
(all partial and ONLY Lake County)
That Rauschenberger Campaign
Pascoe is the reigning champ on for the Hotline Last Call’s daily contest. He wins something at least.
Super Inside Joke
The guy in lower right hand pic in Claypool’s latest e-mail looks far too happy for an election day. He might even have gotten some sleep.
What Are My Endorsements
Since I didn’t get the lot up here’s the short version
The big three: Shore, Claypool, Sullivan. My reasons have been clear for a couple weeks.
10th CD: Seals–he’s for real and seems to be getting a hell of a reception. Nothing bad about Zane at all though.
Treasurer: Mangieri–not of a fan of the untested rich guys. Yes, Mangieri is more conservative, but it’s a non-ideological position.
Governor: Blagojevich—Eisendrath isn’t a serious candidate. I’m not a huge fan of the Governor, but he’s better than a vanity candidate and he’s starting to show a little bit of discipline. All Kids deserves a vote if nothing else.
6th–start the flames, Duckworth. This is a hard decision, but while I think all three would make a great Member of Congress, Tammy is closer to me ideologically on most issues and runs the most disciplined campaign.
Lindy was a close second, much closer than I would have predicted, but ultimately, he couldn’t convince me he could be mean enough in a general election with Roskam. I’m probably closer to him on parental notification (though I’d still have some opt outs for others close to the pregnant girl in question). The other issue is O’Hare. I strongly respect how Lindy came to his conclusion, but ultimately, I’m on the other side. This is a case where he framed the issue far better than other opponents and other politicians would have been smart to listen to him.
Christine is great, but ultimately more liberal than I am and I’m deeply concerned about the campaign discipline. With the exception of Austin Mayor, one thing to note is that in advocating for Christine, much of the netroots push alienated many more people than those advocates might understand. AM did a good job addressing issues and substantive reasons and didn’t whine. If you want to see a way to advocate for a candidate without alienating others, Austin Mayor did it well.
Good luck to all, I’ll be happy when this is over and I can support whomever wins.
Darin on more Sierra Club Endorsements
Mildly amusing comments with even Bill Baar calling out some nuttiness (meant in good humor Bill)
It’s a Zorn Day
Zorn addresses the Stroger situation.
It is sad that John Stroger has a serious stroke and having seen my grandparents after similar events, I feel sympathy for them and as a personal matter, it’s tragic.
However, that shouldn’t obscure the fact that John Stroger, by the doctors’ reports, will never return to actively govern Cook County and he won’t be in a position to run for reelection in the general election. Voting for him is voting for the Central Committee choosing a good candidate. Is that something Democrats trust?
James Hansen’s Minder
60 Minutes investigated the clamp down on NASA scientists including James Hansen, one of the foremost experts on global warming. Watch the video over at Think Progress and notice that Hansen has to have a minder present to talk to the press.
One of the foremost experts on the Earth’s Atmosphere has a minder from the PR department. In America.
Eric Beat Me To It
Oberweis for the Republican Primary
Not for any serious reason—I just want good material and I don’t have to try hard when he’s around.
I’ll be writing columns and blog entries on the gubernatorial campaign for seven months or so, and, as Oberweis continues to show again and again, he’s better copy than any of his opponents.
It is like when I asked whether God could like me enough to really have the Illinois GOP bring in Alan Keyes. It ended up not taking divine intervention, but just a couple crazy State Senators.
Eric predicts an Oberweis victory and I’m not sure he’s wrong. Yesterday I would have said it was possible, but Judy had the upperhand–with a winter storm in spring on the way, the motivation of movement conservatives may be high enough to trump the less committed voters in the center of the spectrum.
I don’t know if AFSCME is phone banking for Judy and Joe, but she is going to need all the help she can get if it is as bad as weather as some of the forecasts suggest.
On a more serious note, I think it is important for the two parties to put up candidates who will hold the other party accountable. Oberweis isn’t that guy. Blagojevich won’t have to paint him as a nut, he is a nut and he’ll be batting practice for Blagojevich who is one of the better campaigners I’ve seen in Illinois. Not so hot at the governing thing, but a hell of a campaigner.