When asked about Daniel Seals and Jay Footlik, the two Democrats who will face off in the Feb. 5 primary to see who will run against him, Kirk said that he is not worried about a challenge from Seals.
“I won in the toughest year ever last year for Republicans and I
defeated Seals by a 7 percent margin,” he told me before he spoke to the Norpac crowd. “We know Dan Seals the best, and we know how to beat him.”
Actually, all signs show a worse cycle in 2008 with potentially Barack Obama on the ticket. So that’s some hubris that I hope he really believes. I think Seals or Footlik can take the guy especially if Obama is on the ticket.
But let me point out something else from Rich’s post about early voting:
[T]he previous high for first-day balloting during Early Voting in Chicago was 890 ballots cast before the Nov. 2006 election. The daily average for that election was 1,378 ballots during Early Voting.
Today, the first day of Early Voting for the 2008 General Primary, an unofficial total of 3,990 ballots were cast in the City of Chicago. Historically, the lowest counts of ballots have been the very first few days and on weekends.
That sound you heard was incumbents all over the city gulping very hard. Barack Obama’s candidacy may be a blessing to some, but his very powerful “change” message might prove fatal for a few entrenched incumbents who have thought for months that their reelections are in the bag.
That’s an energized Democratic base. If Mark Kirk thinks last year was bad….
Kirk’s not resting on his laurels. He has no primary opponent yet signs popped up in yards all over town today. His people are out walking even though they don’t have to be.
Within a block we went from 1 Seals sign on Saturday (and no Kirks), to 2 Seals signs this morning (and no Kirks), to 2 Seals signs tonight and about 5 Kirk signs….
He’s got his people hussling.
Seals does not have a chance to win against the incumbent Kirk. Kirk is doing better when it comes to outreaching to Jewish voters like never before and will pounce on the anti-Israel comments made by Seals.
==like never before and will pounce on the anti-Israel comments made by Seals.
Except he hasn’t made any anti-Israel statements, but other than that great analysis.
It doesn’t matter if Mark Kirk has supporters “hussling.” Mark Kirk has to answer for his support of Bush-Cheney policies such as enhanced interrogation techniques that are banned by the U.S. Army Field Manual and tax-cuts-for-the-rich-and-spend “economics” that look like it will result in the second Bush recession in six years.